by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 14, 2020 | atp1
THE Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and agrarian Reform recently held its Annual Women
Empowerment programme where MEC Nomakhosazana Meth urged women under her department’s employ to lift each other as they climb up the corporate ladder.
The two-day Women Empowerment programme took place at the East London-based Alexandre Golf course from Thursday to Friday.
According to organiser who is also director for the SPU, Lulama Manitshana the programme is meant to emancipate women and push for gender equality within and beyond the work space.
Addressing the attendees who came from all districts of province, MEC Meth said in many instances women were the stumbling blocks on each other’s progress.
Meth vehemently denounced the ‘pull her down’ syndrome which she said was prevalent among women.
“As slow as it may be but the government is working tirelessly to eliminate inequality across all spheres of life and this is evident through the ongoing changes in our policies.
But even us, ourselves, need to come to the party and become wheels of the change they want to see
“The system was anchored on patriarchy and it is us the victims who need to unite, stand up and speak in one women voice as women stop pulling each other down so a selected few can climb up and join the men up there,” said Meth.
Newsletter 12 October 2020 DRDAR women told to lift as they rise.
She said the issue of gender oppression could no longer be put on ice.
“Let’s lift each other up as we rise. We are in this together and we must fight for equality where everyone
–men and women- are able to grow in the workplace based on merit not because we want to meet a quota.
This starts with respecting the cleaner and the woman who makes you coffee and clean your office. Create an
environment where that cleaner can become the HOD in the next five years,” said Meth.
Bulelwa Lusaseni who delivered a motivational talk on the day echoed Meth’s sentiments and encouraged women to be ‘fixers’of each other’s crown.
She said the apparent division among women was a coping mechanism to male dominance.
“Women have resorted to dropping the things that seem to weigh them down so they can fly high to the top and unfortunately those ‘things’ that seem to be weighing them down are fellow women.
Let’s uplift one another because we only have ourselves,” said Lusaseni.
The empowerment session took place on a flamboyant gala dinner fashion with strict observation of the COVID-19 regulations.
by Olwetu Batyi | Sep 30, 2020 | atp1
Government commit to fight poverty
By Thozi kaManyisana
The Eastern Cape provincial government is committed to ensuring poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment and inequality is eradicated so that the people of the province can benefit from the economic spinoffs.
This was the message relayed during a media briefing aimed at unpacking the integrated anti-poverty provincial strategy by MECs for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Nomakhosazana Meth, Health MEC Sindiswa Gomba, Human Settlements MEC Nonkqubela Peters and MEC for Social Development and Special programmes Siphokazi Lusithi.
Speaking during the briefing held at the Bhisho Massacre Memorial, MEC Meth outlined the department’s interventions to poverty. She said the main programme that seeks to address food production at household level, which is known as Siyazondla, has a budget of R40 million for poultry and vegetable production in 20 000 households across the province.
MEC said the Department has allocated R94 million for the provision of production inputs and mechanization for grain farmers in the province. She said in this cropping season, the department was targeting 28 116ha for planting.
She said in the current financial year a sum of R15 million was allocated for vegetable production in “high potential areas”.
To improve income generation in the livestock development programme, DRDAR is working with National Agriculture Marketing Council through the Custom Feeding Program. She said 15 of the Custom Feeding Centres will be supported in 2020/21 financial year with a budget of R7 million to provide feed production, she said.
The MEC also revealed that farmers in the province had generated foreign revenue to the tune of R387 million through live exports of livestock to the Middle East.
Furthermore, the Department has supported 116 smallholder farmers with 84 bulls and 377 heifers across the province with each farmer receiving 15 heifers andone1 bull while young farmers recieved 20 heifers and 1 bull each.
She said the delivery of genetically superior bulls and heifers will continue during the financial year with a total of R93, 6 million set aside to support farmers on wool, genetic improvement, custom feeding, animal health, poultry and piggery projects. This initiative is expected to create 677 jobs in the province.
The MEC said the department is supporting black citrus farmers to increase production by 445 ha in Amathole and Sarah Baartman where the department is working with Citrus Growers Association to assist farmers to secure more funding from JobsFund in an initiative that will create 756 new jobs.
She also mentioned the deciduous fruit expansion in new areas of the province focusing in Gubengxa Valley where a total of 450 ha would be developed under apple production and is expected to create 764 jobs opportunities
The MEC said in support of antipoverty strategy, DRDAR is currently working towards constructing 71 boreholes, scooping 216 dams, 10 dip tank renovations, building of nine animal handling facilities, erection of 530 kilometres of fencing and installation of seven stock water systems. This will create 1 762 jobs, she said.
On youth development, MEC said the national Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform through the NARYSEC programme has mobilised 203 youths which were supported under the Covid-19 smallholder farmer support programme and were provided with agricultural production inputs.
She said on the internships, learnership and bursaries programme DRDAR has supported 122 youth while 114 unemployed graduates have been placed in various commercial farms and cooperatives in order to afford them an opportunity to gain hands on farm experience.
As part of ensuring that people in rural areas have access to one of the most basic rights, the MEC said DRDAR is implementing spring water protection program in Chris Hani, Alfred Nzo and Joe Gqabi where the department protects spring water and channels it to communities through pipes and taps.
Whilst irrigation schemes in Amathole, Chris Hani and OR Tambo are expected to create 3 406 sustainable jobs
“In promoting rural agro-processing initiatives, the department is operationalising five (5) in KSD, Ncora, Mbizana, Emalahleni and Tshabo. The facilities are being reconfigured to serve as demand aggregation centre for smallholder and communal producers,” said MEC Meth.
She added that the department was initiating two mechanization centres in the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality and Elundini Municipality in support of smallholder cropping farmers and communal producers.
by Olwetu Batyi | Sep 24, 2020 | atp1
MEC METH JOINS PINEAPPLE HARVEST
By Thozi kaManyisana
EASTERN Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC yesterday joined pineapple farmers in Ngqushwa during their first harvest since their started operating in 2018.
Yesterday’s harvest of 7ha at Cornfields which is expected to yield about 300 tons. The price per ton according to the consumer price index costs about R1500.
Speaking during the harvest, MEC Meth said Cornfields Farm was a true example of citizen activism as the farmers decided not to sit “idle” and wait for handouts.
DRDAR invested about R3, 8 million for pineapple production between 2018 and 2019 in Ngqushwa, on deliverables that include planting, provision of fencing material and payment of employees for bush clearing and farm work.
In this financial year an investment of R7 million has been allocated for pineapple production in Ngqushwa. The funds will be utilised for production inputs and labour.
DRDAR has appointed 20 people through the Expanded Public Works Programme to assist with clearing the fields in preparation for planting.
One of the owners, Mvuthuza Maputi (81) who grew up at Cornfields Farm said his dream of becoming a farmer had finally come true.
He spent a large number of his years as a farm worker. “I have been waiting for this moment where our governing is working hard to develop us.”
His daughter Noluvuyo Mali recalled how Maputi refused to leave the farm where his father and grandfather are buried.
“He convinced us to come and work this land when he made us do an application to use the land for development. Even though we were reluctant at first, we now see a brighter future.”
Mali said this first harvest was giving them hope as they have not seen any income since they started operating.
“We are thankful to the department for their support because if it was for them we would not be here,” said Mali.
DRDAR Acting District Director in the Amathole District Zoliswa Maleza said “workers in the pineapple farms here have a stake in the shares of Summerpride,” adding that she was a trustee who is representing the government in business transactions and that farmworkers are getting a share of the profits.
by Olwetu Batyi | Sep 22, 2020 | atp1
CHEVY CHASE’S BIG PLANS TO EXPORT IN EUROPE
The Chevy Chase landcare programme will become a “gold mine” that would sell its products in the European countries because of the dedication of its members and their partners, MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) Nomakhosazana Meth heard.
The MEC was at Chevy Chase project in Mt Fletcher where DRDAR has spent a whopping R6 million in the project that seeks to preserve land and commercialise forestry through the department’s landcare programme.
Long-time member and secretary of the project, Zoleka Magcayi said the project, which has 24 employees, was initiated by the community in 2010 under difficult conditions where they were using “only one chain saw and normal bush cutters” to eradicate wattle trees.
MEC Meth delivered implements, equipment and inputs that included two tractors, two planters, two boom sprayers, chainsaws, brush cutters, production inputs and fencing material that will cover 6 kilometres.
“We are very happy with the progress we are making and the government support has been enormous. The forest project we started has given birth to twins in the form of livestock development because we are also planting grass for our livestock and now we venture into maize production.
“This will be a rural firm that will create jobs for our children and by doing this we are also creating a legacy for our great grandchildren,” said Magcayi, who is popularly known as “Queen Elizabeth” during an interview.
Besides DRDAR, the project is working with the Msonti NGO that is assisting communities to be commercial farmers and it is this NGO that assisted the community to approach DRDAR to provide fencing, assist in eradication of wattle and plant grass for livestock.
During an interview Msonti NGO member, James Valentine spoke about the big plans of the project that included production of charcoal from the wattle and “that product has a guaranteed market in Europe.”
“The government’s intervention to this programme is making it big,” said Valentine whose NGO is supporting four communities in the province and three communities in Kwa-Zulu Natal .
He said the intervention will see the plantation of 120ha of “special grass” for animals, planting of 450ha of pine trees as well as 5ha of maize that will be planted using conservation agriculture in a project that has employed 24 people and aims to add 12 more in the “near future.”
Chairperson of the project Mbulelo Landule, when speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries echoed Magcayi’s sentiments, saying the project was “wealth.”
“Government is supporting us so that we can develop and make money, this is a gold mine and if we work hard like we do we will be wealthy.
“Our children won’t have to go to big cities to seek employment, job opportunities will be here,” said Landule.
MEC Meth said she was “proud about the dedication and determination showed by this community and I am sure your dreams of having a sawmill will be realised because of your work hard,
“With your vision and passion I can see ,you know what you want. Your dream about commercialisation of forestry will be definitely fulfilled and we want projects like these in our bid as government to commercialise agriculture,” Meth said.
by Olwetu Batyi | Sep 22, 2020 | atp1
MEC Meth joins grain harvest in Ngcobo
By Thozi kaManyisana
The MEC for the department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) MEC Nomakhosazana Meth has lauded grain farmers at Nkondlo Administrative Area in Ngcobo for their hard work towards realising agrarian revolution and food security in the province.
Speaking at the grain harvest of Aah Zwelakhe Co-operative which is a source of employment to more than 200 people this season, MEC Meth said the work done by farmers at Nkondlo A/A was commendable and showed that the future of the agricultural sector was “brighter”.
“The future of agriculture sector is brighter because I see young people that are passionate about farming and are at the forefront of development. This sector has been treated with disdain in the past by young people but now are actively participating in their own development”
Zwelakhe Co-op is made up of 630 members with 4000 beneficiaries from surrounding villages. When it started in 2017, the cooperative produced maize from 100 hectares, but in 2019 the hectorage increased to 1700.
Between 2017 and 2019, the project has been assisted by DRDAR with “more than R10 million” said Yanga Dalasile one of the members of the cooperative.
Furthermore, the MEC announced that DRDAR has “contracted” the Co-op through their implementing agency, Dalasile Agri-Park to supply mechanisation to more than 4000 ha in Ngcobo for this coming cropping season.
Dalasile said DRDAR has supported the programme with mechanisation and inputs as well as fencing material covering about 300 ha.
He added the National department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development has also supported Aah Zanengqele Secondary Co-op, which made up of six co-ops including Aah Zwelakhe with mechanisation equipment worth R12 million.
Dalasile said apart from DRDAR, the Co-op was also working with private partners that include Humansdorp Co-op, Nciba Group Enterprise and Grain Farmers Development Association.
“We have 15 offtake agreements that guarantees that our maize goes from the fields to the market,” added Dalasile.
Chairperson of the Co-op, Tribal Siqungwana said the project had changed their livehoods. “Some of our children are employed here and the community, whose land we use, are getting annual rental income.
We are happy about this development and what the department is doing to assist us because this land has been lying fallow for many years.”
The project also produces oats that will be baled and sold as animal feed and it has a vision of opening an animal feed factory and initiating an irrigation scheme.
