by Olwetu Batyi | Dec 3, 2019 | atp1
THE Eastern Cape Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development hosted the 20th edition of the Female Entrepreneur Awards during women’s month in the Joe Gqabi District.
The awards done in partnership with Standard Bank and Old Mutual are held to celebrate the achievements of women in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors. In her welcoming address on behalf of Joe Gqabi District Mayor, Cllr. Vangiwe Hokwana said, “It is my pleasure and honour to welcome everyone present today, especially women who unselfishly commit their time and energy to invest in their respective communities”.
Hokwana further appreciated the role of ‘iimbokodo’ in the fight against social ills faced by local communities, starting in their households. She further acknowledged the role of the sponsors in making sure the event is a success.
Representing Standard Bank, Yandisa Ngcaba said: “I am proud to be part of this event and to be associated with this programme; I further challenge women in Agriculture to take time and visit our branches and apply for funding”.
Recognising and paying homage to the support, she received from DRDAR in uplifting women in farming; farmer Zoliwe Nombewu, from Mhlontlo Local Municipality within the OR Tambo District, said “Today I am a woman who is able to take care of her family because of farming. I have recently completed fencing 135 hectares of my land through assistance from DRDAR”.
DRDAR has and continues to give dignity back to women like me in rural areas of the Eastern Cape Province. I will soon be jetting off to the Ivory Coast, to learn more about best practices in farming, this is all because of DRDAR”, added Nombewu.
“I want to say to the women here today, let us uplift one another. Let us not be agents of ‘women on women hate’.We should be there to develop one another”, concluded Nombewu. Nombewu won in the Best Smallholder category during FEA 2018.
Categories awarded on the night included Best Female Worker; Best Subsistence Producer, Top entrepreneurin the following sectors: Smallholder, Commercial, Processing. As well as best organised district event, best performing district and finally Overall Winner for 2019.
Taking home, a whooping R250 000 00 cash prize and crowned 2019 overall winner is Patricia Betsha from Bafazi Phambili Poultry Project in Sarah Baartman District.
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
As we prepare for the 5 year strategic plan, today I convened all the senior officials of the department and our entities to listen to what farmers want us to do. Our plan will not rely on desktop sterile information, but be based on the development challenges faced by our people.
We are the net importers of food, when we are blessed with agricultural resources i.e. land, livestock and passionate people. What must we do differently to improve productivity and competitiveness? We should not just list what we wish to happen, we must state what we are all going to do. Let us monitor both government and farmer performance. For both parties, where there is poor performance, there must be consequences. For government officials, discipline must be enacted and for farmers, you might be taken out of the programme. The limited government resources must be spent sparingly and strategically with discipline properly adhered to.
Things must change! And things will change!
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by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
Session with ECRDA board and senior management of both DRDAR and ECRDA. We are in a process to revise the 5 year strategy in line with provincial priorities.
Key among issues for revision with regards to ECRDA will be:
– RED HUBs
– RURAL FINANCE
– MAGWA – MAJOLA
– FORESTRY
– LIVESTOCK commercialization
As announced in the policy speech, in October, we will host Rural Development and Investment Conference.
Kuvuthwa ezanyiswayo. Sikulonto kanye ngoku.
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
As we prepare for the review of the 5 year strategy, as the Rural Development and Agrarian Reform we have decided to “Keeps Ears To The Ground” and consult our stakeholders right across the province.
With this consultation with stakeholders, we intend to be able to identify and monitor trends, challenges and perceptions over time with specific groups of stakeholders. We specifically intend to:
❖ Identify and track needs and expectations
❖ Identify and track perceptions and attitudes
❖ Provide feedback on specific planned developments
❖ Evaluate implementations and actions
Stakeholder contribution is vital to the effective allocation of resources and success of development.
Alfred Nzo District
by Olwetu Batyi | Oct 9, 2019 | atp1
Our focus in Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman.
We are crisscrossing the province to invite our stakeholders to raise issues that the department should focus on for the next five years.
We have set this department to Keeps its “Ears To The Ground”. We invite our people to talk to us! We are listening and we will act! This is your department! Let us all make it work!
