Government pledges support for community gardens.
By Maile Matsimela, Digital Editor at African Farming
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has pledged to breathe new life into the Lethinjabulo Community Gardens in KwaMsane Township, Mtubatuba, promising transformative changes that will elevate the gardens through formalisation into commercial agribusinesses.
The Premier, accompanied by various government department officials and MECs, including KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, visited the gardens as a precursor to the province’s Women’s Day commemoration held at the nearby Inkosi Mzondeni Civic Centre in Mtubatuba.
Cooperative Members Face Market Access Challenges
The Lethinjabulo Community Gardens, situated along the banks of a small ravine, have 11 members, each of whom is allocated two plots. The cooperative members voiced concerns about accessing formal markets, highlighting persistent theft of fresh produce because of inadequate fencing around the garden area. Currently, they rely predominantly on local market sales. Although they receive production inputs including seedlings and fertilisers from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, they face challenges with an unreliable water supply.
Provincial Government Champions Cooperative Formalisation
During the site visit, Premier Ntuli emphasised that government departments such as Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, alongside Agriculture and Rural Development, serve as catalysts for community development through funding community projects and cooperatives.
“The provincial government will support such initiatives that will take cooperatives to new heights, enabling them to supply major retailers and, to a certain extent, export fresh produce to international markets,” Premier Ntuli stated, stressing the importance of formalising cooperatives and transitioning them into business or agribusiness enterprises.
Continued Support Promised For Agricultural Development
kaMadlopha-Mthethwa acknowledged that the Lethinjabulo Community Gardens are recipients of production inputs and fertilisers. She pledged continued support for cooperatives, including providing assistance such as fencing and improved market access to help address the challenges currently facing the garden members.
