“If there is anyone who has never abandoned agriculture, it is our grandmothers and grandfathers.” These were the words of KwaZulu-Natal Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa as she praised senior citizens for sustaining agriculture and preserving indigenous farming knowledge in rural communities.
By Maile Matsimela, digital editor at African Farming
Speaking during the Senior Citizens Parliament at the Inkosi Msinga Mlaba Sport Complex in KwaXimba, west of Durban on 1 October, kaMadlopha-Mthethwa described the elderly as the true custodians of the soil.
“If there is anyone who has never abandoned agriculture, it is our grandmothers and grandfathers,” she said. “When there was no tractor, you used your hands. When there was no fertiliser, you knew which kraal manure to use,” kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said.
The MEC said senior citizens had taught younger generations to recognise the importance of land and agriculture in sustaining lives and livelihoods.
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“You taught us that soil is not dirt. Soil is life, soil is dignity, soil is wealth,” she said.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli said senior citizens continued to form the backbone of agriculture in many rural areas. He also referred to an earlier gathering in KwaXimba where residents and government officials discussed responses to the impact of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
“We were here at KwaXimba not so long ago when we met to find solutions to the impact of foot-and-mouth disease, where we resolved that the department must ensure the hiring of dip-tank officers – omadibhana,” Ntuli said.
He encouraged senior citizens and other farmers to approach the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s offices across the province for assistance.
“The offices of the Department of Agriculture are spread across the province. Rise up and come forward so that we can assist you. I urge you to pass on the knowledge that life is in the soil,” he said.
Also read:
Extension practitioner for every ward and planting inputs – KZN MEC’s promise to farmers
Indigenous foods can alleviate poverty and food insecurity, says KZN MEC
Dip-tank challenges tackled in KZN FMD fight
