SPEECH BY MEC NANDI MAYATHULA-KHOZA
RETHABISENG VEGETABLE AND POULTRY PROJECT LAUNCH
RETHABISENG,
FRIDAY 25 MAY 2012
Programme Director
Mr Glenn Johnson, GM AfriSam,
Mr Tsholo Diale, AfriSam,
Cllr Dan Mabona,
Mr Quinton Naidoo, Food and Tress For Africa
Adv Susan Malebe, Department of Mineral Resources
Dr Clinton Heimann, DG - Land and Rural Development
Cllr Jabu Mabona
Community Leaders,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Dumelang, Molweni, Sanibonani, Gooie More, Good Morning,
I am honoured to be here this morning at the launch of the Rethabiseng Vegetable and Poultry project.
Programme Director, Ladies and Gentlemen it an added honour to be here with community members and leaders who in 1999, took the initiative to start this project when an area of 6 ha was allocated to them by the Municipal Council. This truly is an exemplary initiative, that demonstrates that with a vision, drive and commitment, our people can indeed upliftment themselves and escape the poverty trap.
It is a further honour to be here with members of the private sector and other institutions, who through partnerships with our Department, have also clearly demonstrated, that working together, we can indeed do more to eradicate the surge of poverty and hunger within our country.
Therefore Programme Director, at this juncture let me acknowledge AfriSam and its leadership present here today. This is a company with whom our Department has a worked closely with on various farming projects in Westoneria, Ekurhuleni and the City of Tshwane. And with particular project, AfriSam has made a substantial financial contribution which has yielded some incredible results that we must all be proud of.
Ladies and Gentlemen, As Government and a Department, we remain resolute and committed to our 2009-14 ANC Manifesto, and continue to make significant progress towards our related Departmental vision of building, “Vibrant, equitable and sustainable rural communities contributing towards food security for all, protected and enhanced environmental assets and natural resources”.
As the ANC Government, the Freedom Charter, adopted nearly 6 decades ago in 1955, remains our guiding document in 2012. The Charter declared “The land shall be shared among those who work it to banish famine and hunger”, and this Rethabiseng project, which GDARD played a significant role in, bears testament to our commitment to the declaration of the Freedom Charter.
To the community and its leaders, who championed this project as far back as 1999, congratulations. It is South Africans like you, who make us proud. Your drive and commitment, shows that equipping a person with skills and resources is far better than giving hand outs. This Rethabiseng Vegetable and Poultry project is truly exemplary, and should make you proud as a community. Your hard work and dedication will not only assist you, but will provide the community of Rethabiseng with fresh vegetables and contribute towards their healthy living.
Further, your hard work will contribute towards generating an income when your surplus produce is sold at the local markets, which is commendable indeed. In the State of the Nation Address, President Jacob Zuma outlined the triple threats facing our country, namely unemployment, poverty and inequality and charged us all, as South Africans, to ensure we work towards eradicating these threats in our society. And this project, Ladies and Gentlemen, is just another way in which ordinary people, with the help of Government and the Private Sector, can achieve that goal of poverty eradication.
Another threat cited by our President in the State of the Nation Address, is that of the high rate of unemployment in our country. And again, I am so delighted that through this project, 12 local people were employed and thus created much needed jobs. It is further estimated that during the harvesting season, an additional 20 people will be employed as well through the project.
Ladies and Gentlemen, community leaders, that is further evidence that when we pull our resources together with a collective vision and do what we can in our own little corner, we can indeed, achieve a lot.
In closing I wish to quote a Chinese proverb that says “A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”. Ladies and Gentlemen, when one person, or one community, one company starts a project, who knows the rippling effects it can have and the contribution it can make, it just requires one step to start something that may at the beginning seem insurmountable, but at the end, yield unbelievable results, it just requires one step.
I thank you
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