President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Eastern Cape must use agriculture as a driver of change and development. He was addressing the community of Ncise in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, where he officially launched a multi-billion dollar agriculture project.
Ramaphosa was in the province as part of Reconciliation Day celebrations. He says a project like this will ensure that rural communities become active participants in the country’s economy and contribute to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.
Residents of Ncise welcomed President Ramaphosa with cheering and ululating as he arrived at the 430 hectares of fields which will benefit the community in and around the village. When operational, the fields will yield harvests of soya beans, wheat, barley and maize.
Advanced machinery and technology from Argentina will be used in what is known as no-till planting.
Ramaphosa says the Eastern Cape must return to its former state of being the food basket of the entire nation.
“We’ve got implements that are going to improve farming particularly in this district, as we launch part of this stimulus package so that we can restore the position of agriculture here in the Eastern Cape. The Eastern Cape must live up to its promise in as far as being the food basket of South Africa; the bread basket of South Africa; the meat basket of South Africa; the maize basket of South Africa. That is what the Eastern Cape is capable of.”
In August 2018, the Eastern Cape government signed a bilateral 27 billion US dollar investment deal with Cordoba Province of Argentina, over a five-year period. The deal is set to see Cordoba province transfer its agricultural expertise to the Eastern Cape government.
Residents believe the project will play a huge role in alleviating poverty and in the growth of economic opportunities.
“This machinery is helping us a lot because this area was full of stones and other things, but now the level of ground has been done by this machinery. So, it is our first time that we have such a good machinery here. We are benefiting a lot out of it and then we gained skills of using the machines. We have operators now that are very good in training us how to operate these machines,” says Mlungisi Ndobeni.
The OR Tambo area is one of the places that supply labour to the mines.
Projects like this will create jobs at home for locals.
Executive Mayor Nomakhosazana Meth says such projects will better the livelihood of disadvantaged rural people.
“People abandon their land. People are hungry. There’s no food. The president is saying we must reconcile in action by taking us back to where we come from, by bringing back our glory because we are known to be a district that produced food. So, the reconciliation does not just come in words. It is in action because we are here in this project that involves more than one District Municipality and it talks to the stimulus package of the president that the people cannot be united when they are hungry.”
The investment deal with Cordoba Province of Argentina will also create job opportunities for hundreds of residents from other districts like Joe Gqabi, Alfred Nzo and Chris Hani.
Click below to watch Reconciliation Day celebrations:
