Day two
The Alfred Duma Local Municipality Mayor Cllr Zama Sibisi continued with the Local Economic Development (LED) ward upliftment program which took place on Thursday, 6 February 2025, at the Watersmeet community hall where Mayor Sibisi delivered more agricultural aid for the community of the Driefontein cluster. EXCO member Cllr Dlamini and councilors of the Driefontein cluster, Cllr’s Kubheka, Zikalala, Mlaba, Msimango, Mswane, Ngcobo and Shabalala were also present.
Addressing community, the mayor spoke of the importance of being a municipality that fulfils promises to the people who voted them into power.
“As the community you trusted us to deliver services and guided by our budget, we will try our level best to fulfil them”. The Mayor highlighted that as councillors, their part is to ensure that people are equipped with skills and the necessary support in order to be encouraged to make things happen for themselves. One of the many ways is by using skills and land for agricultural development.
“For as much as jobs are scarce, we must utilize what God gave us, and that is our hands. One home, one garden, cooperatives, and initiatives of agriculture are possible, and as a municipality, we offer assistance where and when we can.
Mayor spoke of the local economic development that will champion the assistance of small businesses and assist those who will need a market to sell, especially the chickens that they will be growing. As part of the agricultural aid that was given, chicks are also given to community members. ” I strongly urge councillors to please avoid unfair distribution of the agricultural aid. Last year we did the same programme and this year each ward is receiving 200 chicks each. So please be wise about this. “
Mayor listed that under the driefontein cluster wards 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, and 24 will benefit from this aid. Just to list what the agricultural aid included, its 200 chicks, each ward, seeds, fencing with wiring and poles, Jojo tanks, growing mash, and manure.
The Deputy Mayor Cllr Sizwe Simelane also today visited kwaGwalumnyango area where the central cluster wards inclusive of ward 27, 7, 13, 11, 20 and 22 SMMEs gathered in to receive the materials through the program of local economy development ward upliftment.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the municipality for the assistance. They even indicated that it the first time to be recognized and receives assistance from the municipality that would enable them to uplift their cooperatives.
