In an ongoing effort to assist communities with agricultural aid, the Alfred Duma Local Municipality Mayor Cllr Z. J Sibisi, EXCO member Cllr Dlamini and councillors of the uMhlumayo cluster, Cllr. Majola and Madondo visited ward 28, yesterday, Wednesday, 05 February 2025. Community members gathered at the Matendeni Sports ground where the mayor addressed them on various elements pertaining to the visit on the day.
In his address, the mayor spoke of the importance of agricultural aid to the communities and how the municipality thrives to ensure that people use much needed effort into creating co-operatives that will have projects that benefit the community. “I want to stress the importance of looking after what the municipality gives you as a community. Based on the budget that is available, our aim as council is to make sure that there are agricultural projects that we assist with the purpose of sustaining a food supply. We will assist in ploughing land and encourage all communities to use this aid in the proper way”, he said.
The mayor also spoke extensively on the importance of people working together as a group instead of individually in ensuring the projects are a great success. He encouraged young people and the men of the community to be role players in ensuring that they use the land that is available to them to make agricultural projects a success.
Of the three wards under the cluster, each ward, under the supervision of councillors, will have beneficiaries receiving JoJo tanks, fencing that includes poles, growing mash, chicks, planting seeds and insecticide sprays to keep the pests away from the crop.
The recipients gathered at the sports grounds showed great appreciation for the agricultural aid, promising to ensure that all they received would be well looked after and put to good use. This is an ongoing mayoral programme championed by the local economic development under the municipality with the aim of community upliftment.
While on the hand the Deputy Mayor, Cllr S Simelane was on the same program in the side of Indaka where he delivered the LED materials as part of promoting self-help and self-reliance.
His visit included these wards, Mphelandaba area in ward 31 under Cllr Nzuza, Maqanda area ward 32 under Cllr Ngubane, Lenge area in ward 30 under Cllr Madondo, Uitvaal ward 35 under Cllr Mbhense, Limehill, ward 34 under Cllr Magasela, kwaHlathi, ward 36 with the aim of handing over LED materials to community members who rely heavily on gardening for survival this material includes: chicks and growing mash, fertilizer, seeds, weed spray and fencing material.
Community members were very excited about the municipal initiative and said it will assist them in their NGO’s and cooperative groups.
For inquiries, please contact: ADLM Communication and IGR Section Miss Thabisile Mkhize: 0725799544 (Acting Manager: Communications & IGR)