In an effort to fight food insecurity in KwaZulu-Natal, the MEC for agriculture and rural development, Thembeni KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, reiterated her department’s commitment to addressing food insecurity through various initiatives, including the One Home One Garden programme.
According to the department, in a statement, the programme aims to promote food production in all open spaces and households, thereby making the province green with vegetables and crops.
The department said the message comes from the MEC’s response to oral questions posed by members of the legislature at the KwaZulu-Natal legislature sitting in Pietermaritzburg.
Food-secure province
“The MEC, KaMadlopha-Mthethwa, stated that the programme has been expanded to include government centres and privately owned facilities, such as places of worship, as well as schools and hospitals.
“She said that a recent visit to the Christian Fellowship Centre International Church in Pongola, where 10 000 seedlings were distributed, demonstrates the government’s commitment and seriousness about the programme,” the department stated.
Meanwhile, responding to questions regarding the status of foot-and-mouth disease in the province, particularly in the recently declared disease management area along the R74 route cutting through the uMzinyathi area, KaMadlopha-Mthethwa stated that there are ongoing efforts aimed at arresting the spread of the disease.
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“Despite the control measures in place to curb the spread of the disease, further investigations are being conducted in the King Cetshwayo and Zululand districts, as well as parts of uMzinyathi, pertaining to the disease.
“We are confident in the efforts and interventions employed. We have embarked on strategic roadblocks, and veterinary authorities are issuing permits across all declared areas. Farmers are advised to observe a 28-day isolation period for new livestock. Over 40 000 cattle have been vaccinated in the Amajuba district alone,” she said.
She added that they had taken the bold step of also entering privately owned land to vaccinate, as a way of reaching far-flung areas and ensuring the province fights foot-and-mouth disease tooth and nail.
The MEC said that as part of the awareness programme, media alerts and statements had been issued regarding disease management through print, online and broadcast media.
“We believe these strategies are proving effective, as the number of affected areas is decreasing,” she said.
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