It was a glittering night of stars hosted by KwaZulu-Natal premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, but the evening turned green as the department of agriculture and rural development, led by MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, emerged as one of the biggest winners at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
The department’s commitment to service delivery, farmer support and rural development was recognised with multiple awards, further cementing its role as a key driver of food security and economic growth in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal’s department of agriculture dominated the Premier’s Excellence Awards, claiming an early victory before ending the evening with another significant accolade.
The department opened the night by winning the Best in Service Delivery Award and concluded it with Abbey Mchunu receiving the Best Effective Food Security and Agricultural Programme Award. Although Mchunu is not a departmental employee, her award-winning programme is agriculture-related.
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The department’s Thamoney Naidoo, from Soil Conservation and LandCare, received the Best Implemented Programme of the Year Award. Sibonokuhle Nkosi, from the Pongola office, was honoured with the Integrity and Ethical Leadership Award.
Hlengiwe Zondi, acting district director for uMzinyathi, received the Rural/Underserved Communities Impact Award in recognition of her outstanding work in the uMsinga area.
In her congratulatory remarks, MEC kaMadlopha-Mthethwa took to the stage to celebrate the achievements of her team and expressed her pride in the department’s commitment to putting farmers first while fulfilling the premier’s vision of making the province greener through thriving crop and vegetable production.
“This is about the work in our fields, our communities and in the lives of our people.
“To our extension practitioners, our farmers and our rural communities, you are the true partners in building food security and a green KwaZulu-Natal, as called for by the premier when the seventh administration took office,” said kaMadlopha-Mthethwa.
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