Editor

GirlBoss SA is offering females between the ages of 16 and 25 an opportunity to train, be mentored and go through practical job-shadowing to be fully equipped to start their own network and pop-up business.

Louisa Maloka-Mogotsi (64), a trained social worker turned farmer, is one of the success stories to come from the stakeholder engagements held recently in the Bojanala District in the North West by the MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development Desbo Mohono.

Maloka-Mogotsi is a citrus farmer from Mooinooi who received assistance from the department in 2016 to acquire a 66-hectare farm. Today, she exports her produce – several orange varieties and Lisbon lemons – to the Middle East and Russia.

Government continues to drive various initiatives to ensure that SA’s youth are given access to opportunities to better themselves, drive change in their communities and contribute to the economy.

Vuk’uzenzele highlights some of these opportunities in celebration of Youth Month.

Presidential Youth Employment Intervention

The North West has gained nine new graduate veterinarians, who will be assisting communities in the prevention of disease, animal treatment and livestock production education while also gaining experience in the animal health sector.

“These new appointees are coming at an interesting time because the province has had its first outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which will give them exposure to disease control and management,” said the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Veterinary Services Director Dr Langa Madyibi.

From The Union Buildings

Twenty-five years ago, our new democratic Constitution came into effect. In adopting this Constitution, we affirmed our commitment to a society based on democratic values, social justice and human rights. 

Government will help residents of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape rebuild their lives and homes after floods recently left a trail of death and destruction in the two provinces.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said National Treasury will make money available for relief efforts to help those affected by the floods.

“The Minister of Finance has said that R1 billion is immediately available,” he said.

President Ramaphosa will also approach Parliament for additional resources.

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza has called on the public to alert the department’s nearest district offices when they spot brown locusts.

 Minister Didiza said South Africa is experiencing an outbreak of brown locust in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape since September 2021.

The outbreak tends to escalate due to the amount of rainfall received, and this has resulted in the development of more locusts.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO) is making strides in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

In 2021, the National Development Agency (NDA) gave the Umtata Women’s Support Centre (UWSC) R300 000 in funding for its Masiphunge Women Empowerment Programme (MWEP).

The programme provides a safe space for women to heal and promotes physical and spiritual well-being. In addition, women are recruited as GBVF whistle-blowers in their communities.

The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), which supports community radio, newspapers and online digital platforms, has changed its funding application process.

Zukiswa Potye, the Chief Executive Officer of the MDDA, explains that the media will have a set period each year in which to submit funding applications. In the past, local media could make funding applications at any time and these would be processed by the MDDA.

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has assured South Africans that there is no water crisis in the country, despite it being ranked in the top 30 of the world’s driest countries.