MEDIA STATEMENT
Att : ALL EDITORS
Media Houses
Date: Friday, 21 February 2020
MEC MOHONO VOWS TO CONTINUE WITH FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVES
Marikana – The North West MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Desbo Mohono has vowed to continue to support indigent households in the North West province. Mohono was speaking at Wonderkop, Marikana in Bojanala Platinum District yesterday, 19 February 2020 where food security projects where handed to needy households within the area as part of the Marikana Food security outreach programme.
Speaking to the community during the outreach, MEC Mohono said the intensification of food security activities in the province was necessary. “We have families in our province where people go to bed without eating. This explains the position of the province; in that we are food insecure. This also tells us that we need to go all out to look for these families and to empower them to produce food. As a Department, I am not here to provide food parcels, but I stand as enabler for you to produce your food,” she emphasized.
At least 100 indigent families have been identified in the area prompting MEC to pronounce her intention to return to the area and for the Department to seek ways to empower them. MEC reiterated that it was going to be easy for a tailored support once the families were identified. She also highlighted that she was comfortable about the availability of water in the area which was going to make it easy for the projects to flourish.
Of those identified, some beneficiaries were handed over projects immediately. Koko Rebecca Masimong of Dikhibidung Section received vegetable seedling, garden tools and fruit trees. The 77 year old mother of three unemployed children was ready to roll her sleeves and work in garden as her inputs were delivered. Agricultural activities were not new to the elder who was found packing chilies which she plants and sells to nearby households.
Expressing her gratitude, Koko Masimong said she was happy that MEC Mohono came in person to visit families. “I am happy and I begin to see that our government cares for the people. I did not think that people like us can be visited by people from higher positions,” she said griming. Masimong said the garden will grow as she has made it the responsibility of everyone in the family. “The survival of the family has been always been a collective effort, she said.
More other families in Wonderkop also received garden seedlings, garden tools, fruit trees and five families received 20 indigenous each bringing the total number of chickens delivered to beneficiaries.
The Acting Head of Department, Mr Dipepeneneng Serage who was also part of the outreach said the Departmental come back would be to relook into more support as he had identified the need in some projects during the walkabout. Serage said the Department was committed to ensure sustainability of the empowerment efforts through participation and assistance of agricultural advisors.
As part of fulfilling the multi-sectoral approach stance and as part of further stimulating agricultural production in the marginalised areas through cooperation and collaborations with other relevant stakeholders, the Marikana Food security outreach programme saw a full support of the local businesses including Northam Eiland Platinum Mine as well as Sibanye Stillwater. Both Institutions pledged support to the agricultural initiatives support in the area.
Food security also sits high on the province’s developmental agenda with North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development prioritising it and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product. Following the last year pronounciation of the North West province in the last position of Food Security within the country, MEC Mohono committed her Department to heighten public awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals and the way in which they would address issues of poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
2318 – MEC Desbo Mohono with 77 year-old Koko Rebecca Masimong together checking Koko’s established garden
2522 – MEC Desbo Mohono and Acting HoD, Mr Dipepeneng Serage on a walkabout at households in Marikana. The Department handed over food security projects to households in the area.
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