South Africa’s foremost champion of food security, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs Ms. Lulu Xingwana flanked by MEC Tina Joemat– Pettersson embarked on a day-long Ilima/Letsema crusade late last month. Their mission was aimed at promoting own vegetable production in an era of soaring food prices that have already exacerbated the world’s food crisis.
In a befitting humanitarian act, Minister Xingwana and MEC Joemat-Pettersson crystallized their Ilima/Letsema call by giving a lending hand at one of the households through the planting of seedlings and fruit trees. Earlier, hordes of officials from the three spheres of government industriously descended on twenty impoverished households of Jan Kempdorp’s suburb of Valspan at sunrise in a heartening move of preparing food gardens and planting the seed of goodwill.
With well said having translated itself into well done, the Minister and her entourage made a brief stop at the Vaalharts Youth Olive Project, a project she had unveiled just over a year ago. Then it was the ultimate for the Minister, rendering of her keynote Ilima/Letsema address to a vibrant mass of over five hundred at an irrigable LRAD farm; Ditaung Project, entrepreneurially driven by a sound number of five young beneficiaries.
In her keynote address punctuated by constant applause, the Minister cast her usual spell on the large crew of journalist by announcing the allocation of R76 million by National Treasury towards the fight against food insecurity and poverty. With absolute tact and charm, Minister Xingwana also localized the immeasurable good of her coffers; “I am also here today to inform you that in order to implement Ilima/Letsema projects in your province, the National Treasury, the financial arm of government has approved the allocation of funding of R45 million for Vaalharts Irrigation project and tea processing plant.”
The Minister’s public and business vigour mirrored itself once again as she used the moment to launch the Farmers Green Book; a tool aimed at ensuring efficient and effective extension support to commercial and emerging farmers. The green book will also enable the department to monitor the frequency of the visitations by extensions officers.
The roll out of the Ilima /Letsema campaign in the Northern Cape followed recent successful launches in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces. The Minister’s crusade is set to unfold in the remaining provinces in November 2008 and later.
Objectives of the campaign
- To utilise the land as a resource to fight poverty and hunger, create job opportunities and promote the economy.
- Seeks to increase food security and contribute towards government's objective of a better life for all.
