Story: Linda Magazi
The Emalahleni Local Municipality, under the leadership of Mayor Cllr Nontombizanele Koni, recently provided production inputs to beneficiaries from two wards as part of its agricultural support programme. Farmers from Cumakala (Ward 5) and Lupapasi (Ward 15) received assistance aimed at boosting local food production and supporting small-scale farming.
Cllr Koni explained that the initiative followed a public call inviting self-employed farmers those not affiliated with groups or cooperatives to apply for municipal assistance. “We want to empower individual farmers who are working hard to sustain themselves and contribute to food security,” she said.
Among the beneficiaries was Siphiwo Nyumbeka from Ward 5 under Headman Lumko in Cumakala. Nyumbeka, who began farming in 2017, initially focused on potatoes and this year added butternuts to his crops. He received 1,000 cabbage seedlings, six bags of fertilizer, and pesticides to support his farming operations. “This assistance is a big help, especially as I have eight hectares of land to cultivate,” he said.
Similarly, Mr. Flower Alfred Klass from Thembelihle in Lupapasi, Ward 15, expressed appreciation for the support. Klass, who started farming in 2024 with a group of local farmers, focuses on potato production and received fertilizer from the municipality.
