The region E director, Liziwe Ntshinga Makoro has commended the uptake of gardening projects in Alexandra under the city’s food resilience programme.
Makoro said five sites at Innes Park, Bombani Shelter for Abused Women, Gift of the Givers Village, Marlboro Recreation Centre and at the Agri Resources Centre on Lenin Drive are at various phases of development and would soon be yielding produce for household consumption and for the market.
She said the initiative was a mayoral priority for poverty alleviation and self reliance. “The programme is a city-wide initiative to support those already engaged in agriculture and will provide others with land to promote agricultural production and marketing through the Joburg Food Market.” She said despite congestion and shortage of land in Alexandra, they were committed to securing more land by converting and rehabilitating dumpsites, forests and areas which were hideouts for criminals. “We will provide equipment including tractors and ploughs to clear, prepare and provide manure. In the process, we’ll also be combating anti-dumping by fencing off the sites,” she said.
Makoro added that an agricultural specialist was appointed to assist the groups at the five sites with land resource management and agriculture skills to enhance their skills in food self reliance and land conservation for future production.
She stated that the Agri Resource Centre will be the co-ordinating centre for the initiative. It will be equipped with electricity, a water reticulation system, and storage facilities for the produce before delivery to market. The centre will also host other agri-industry projects like recycling, bakery and training programmes.
She said the region will occasionally draw in other departments for support, especially the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs through its clean city programme that also combats illegal dumping. Makoro is hopeful that the city will integrate the initiative in its future budgeting so more gardens will be developed and more people will be engaged in projects which will guarantee their food security.
Details: Region E, City of Joburg 011 582 1755.
