Community given land
"Rural development is one of the five key priorities of government and therefore, more attention should be placed on improving communities."
BARBERTON – The Department of Correctional Services handed over a piece of land to the community of Umjindi on Wednesday September 30.
The deputy minister of correctional services, Mr Thabang Makwetla and deputy minister of cooperative governance, Mr Andries Nel led the ceremony.
The two-and-half hectares will be used for a food-production project. Correctional services said the land has been unused for a long time.
More than 500 people are expected to benefit in the initial phase of the project. The number of beneficiaries is expected to increase as it grows.
The handover culminated from a partnership between the Barberton Management Area and the Umjindi Local Municipality. The two aimed to tackle poverty in the area and also wanted to advance youth development.
Makwetla said the collaboration between the two departments to provide land to the community was a significant milestone. “Rural development is one of the five key priorities of government and therefore, more attention should be placed on improving communities,” he said.
Makwetla added that this would also improve people’s quality of life through increased access to basic services and creating adequate job opportunities.
Ms Thembeni Gumede is one of the community members who will benefit from this initiative. She said poverty would be reduced and hopefully crime that is fuelled by poverty, will also decrease.
