MBOMBELA – The Matsafeni Mdluli Trust has been urged to aim for the stars and total independence.
“We want to see this trust become independent and take over operations here,” said ANC member in the Mpumalanga Legislature, Mr VV Windvoël, whose idea was echoed by other members of the portfolio committee, including the DA’s Bosman Grobler and other dignitaries.
This took place last Wednesday during the provincial portfolio committee meeting on agriculture, rural development, land and environment affairs, that was also visited by two beneficiaries of the Land Restitution Act.
In response, members of the portfolio committee agreed that there must be a breakthrough by the trust to reach its full independence.
“We appreciate the relations between the trust and Halls & Sons, although you (trust) can’t be dependent forever. We will want you to stand on your own feet, accessing the overseas market,” said members of the committee.
The aim of the visit was to interact and observe their daily duties and to see how best the government can assist those beneficiaries.
The committee, led by the department’s chief director,
Zanele Sihlangu, aims to get political leaders involved in programmes, so as to see how beneficiaries are helping government in the fight against the triple challenge – poverty, unemployment and inequality. The committee also alligned itself to hear the beneficiaries’ future plans and to see how government could assist them in achieving those plans.
Terry Mdluli, the chairperson of Matsafeni Mdluli Trust, said the trust was doing very well as its products are GLOBALG.A.P certified. “We are one the country’s top three avocado growers. We grow 256 hectares of avocados, 264 hectares of pecan nuts and 12 hectares of litchis,” he explained.
The farm has created more than 164 jobs, permanent and temporary. According to Mdluli, there are plans to establish more avocado orchards in the Boskop area and a pack house, both of which are expected to create more job opportunities, not only for the beneficiaries of the farm but the people of the province, including
the youth.
It transpired during Mdluli’s presentations that the trust was exporting some of its products to overseas countries using Halls & Sons as their marketing agent.
“However, we have started with negotiations to make our own brand to get exposure overseas with Halls & Sons assistance,”
said Mdluli.
He added that the trust had been working around the clock to launch a Matsafeni Mdluli Foundation which would assist in the education of pupils in the Mataffin area.
The committee also visited Thandi Cynthia Mokoena, the owner of Matsino Business Enterprise, who re-established the DaGama and Legogote farms.
Her farm consists of more than 700 hectares of which
350 are grazing land, 300 blue gum trees, and 50 hectares comprise subtropical crops and vegetables.
