Page 21 - Our Land

OUR LAND 21

WORKING TOGETHER MM Rebobombo (left) and YS Malukele are part of the THE BEGINNING Tshikonelo Netshilingulo places spinach seeds in trays. The
Matsila Community Development Trust incubation programme seedlings will then be planted on the farm

FEEDING TIME Takalani Mufamati, one of the workers at Radzambo chicken GENERATING LIFE The workers of Masakona Matsila Vegetable Farm grow
farm, gives the chicks breakfast vegetables in tunnels

women in overalls criss-cross the street. their own community-owned establishment,” he said. with an extensive and lush garden.
“We have the Matsila Vegetables Farming Co- Next door is another new building that houses a His vision, Matsila says, is to use every available
operative with 80 members from the community, fully equipped abattoir at the back that has the space to the community’s benefit.
established with the assistance of the rural capacity to “slaughter 100 sheep, 100 goats and 50 cows “Our strategy is to use projects to create more and
development and land reform department. This a day”, and a butchery at the front. more jobs rather than having millions piling up and
financial injection will help us to plant vegetables, such Down the road, opposite Chief Matsila’s palace, is the lying unused in the trust’s bank account. Everything so
as green beans, piquanté peppers and spinach in our Matsila Game Farm, which is home to 10 buffaloes, 15 far has been possible through kind financial assistance
arable land totalling 80 hectares,” he said. elands, 20 impalas and 15 nyalas. from government and private businesses, which made it
“There is also a total of 60 greenhouse tunnels for Matsila said the buffaloes were “donated by SanParks possible to put our land to good use with the aim of
farming with high-value commodities such as and Phala Phala Wildlife on behalf of President Cyril curbing unemployment, creating business opportunities
cucumbers, green peppers and tomatoes. Our Ramaphosa, with each donating five of the animals”. and transferring skills,” he said.
production capacity has been improved because of the The total commercial value of the animals, he said, Asked for his opinion on land expropriation without
support from the small business development exceeds an estimate of R10 million. compensation, Matsila said it was a “long overdue
department through its enterprise incubation Where the vegetable greenhouse tunnels are based, process” that was “unfortunately being implemented at
programme, which helped a small business entity there is the infrastructure for a fish farm, complete a rush and might not focus on real issues on the
known as Tshisimani Vegetable Farm.” with ponds and pumps. The plan is to start breeding ground”.
Here, a group of women are packing boxes of catfish and tilapia there soon. He said it was important for the land to fall into the
cucumbers while a truck waits outside to ferry them to Meanwhile, dust continues to clog the horizon as hands of people who could put it to good use.
Gauteng and to other parts of Limpopo. more infrastructure projects take shape in the area. “Thereafter, as we gain more experience and
Opposite is Radzambo chicken farm, which produces “We have new projects under construction, which confidence in making land productive, we can also, in a
10 000 eggs a day and is extending its chicken value include the Matsila Arts and Culture Centre and manageable fashion, be allocated more land on a need
chain significantly. Matsila Shared Development Centre, which will have a and merit basis. It can’t just be a programme for
“We hatch 3 000 chicks a week ... and soon we’ll be curio shop,” Matsila said. all ... the government should not try to make everybody
able to slaughter 1 000 chickens a day at the recently Back up the main road, Joe Matsila Guest House a farmer [unless] we want to see more land becoming
completed Matsila chicken abattoir. offers a tranquil break from the activity below, with less productive and assets vandalised.”
“So our community will then have everything locally a breathtaking view of the village from the small Asked if the busiest street in his village was going to
produced from an egg to a live chicken or meat over hilltop. There is a dining spot serving traditional remain nameless, Matsila said he had been “preoccupied
the counter, while creating opportunities for local and Western cuisine, as well as a wedding venue, with empowering our community more than anything,
businesses to buy stock – from eggs to meat – from and the lodge provides a child-friendly environment but I think we must now consider giving it a name”.