A total of 750 people are working, thanks for funding by the Department of Agriculture
Community leaders at Gijamhandeni village in the Collins Chabane Local Municipality in Limpopo say their longstanding efforts to change the mindset of the local community have paid off. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on Friday celebrated Land Care Day at the Restoration Church in the village under the theme: Experience land care: Be inspired, be empowered and be a land carer. Representing the department, Moses Mathwasa said the department chose to hold the event in the village because of the successful project, Gijamhandeni Land Care that is working for the people and has at the moment employed 750 people.
“Structures in the village came together to form the land care group that was registered as a non profit organisation. They embarked on voluntary work refurbishing abandoned grazing camps and getting rid of some harmful plants in the area,” he said. He said the government later saw their hard work and availed funds that enabled them to work and get something at the end of the month,” he said. He said the government has also a projects of refurbishing earth dams at Lombard and Mobayeni where they have employed 30 people in each area on a two month contract “The government saw that in stead of doing the job, it was better to allow the local communities to do the job while the department availed funs so that community members put food on the table. The event at Gijamhandeni was highly attended by representatives of development structures throughout Vhembe. The chairperson of the Gijamhandeni Land Care, Hlengani Samson Chauke said the project started in 2022 when they realsies that there was much deforestation in the area and the grazing land was destroyed. “We approached Hosi Madonsi and he was also concerned with what was happening,” he said. He said they approached the department of agriculture and they started destroying the dangerous plants and also fenced the grazing camps while not getting anything. “But as time went on people started to understand that it is their land and they needed to protect it,” he said. He said out of 18 settlements Gijamandeni has the biggest land but was the most impoverished. “but we have now turned the corner and we have many good plans to turn the situation around,” he said. Hasani Wilson Chaule, who is the secretary of the local traditional council under Hosana Gijamhandeni said the village had 441 households. “We are represented in the land care committee. What interests us as the traditional council is to see young people now changing their mindset and understanding doing volunteer work for the sake of their community. We also appreciate that the department is supporting our community,” he said. Hosi Madonsi was represented by his uncle Samson Hlungwani who said he was happy his people were now getting something at the end of the month to drive the wolf away from the door. workers in green overalls provided by the department of agriculture sand and danced praising officials of the department particularly Mathhasa and Gloria Thinavhudzi Nekhavhambe.who works in the area of land care awareness.
