Eastern Cape MEC for Agriculture Nonceba Kontsiwe has called on the communities across the province to actively participate in food production to address hunger and socio-economic challenges.
“In embracing Ubuntu, no one must go to bed hungry, especially when there is an abundance of land to grow crops and rear livestock in our homesteads,” Kontsiwe said.
The MEC’s call coincides with the provincial department’s invitation for proposals from interested parties to participate in the Community Food Production Scheme – Ilima Lokulima, a five-year initiative running from 2025 to 2030.
The programme seeks to boost food production at both household and community levels.
Kontsiwe emphasised that the initiative represents a collective call to action.
“Ilima is a clarion to all communities in the Eastern Cape to get out of our comfort zones, dirtying our hands and engaging fully in increased food production to fight poverty, high unemployment, and income inequality,” Kontsiwe said.
The MEC highlighted that the department has already made significant strides in supporting vulnerable households. In the 2024/25 financial year, 30 000 households received production packs through the Ilima/Letsema programme, delivered in partnership with the national department.
An additional 12 000 households were supported through the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) programme.
“Ilima is a call to action for all those operating in the space of food production to join hands and leverage on each other’s skills, experience, and resources. This is an intentional and deliberate effort to increase food production, fight child malnutrition and poverty,” Kontsiwe said.
Kontsiwe said a key aspect of the initiative will be the aggregation of a minimum of 20 to 100 household gardens, small-scale livestock, and beekeeping projects.
She said this aggregation will enable communities to store, process, package and sell surplus produce, ultimately establishing food hubs that enhance food and nutrition security in the province.
The MEC explained that Ilima Lokulima programme will focus on increasing household food production of grains, vegetables, poultry, piggery and beekeeping at both household and community level.
Kontsiwe invited community stakeholders, including traditional councils, cooperatives, clinics, schools, Community Based Organisations, and farmers, to express interest in participating in Ilima Lokulima.
The deadline for registration is 06 June 2025. – SAnews.gov.za
