Udlule osizini umlimi obehlekwa wontanga
UBESEZINYEZA nokusho kontanga yakhe ukuthi unepulazi umlimi osemncane obephila ngokucela ukugitsheliswa ngabanye abalimi uma eya emihlanganweni.
UMnuz Thabiso Sithole (27) ongumnikazi wepulazi lezinkomo uMdloti Heights Farm, eseMooi River odabuka eWitbank, eMpumalanga wafika kulesi sifundazwe ezofundela iSupply Chain Management, eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal, wahlangana nomngani owayenothando lokulima wagcina eshiye phansi umkhakha ayewufundele naye waba ngumlimi.
Uthe ubejwayele ukusiza lo mngani wakhe nge-business plan yezolimo. Ukubona ukuthi kanti kulo mkhakha kunemali yikho okwamshintshisa umqondo ngoba wayekholwa ukuthi ukulima yinto yabantu abadala futhi ayikho imali kodwa kwenzelwa uthando.
“Ngo-2011 ngafaka isicelo sokuthengelwa umhlaba eMnyangweni wezeMihlaba ngaphansi kohlelo lokuvulelwa amathuba kwababencishwe amathuba okuba nomhlaba, iProactive Land Acquisition Strategy (PLAS). Isicelo ngasifaka ngokuhlanganyela nabanye abangani bami kodwa ngagcina ngisele ngedwa ngoba kwathatha iminyaka emibili ngaphambi kokuthi silithole ipulazi.”
Ngo-2013 uthe wathola impendulo yokuthi uzolithola leli pulazi elinamahektha angu-714. Ngemuva kokuthola isiqiniseko sokuthi uzolithola ipulazi waphuma engena emapulazini ehlukene ethekela ulwazi ngokuvolontiya kuwona. “Obekungisiza ukuthi bengifika epulazini engizovolontiya kulo ngitshele umlimi ukuthi nami ngizomsiza ngolwazi enginalo lokudweba i-business plan, ukufaka izicelo zemali-mboleko emabhange nolunye ulwazi enginalo.”
Uze wangena epulazini alithola linezinkomo ezingu-120 ngo-2015.
“Ngangena ngingenayo imoto nezinsiza zokusebenza, benginalo mhlaba nezinkomo kuphela. Ngangingenayo imali ngoba angikaze ngisebenze ngiphuma enyuvesi, bengiphila ngokuboleka amathuluzi komakhelwane. Umeluleki ongumlimi omhlophe enganginikwe yena wayengafuni ukunginika ulwazi. Ngigcine sengiphenduka insengwakazi kubalimi abamhlophe abangomakhelwane, bekuthi uma ngiboleke ugandaganda wokwenza amabhele bathi asihlukaniselane u-50/50 emkhiqizweni.”
Uthe wayethenjiswe ukuthi imali ezomsiza uyoyithola ngohlelo lokuthuthukiswa kwabalimi abathole amapulazi kuhulumeni, iRecapitalization and Development Programme (RADP/RECAP).
“Bengiba nengcindezi ephuma ekhaya bengitshela ukuthi angiyeke le nto ngoba ayilungi kungcono ngiyofuna umsebenzi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi nontanga yethu bebengihleka, bengithi uma ngiqhamuka ngigqoke udangara odabukile namateku ngibone ukuthi abangikholwa uma ngithi nginepulazi. Ngokwabo babelindele ukuthi ngiphume emotweni enkulu ngigqoke izingubo zabalimi.”
Ngomunye unyaka uze waphuma wayosebenza enkampanini ezimele inyanga eyodwa. “Kule nkampani bengingakwazi ukubamba ucingo okwaholela ekutheni ngifelwe yizinkomo eziyisikhombisa ngenxa yokuthi abasebenzi bebengangitholi ocingweni. Ngashiya ngabuyela epulazini, ngajoyina izinhlangano zabalimi. Kusukela lapho angibange ngisabheka emuva.”
USithole oyilungu le-African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (FASA) neMpofana African Youth Cattle Farming uthi ukuba yilungu lalezi zinhlangano kumhlanganise nabanye abalimi ancela kubo ulwazi lwezolimo. Njengamanje unezinkomo ezingu-515.