The Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture has invested close to R500,000 in renovations of the Mangathi Dip Tank in Mbhashe Local Municipality as part of its efforts to enhance livestock management, improve agricultural productivity and contribute to the livelihoods of local farming communities.
The dip tank, handed over by Agriculture MEC, Nonceba Kontsiwe, on July 9, will benefit 10 other villages. Mbhashe Local Municipality executive mayor, Dr Samkelo Janda, said farmers in the municipal area welcomed the initiative.
“The initiative speaks directly to our planning as the municipality. When we reviewed our local economic development strategy in 2023, the results came out showing that our economy was below the baseline. We then looked at how we could grow our economy by the required 2.5 percentage points.
“To achieve that, we needed to work together in livestock and crop farming. Some of the most important things to do when focussing on agriculture is to invest in infrastructure,” he said.
Janda said to get value from livestock, the wellbeing of the animals had to be looked at. The dipping tank, he said, was an essential part of the much-needed infrastructure. He said if the sheep were not taken good care of, the wool they produce would be sub-standard. “We are grateful because the contribution you have made impacts positively on our mission. We need to produce quality animals to prosper in the farming industry. We need farmers to organise themselves to be able to grow themselves as businesspeople,” he said.
The handover forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen livestock health, improve animal disease control, and support agricultural development in the area. Local chief, Nkosi Nosizwe Gosani, said the handover was a reminder of the work government was doing for people in rural areas. She said the dipping tank had served the local communities for generations and had been used by their forefathers.
Among those present were council speaker, Babalwa Majavu, Municipal Public Accounts Committee chairperson, Nosipho Ganda, and Amathole District Municipality’s Celiwe Genyane, who represented executive mayor, Anele Ntsangani.
Delivering her keynote address, Kontsiwe said the tank reflected her department’s commitment to improving livestock health, supporting communal and emerging farmers, and promoting sustainable agricultural development. She said the facility would benefit more than 10 surrounding villages by improving access to essential livestock health services.
“I would like to thank the farmers for being patient with us. Reviving of the dipping tank that was used by your grandfathers will bring you blessings. It is important that livestock is always in good health. We believe, as the department, that livestock translates to dignity for black people. Our aim is to develop the livestock of the people. Eastern Cape is known internationally for the best beef in the world. But we are not looking only at livestock,” she said.
Kontsiwe, turning her focus on drug abuse, she said parents of drug addicts needed to support each other. She said even those parents whose children were not using drugs needed to support rather than judge. The country would be taken, she said, while people watched on as drugs were destroying the future of the country.
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