Disabled entrepreneur achieves a victory for Mpumalanga at the annual DAFF awards
The annual Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery awards ceremony which honors women for their contributions to food security, poverty alleviation, job creation and economic growth took place at Emotweni recently.
MBOMBELA – Busisiwe Cynthia Nyathi did Mpumalanga proud at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ (DAFF) annual awards, when she beat all the other nominees in her category to be given the ministerial award for the best disabled female entrepreneur.
In 2003, Nyathi led the establishment of a three-hectare communal farm which empowers people living with disabilities. The project initially had 10 members, and has since increased to 20. It produces first-grade tomatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes and onions.
Minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, said in his keynote speech that women faced particular challenges in the male-dominated agricultural industry.
“According to the UN development programme, women produce more than 80 per cent of the continent’s agricultural production, yet they only own roughly one per cent of productive land and have no access to productive resources.”
He also spoke about the Africa which he hoped to see by 2063. “We must have full gender parity, with women occupying at least 50 per cent of elected public offices at all levels and half of the positions in the public and private sector. Speaking for my department, we are making progress in this area.”
The ceremony featured a number of other awards.The award for best female worker went to Zona Moira Nzimande from the Western Cape, while the award for best subsistence producer went to Kobanku Elizabeth Msibi from the Free State.
The top entrepreneur: smallholder award went to Julia Ngwanamosa Madihlaba from Limpopo, and the top entrepreneur: processing award went to Berene Damons from the Western Cape. Kedidimetse Rossy Rakgoale from North West won the top entrepreneur: commercial award and Carmelita Cleo Kelly from the Western Cape won the top entrepreneur: export markets award. The ministerial award for the best young female entrepreneur went to Damons.
The overall winner was Kedidimetse Rossy Rakgoale from the Western Cape for her poultry farm, which currently has 270 000 broilers per cycle, annually produces 216 0000 birds for Supreme Poultry and has created a total of 14 permanent jobs to help combat unemployment.
