The once flourishing gardening project is stuttering to a stop and community members want something to be done to stop the rot.
The gardens, on Tandy Street, once had a reputation of producing quality vegetables but those who contacted the Courier said they had not been able to buy produce since last year. The project is under the control of the Endumeni Municipality and a quick trip on February 19, revealed only one or two people working the land.
They told the Courier that the project is ‘run by two co-operatives comprising of ten members each’.
The gardens were re-launched last year along with the Sibongile industrial park, with a funding of R5-million. R2-million was going to be used on a new fence and on other much-needed upgrades.
However, the fence appears to be in a poor condition and while a portion of land has been used for potato planting, the rest is full of weeds and long grass.

It was alleged that the new fence was put by Umzinyathi District Municipality and that the R2-million funding was not used.
A Mr Gumbi, from Correctional Services, had donated the seeds – and again, the funding money was not used.
Workers also said they were promised a stipend of RI 500 but were only receiving R891 a month while so-called mentors earn up to R15 000 a month.
They said they receive a SMS from the Umzinyathi District Municipality when their money is paid into their accounts.
A promise to fix a water pump and mend broken pipes has not borne fruit.
The bore hole is not working and it is not clear why the grant funding was not used to solve these issues. Workers claim they were ‘promised heaven and earth’ but now they cannot even pay ‘school fees for their children’. “It was better when Mayor Mahaye was directly involved,” said one worker who wished to remain anonymous.
A meeting held in the Municipality to discuss the issues was held on March 2 but the Courier was forced to leave the meeting by Local Economic Development manager, Thulani Ndlovu. A promise to answer questions sent to the municipality has never materialised despite these being sent to the municipal manager, Mayor and Speaker’s office.