By Obakeng Maje

Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ms Maria Bongi Ntuli will today handover a tractor and a truck to ‘LetsemaLethatakaBeng vegetables Cooperative’ as part of the Department’s support to emerging small farming businesses across the country. 

The official handover ceremony follows a recent visit by the Deputy Minister Ntuli at the vegetable farm, where she promised to donate a tractor to assist the co-operative to plough the vast vegetable fields with ease.

“Letsema le ThataKaBeng is a food security Cooperative based is Monakato Village, 50km north of Rustenburg in the North-West province. It was started by 10 unemployed local women who shared passion in vegetable gardening in order to fight poverty and reduce unemployment in the area” Deputy Minister Ntuli said. 

The number of direct beneficiaries at the Cooperative has now increased from 10 to 15 members, of which 96% of the composition is women. 

“Fifteen (15) people from the local community are now employed and earn an income contributing to social relief at home, such as basic household necessities like food, clothing and schooling of children, buying of electricity” she said.

Ntuli said this project, that covers 7 hectares of productive land, was granted funds amounting to R197 999 by the National Development Agency (NDA) in the 2002/03 financial year. 

NDA had since extended its financial support to the cooperative by granting it an additional amount of R793 136 in the 2010/2011 financial year.

The handover will take place as follows:

Place:Monakato Village, 50km from Rustenburg, North West

Time: 10H30 for 11H00am

Date: 25 July 2013

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