Isimemezelo sikahulumeni sosizo oluzohlinzekwa abalimi abalimela ukuziphilisa siletha ithemba kodwa akuwona wonke umuntu ozohlomula. ULucas Ledwaba uyabika

UMLIMI uMnu uJantjie Ramokone uyakhumbula ukuthi ngenkathi esewumfana minyaka yonke ngo-Okthoba kwakuyisikhathi lapho esigodini sakubo babelungiselela ukulima uma sekudlule imvula.

“Kwakumnandi, sasihamba emasimini sicula, sibizana ukuthi asize sizolungiselela ukutshala ngoba imvula iyeza,” kukhumbula uRamokone, oneminyaka ewu-68 manje.

Uma selinile babeqala bavukuze umhlabathi, imvamisa umndeni wawunehektha elilodwa olinikezwe yinkosi yendawo. 

“Iyona ndlela esasiphila ngayo, sasilima ukuze sizodla. Sasingakuthengi ukudla, sasidla loku esikutshalile.”

Babetshala amabele, umbila, ubhontshisi, ubhatata, amabhece nokunye. Babefuye izinkomo nezimbuzi ababethola ubisi kuzona.  Leyo iyona ndlela okwakuphilwa ngayo ezindaweni eziningi zasemakhaya ezweni lapho imiphakathi yayizikhiqizela ukudla eyayikudla.

“Isitolo? Isitolo sani?,” kubuza uRamokone ehleka, uma ebuzwa ukuthi sasikhona yini isidingo sesitolo esidayisa ukudla esigodini sabo ngaleso sikhathi. 

“Sasingasidingi isitolo. Emva kokuvuna amabele, sasiwabeka bese omama bahlale bahlale bawagaye ukwenza impuphu yokupheka ipapa,” kusho yena. 

Nakuba ziqhubeka izinselelo zabalimi abalimela ukuziphilisa njengokushoda komhlaba olimekayo, ukugcwala kwabantu nesimo sezulu esingaqondakali kahle kodwa lena kuseyindlela izizukulwane ezindala eziphila ngayo ezindaweni ezisemakhaya eNingizimu Afrika.

Ngokusho kocwaningo olwenziwe ngalaba balimi ngo-2019, iRural Subsistence Maize Farming in South Africa: Risk Assessment and Intervention Models for Reduction of Exposure to Fumonisin Mycotoxins bawu-4 million abantu abalimela ukuziphilisa kanti iningi labo ligxile ekutshaleni umbila nokudla okuyikona okudliwa kakhulu ezweni.

“Ukudla okususelwa embileni kudliwa ngabantu abaphakathi kuka-67% no-83% eNingizimu Afrika kanti kulinganiselwa ukuthi ezindaweni zasemakhaya umuntu ngamunye udla phakathi kuka-476g kuya ku-690g ngosuku.”

URamokone usalima esigodini saseGaRampheri, eLimpopo, kodwa izimo nezikhathi sezishintshile. Manje ulima esebenzisa ugandaganda oqashiwe nobiza uR800. Nokugayela abantu impuphu akusenzeki, manje sebehambisa esigayweni esibiza uR80 isaka elingu-80kg.

Le ndlela yongela imindeni ehlwempu naleyo ethembele esibonelelweni sikahulumeni imali engaphezu kukaR500 ngenyanga. Kuthatha amakhilomitha awu-25 ukufinyelela esigayweni esiseduze eGaRampheri kanti abanye kumele baqashe imoto ukuthutha impuphu.

Umbiko owakhishwa yiHuman Sciences Research Council ngabalimi abalimela ukuziphilisa ngo-2009 waveza ukuthi ukudla kuthatha cishe u-60% kuya ku-80% wesabelomali semizi ehlwempu e-sub-saharan Africa. 

Wengeza ngokuthi laba balimi bangabamba iqhaza elikhulu ekuthuthukiseni impilo yabantu basemakhaya nasemadolobheni abasengozini yokushodelwa wukudla ngenxa yokubiza kwakho. Izinselelo ezolimo ezibhekene nazo zibhebhethekile ngenxa yokuhlasela kweCOVID-19. 

“Kunzima kulo nyaka. Abantu abaningi abatshalanga njengokujwayelekile ngoba bebengazi kuzokwenzakalani ngenxa yokuvalwa kwezwe nangenxa yesifo. Abanye yima beqala manje,” kusho uRamokone. 

Abalimi abanjengoRamokone kubhekwe ukuthi bahlomule osizweni olumenyezelwe wuNgqongqoshe wezoLimo uNkk uThoko Didiza ekuqaleni kwale nyanga. 

UNkk uDidiza uthe bangaphezu kuka-75 000 abalimi abalimela ukuziphilisa abazosizwa ngama-voucher enani eliphakathi kukaR1 000 kuya kuR9 000 ukuze bathenge izinto abazozidinga ukuqhuba umsebenzi njengoba bephezanyiswe yiCOVID-19.

“Laba ngabalimi abasebenzisa umhlaba osemagcekeni abo, izingadi zomphakathi ezithi azicishe zilingane nenkundla yebhola,” kusho uNgqongqoshe.

Uthe bazoqasha intsha enamajazi kwezolimo kodwa engasebenzi ukuthi ilekelele kulolu hlelo. Loku kubhekwe ukuthi kuvule amathuba emisebenzi esikhashana angaphezu kuka-6 000.

Ukuze uhlomule kumele ube neminyaka ewu-18 kuya phezulu, ube nomazisi wakuleli, ungasebenzeli uhulumeni futhi kube wukuthi kukhona ezolimo ozikhiqizayo kanti kube wukuthi alukho usizo lwezimali oke waluthola emNyangweni wezoLimo kulo nyaka wezimali.

Ukufaka izicelo kuqale ngesonto eledlule kanti kusetshenziswa iselula  ngokushayela u*134 *4536#. Kodwa uRamokone ubengazi ngalolu hlelo ngaphambi kokuxoxa neMukurukuru Media. 

“Ngiyathemba uhulumeni uzosisiza okwangempela kuloku. Ukulima kunzima futhi kuyabiza. Manje kunezinambuzane ezilimaza izitshalo zethu, sidinga imali ukuthenga amakhemikhali. Uma abantu bengalimi kulo nyaka, kuzohlushekwa ngonyaka ozayo,” kusho yena. 

I-United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation yaxwayisa uma kuhlasela lolu bhubhane ekuqaleni konyaka ngokuthi uma kungaphuthunywa ukulwisana nomphumela omubi ekukhiqizeni ukudla, loku kuzolimaza izigidi zezingane nabantu abadala. 

Le nhlangano yabala abalimi abalimela ukuziphilisa, abenza imisebenzi engatheni, abadobi phakathi kwabantu okungenzeka ukuthi bangakwazi ukulima, ukunakekela imfuyo yabo, ukudoba njengabanye babantu abangalinyazwa wukubheduka kweCOVID-19.  Lolu daba luqale lwashicicelwa ku: www.mukurukurumedia.co.za