Ukudeleleka komlimi ngenxa yeminyaka yakhe nomzimba wakhe akumvimbanga ukuthi afake isivuno sakhe ezitolo ezinkulu. Manje lezi zitolo ezaqala ngokumeya sezidla entendeni yesandla sakhe. Uxoxe noLANGA KHANYILE

LILODWA igama angachazwa ngalo umlimi waseMthatha, eMpumalanga Kapa. Uzulazayithole.

Unjalo uNkk uSiphesihle Kwetana, oneminyaka ewu-26. Uma efuna into uyaphokophela aze ayithole. Ngaphezu kokuba wuzulazayithole unesinye isikhali – ukukhulunyelwa wumsebenzi wakhe, esikhundleni sokuvulela ngezansi kwekhala, nokuba neso elibukhali.

Akube akunjalo, ngabe ayizenzile izinto ezinkulu esizenzile le ntokazi edabuka eCofimvaba, eMpumalanga Kapa. Namhlanje uNkk uKwetana uphakela oSPAR, oPick n Pay, uFood Lovers Market nezinye izitolo eMthatha, eMt Frere, kuQumbu, eLibode, eNgqeleni, eMonti, nezindawo zokudla, ama-lodge nezikole eMpumalanga Kapa amaveji ekhethelo.

Uthi ngemva kokuqala ngokupheka kwi-container eyayiseMthatha edolobheni, ubizo lwakhe uluthole kwezolimo. “Ngemva kokuthi i-container yami nawabanye abantu ababezizamela avele adilizwa, ngangena ekulimeni amaveji. Asazi nokuthi adilizelwani ama-container ethu, noma yinto yezimvume zokudayisa noma yini,” kukhumbula yena.

“Kwathi ngabo-2016 ngidangele, ngafikelwa wumqondo wokulima. Ngaqala ngespinashi neklabishi. Isivuno sami sahamba ngamandla ngidayisela abapheki. Ngangilima ikakhulu ispinashi.

“Ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi ngaqaphela ukuthi ezitolo ezinkulu zendawo njengoSPAR kunamaveji abangenawo njenge-broccoli, u-lettuce ne-cauliflower. Ngathi uma ngibuza, bathi afika ngeloli elivela eBhayi noma KwaZulu-Natali. Ngabona ithuba lokubadayisela amaveji abangenawo. Kwathi sengivune i-broccoli, nganikela eSPAR. Bayibuka, babona ukuthi yinhle, eyekhethelo kodwa bayinqaba; bathi balinde iloli ngakusasa. Ngakusasa ngabuyela, iloli ayifikanga. Kodwa baphinde basinqaba isivuno sami,” kulanda uNkk Kwetana.

Kwaba bayadlala ngoba uNkk uKwetana uma into eyifuna usuke eyifuna. Uthi waphindela kodwa esehamba nomsizi wakhe wesilisa. Wathi akungene yena akhulume nophethe. “Nembala basithenga sonke isivuno sami. Baqala ba-oda i-broccoli ewu-20. Bagcina sebe-oda ewu-50” kusho yena.

Ukweyiwa ngobuncane bakhe nomzimba akugcinanga ngoSPAR. “Kunomunye umama waseMthatha othenga amaveji, ngoba ugxile kwi-processing. Wabona amaveji ami ngihamba nomshayeli wami. Ngoba ngimncane, wabuza umshayeli ukuthi akabani la maveji amahle kangaka. Lo bhuti wamkhombisa mina, wathi ‘nangu umnikazi wamaveji’. Lo mama wathenga wase enginika uhla lwezinto azifunayo, wathi usezothenga kimina. Wangivulela amanye amathuba; wathi angihambise i-broccoli ne-cauliflower kwaPick n Pay,” kukhumbula uNkk uKwetana ehleka.

Nokho kunento emhluphayo ngale mpumelelo yakhe. “Ngenxa yomsebenzi wami igama lami seliyaziwa, sengidumile kodwa lolu dumo alungisizi ngalutho. Ngishayelwa ucingo abantu engingabazi bacele usizo, ngithola imiklomelo yokuba wumlimi ovelele, kufika ongqongqoshe kimina kodwa angilutholi usizo engiludingayo ukukhulisa umsebenzi nokusebenzela umphakathi. Ukulima kunzima.” kubalisa yena.

NgoFebhuwari ngonyaka odlule uthenge elinye ipulazi kuKaplan, eMthatha. Ufuye nezinkukhu zamaqanda kulona. Abantu abamsebenzelayo ubakhele izindawo zokuhlala epulazini. Uqashise nezitshudeni eziwu-15.

Uthi walikhokhela waliqeda ngezinyanga ezintathu. UNgqongqoshe wezoLimo akakholwanga.

Ngomsebenzi wakhe oncomekayo useke wahlabana ngemiklomelo ehlukene. Ngo-2019 wabutha imiklomelo. “Awukho umklomelo engingakaze ngiwuwine. Owomlimi ovelele, usomabhizinisi ovelele, umlimi wesifazane ovelele, umlimi omusha ovelele; yonke ibuzwa kimina,” kusho uNkk uKwetana, oseke wahlabana ngokuba yi-2019 Best National Youth Small Scale Producer, 2019 OR Tambo DRDAR Female Farmer Award  ne-2019 Best Female Commercial Producer Eastern Cape.

Ungomunye wabaphathi beSiphe Development and Capacitation Agency, lapho ebambisene khona nomyeni wakhe, u-Hillary Pachena.

Phakathi kwezinselelo aseke wabhekana nazo ubala ukungafezwa kwezethembiso zokuxhaswa wuhulumeni. “Ngenhlanhla ngazithintela (uNgqongqoshe wezoLimo eZweni) uNkk Thoko Msani-Didiza. Nokho lukhona usizo lukahulumeni esengike ngaluthola. Ngathola i-COVID-19 voucher kaR50 000. Imali engayiwina yaqala ayangafika. Kwathi isigcina ifikile, yakifka ingaphelele,” kubalisa yena.

Ngokwezinhlelo zekusasa uthi uhlela ukungena kwi-processing yesivuno somhlabathi, ibhusha, ukufuya izingulube, i-nursery, i-hardware eNgqeleni.

Uma ubheka lapho esuka khona lo zulazayithole, akukho ukungabaza ukuthi azofezeka la maphupho; ngosizo lukahulumeni noma ngaphandle kwalo.

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