Significant progress on CRDP projects
There has been significant progress made through the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) through which a total of 118 jobs have been created during the developmental stage in the Mkhondo local municipality.
It includes the villages of Jabulani, Donkerhoek, KwaNgema, Emahhashini, Donkerhoek, Driefontein and Witbank Farm.
This forms part of the CRDP as a cross-cutting and comprehensive rural development programme.It develops through all sector departments and clusters through the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF, 2009-2014) that will eventually see
rural settlements developed by the year 2014 through the government’s Programme of Action.
The CRDP encompasses three distinct components which are agragrian transformation, rural development and land reform.
It can thus be reported that through agrarian transformation at Driefontein, the maize milling project is near completion with the construction of the wall and roofing complete. Earthworks and digging of the foundation for the silo
has also been completed and the silo has been ordered and will be constructed before the end of June.
The milling machine has been ordered and will be installed in July 2010 as it was a multi-year project. It created 21 jobs for the local community.
The enormous fencing project undertaken, significant strides have been made firstly in Jabulani, fencing of existing 30 households has been completed, and also in the pipeline for Jabulani is the proposed township development, but it is
awaiting for the EIA report. 20 jobs were created.
In Donkerhoek, two contractors were allocated for the fencing of 31 households which has been successfully completed. The remaining 29 households will be completed by the end of May 2010. 32 jobs were created.
In KwaNgema, one contractor commenced with 40 households and will be completed by the end of June 2010. A second contractor will fence 22 households in Emahhashini and 12 households in Donkerhoek. 20 jobs were created.
Unfortunately in Emahhashini itself, household fencing has been postponed until the land issue has been addressed and the material and contractor were moved from KwaNgema as has been the demand in order to avoid delays.
In an effort to provide housing through the RDP housing programme at Donkerhoek, digging and filling of 12 foundations have been completed and another 45 foundations have been dug only. Due to heavy rainfall during April, it delayed construction
as 42 foundations dug, were re-filled with mud due to the heavy rain.
As a result of that situation, the contractor has to dig and fill the foundation to avoid rain damage. This project has also realised the employment of 24 learners from MRTT in the development of their own area.
The Drip Irrigation project at KwaNgema where three contractors were allocated three households each, are still busy with the lay-out.
Paving at the CRDP Centre at the Witbank Farm has been completed, but there is a portion that needs to be done as did not meet the standard and the two contractors employed, were notified. 27 jobs were created.
The emahhashini Land Transfer, it has transpired that the owner has rejected the initial R18 million offer and up to now, there has not been significant progress regarding the negotiations.
Training of community members, especially the youth, has been completed successfully, with various graduants venturing into different spheres of workplaces, as they are now employable. Some have remained in the villages and are employable
in the ongoing projects that are rolled out to their respective communities.
The IDT project in Jabulani, Donkerhoek, KaNgema and Emahhshini kicked off with a community consultation on May 9, 2010 in all four areas, to date. Community teams have been been established in three sites and the final one was established
on 16 May 2010 at Jabulani.
Each community, except KwaNgema, will have one tent fully equipped with Big Screen and Dish and two in KwaNgema. Each tent will have eight people to manage it daily and will be paid R60 per day throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup event.
At the end of the world cup, all the equipment will be donated to communities for future usage.
The new Department of rural development and Land Administration, is responsible for the mandate for rural development in the context of a Ciomprehensive Rural Development Programme (CRDP) throughout the country. In Mpumalanga, the Department
of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Administration has been delegated to co-ordinate the implementation of a CRDP programme.
The CRDP is a fresh approach to rural development.The programme is focussed on enabling rural people to take control of their destiny, with the support from government, and thereby dealing effectively with rural poverty through the optimal
use and management of natural resources.
This will be achieved through a three-pronged strategy that includes, firstly, Agrarian Transformation which includes all types of agricultural production; optimal and sustainable use of natural resources; the use of appropriate technologies;
food security; and improving the quality of life for each rural household.
Secondly, Rural development includes improving the economic and social infrastructure. Thirdly, Land Reform which includes restitution, redistribution and land tenure reform.
This three-pronged strategy is also in line with the three dimensions of inclusive rural development including an economic dimension, political dimension and social dimension. The economic dimension encompasses providing both capacity
and opportunities for the poor and low-income rural households, in particular, to benefit from the economic growth process.
The social dimension is concerned with supporting social development of poor and low-income households and disadvantaged groups, eliminating inequalities in social indicators, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; and providing
social safety nets for vulnerable groups.
Lastly, the political dimension is about improving opportunities for the poor and low-income people in the rural areas, including women, to effectively and equally participate in the political processes at village level and beyond compared
with any other categories of the population within and outside rural areas.
The CRDP is being implemented in Dionkerhoek which forms part of ward 1 of Mkhondo Local Municipality. Donkerhoek comprises of seven farms bought through the SLAG sub-programme of Redistribution (Land Reform).
The seven farms cover 5 157 hectares with almost 300 households. KwaNgema is part of ward 2 of Mkhondo local municipality, acquired through the Land Restitution and it covers 1 887 hectares with approximately 3 620 households.
Emahhashini is part of ward 10 of Pixley ka Seme Local Municipality. It Covers 186 hectares with approximately 72 households. These areas have an average of four members per household. The total population is estimated to be around 16 000.
