NEWS

VLP-Lifu Jebese

I appreciate the Mngcunube livestock project for the opportunity it has given me. I learnt so many different things in life thanks to the project especially in terms of how to handle my livestock. Before this I was struggling to improve my livestock in terms of how to treat it. Even financially my situation wasn’t [...]

VLP-Ayanda Mazibuko

My name is Ayanda Mazibuko. I am 32 years old. I started working in 2002 December in Cape Town as a consultant for Delta Motors, Isuzu Truck Centre. At the same time, I studied Public Management. at Intec College. In 2006 started working at Barclays Group Loan Centre in the financial sector, loaning money. I [...]

VLP-Mildred Menze

I am Mildred Menze. I was born in 1976 at Newstead Farm. I attended school at Soziziwe Lower Primary and also went to Ntabelanga Higher Primary from where I moved to Sijongephambili High School. I met Mngcunube Development through my father who worked at Hilton’s farm owned by Colin Miles, where I stayed with my [...]

VLP -Schoolboy Ncanyo

In 1999 I left school to work on a farm. I was a tractor driver and I ploughed and planted. In 2009 I left for Johannesburg to work on a dairy farm where I was weighing. , I was on contract basis and my contract ended in 2008. I came home and learnt a trade. [...]

VLP-Thando Ngqoyi

My Name is Thando Ngqoyi. I am 30 years old and was born and raised in Ncora. I did my Primary Schooling in Ncora, and my high school years in East London. In 2009 I started my first job as a handy man and Plumber in Cape Town until my dad fell ill in 2011. [...]

Bejile Wana – Mentor

My name is Bejile Wana. I was born in 1967. I was raised by my mother and father and I belong to the Methodist church. I went to school in 1970 when my parents then decided to move to Taung village where they had plans to start farming and ploughing. This is where I had [...]

Francis Davidson – Mentor

Francis Davidson grew up in Barkly East and finished his education at Queens College in Queenstown. He has farmed all his life. Over the years, he attended many courses on Financial Management, Farm Mechanisation, Animal Husbandry and Stock diseases as well as Sheep and Wool courses as well as Soil Fertilization.  He therefore has extensive [...]

VLP- Ntekiso

I S Ntekiso was born at Emthonjeni village in Lady Frere. I went to school at Mc Kays’ Nek Mission. At the age of 21 in January 1980 I went to Carletonville, to West Driefontein mine. I went underground to drive a winch. I became ill in 2011 and then left in 2012 because of [...]

VLP – Lama

I am Lamla Venfolo. I am 35 years old. I am married with 2 boys. I passed Grade 11 at Sinqumeni- Dolophini S.S.S in 2003. I Started work at Mngcunube Development in 2012 where I was an Enumerator for their livestock mentor Mr Francis Davidson. Now I am a VLP in Ngcobo. I like my [...]

Farmers Weekly

February 14, 2017 Communal farmers often struggle with low birth and survival rates amongst their livestock. Determined to change this, empowerment company, Mngcunube Development, is now in its third decade of supplying animal health products to farmers. Mike Burgess visited the Elundini municipal area of the former Transkei. Read more here.

Andile Amos

My name is Andile Amos. I was born in 1982 at Bolokodlela village near Cofimvaba, Eastern Cape. I did my schooling at Mbudlu Junior but noticed that struggled to learn and left after Grade 8. I went to Cape town to look for the job but most proved to be noyt for long. Life was [...]

Buyelwa Genge

I am Buyelwa Genge from Ncora Irrigation Scheme area in the Eastern Cape. I am 43 years old and have 4 children between the ages of 27 and 9 years old. Everybody knows me by my nickname “Lele” which I got as a child. After finishing school at Ncora in 1999, I got a job [...]

VLP Mdingi

As beautiful as our country is, there are tales of great hardship. Sabelo Mdingi had no way to provide for the basic needs of his family and basic necessities were hard to come by. To make ends meet he would assist the Tribal Leader of the community, Chief Joso, by watching his livestock and doing […]

VLP Jinnineka

Our most successful VLP is Goodman Jinnineka. He is local man, born and bred in Bizana (Stukhutezi village). He used to work in Port Edward at a hotel where he supervised the porters. He then returned to his home area to start his own livestock farming in an attempt to improve the circumstances of his […]

Our Staff

May 30, 2015 I was born in 1956 in the small town of Burgersdorp in the Eastern Cape. I attended school in Cedarville then Port Shepstone where I matriculated in 1974. In 1975 I started working in Matatiele where I met my life partner and friend, Gabriel, who I married in 1976. Apart from working [...]

Megetzi Dingindlela – worker of the month

May 29, 2015 Megetzi was born in 1963. For many years he worked as a miner. He now lives in Cedarville with his wife and seven children. He and Mngcunube homestead gardens mentor Mariaan started working for Mngcunube together on the homestead gardens projects. They have known each other for 35 years and Mariaan says [...]

Mngcunube Development livestock project in Sakhisizwe

May 11, 2015 This is about the success of livestock development in Sakhisizwe municipality under Chris Hani district municipality. To our surprise, on only our third visit in Mgwalana village, we were met by the farmers applauding our arrival, saying that they never had beautiful and healthy livestock as this before. They expressed their gratitude [...]

Our Staff

My name is Lubabalo Tana; I am 40 years old; born and bred at Zikhonkwane locality at Cala in Sakhisizwe municipality under Chris Hani district municipality. I did my schooling at Mtetuvumile JSS and carry on to L. Jentile SSS that is also here in my village I then further my studies at Pitman training [...]

Animal Health Alert

May 6, 2015 Our livestock mentors working at Alfred Nzo, Fritz Labuscagne and Gary Ewers, have arrived back at base with some shocking news. They have come across a condition across a very serious non-contagious, tick-borne disease of ruminants, called Heart-Water, for the very first time in this area. Heart-water is mainly common in untreated [...]

Buyelwa Genge

April 25, 2015 I recently spent time at Maqhingeni in Ward 18 (one of Buyelwa Genge’s sites) and was amazed by just how many female farmers there were. This has been our first experience of working with a female VLP and she continues to surprise me. I find her to be efficient, organised and adored [...]

Mngcunube equals Success

April 15, 2015 A Success Story form the rural Eastern Cape A livestock project, supported by the Chris Hani District Municipality, has been running in communal areas of the Eastern Cape for several years. In 2013 Sibanye Gold added its support. Mngcunube Development has, since the start, implemented this project (and others like it across [...]

Tambo District

April 7, 2015 The project operates in the Nyandeni Local Municipality between Mthatha newefand the coast. *Over 2500 farmers are participating *The project is covering over 41 640 sheep as well as 7 955 goats and 3 440 cattle *Farmer benefits exceeded R 7000 per farmer on average, mostly from reduced death rates of sheep

Alfred Nzo District

April 7, 2015 Project focus has recently shifted out of the Matatiele and Mt Ayliff where project figures were much higher than for the newer focus area of Bizana Local Municipality area where reported benefits are: *There are over 484 participating farmers *The project covers over 10 387 sheep and goats and 2 923 cattle [...]

Stepping Stones

April 6, 2015 A dedicated mentor ,Francis Davidson, along with his small crew, were on their way to a site called “Nxasa”, as requested by a farmer in order to treat plus minus 400 sheep. Due to a subsequent thunder storm rolling big rocks across the drift they had no choice but to take a [...]

Stuck in the Mud

March 30, 2015 On a wet slippery road, made by Eskom for erection of Power Lines, a hard working group of mentors were on their way to “Exeni” in the rural area of Gubenxa. Due to the road being intensely wet, the bakkie suddenly slid off the road, into a Mud Bank, leaving them trapped [...]

Mngcunube

March 23, 2015 Mngcunube Development’s Jan Roodt and Andrew King look on as sheep are herded into a kraal in the Emalahleni Local Municipality area. Photo: Mike Burgess Potential Much agricultural potential lies locked into the livestock and homestead gardens of the Eastern Cape’s former homelands – potential that the Mngcunube Development is seeking to [...]

4 wheel drive bakkie slips into ditch

March 16, 2015 Showing the great dedication of how our mentors often hit off road challenges getting to the farmers in rural areas to provide them with support, education and medical supplies. One morning one of our mentors, far from the core base, was on his way to help desperate farmers in the rural area [...]

Chris Hani District

March 2, 2015 The project covers the areas of communally owned lands within the District baz©_bush (3)which is around the Eastern Cape city of Queenstown. It covers parts of the Local Municipalities of Sakhisizwe, Intsika Yethu, Ngcobo, Emalahleni, Lukhanji and Tsolwana There are over 8000 participating farmers The project covers over 373 000 sheep and [...]