Masoka Dube

Masoka Dube

Mpumalanga police yesterday launched a garden project to provide vegetables for people who are sick, disabled or poor.

Representatives from Mahamba police station, Mkhondo municipality, a hardware company in Swaziland, farmers and other stakeholders met at the Mahamba magistrate's court to officially launch the garden project to help poor people get healthy vegetables for free.

Mahamba police spokesman Eric Sibisi said the project did not exclude people suffering from HIV-Aids.

"Everyone who cannot buy vegetables because of poverty or sickness is welcome. We urge the residents of Mahamba to take care of the garden because it belongs to them. The people are very happy and promise to look after the garden. We thank the farmers who provided pipes and those who donated money and other useful materials," he said.

"Most of the people in this area work on farms. They do not have enough money to buy fresh vegetables. This project will also help us to fight crime in the area because the unemployed people will work in the garden during the day.

"It will also help the police to establish a good relationship with the community," said Sibisi.

One resident hoping to benefit from the project, Muziwakhe Nkosi, 40, said: "I am ready to work in the community garden. This means that I will have something to eat and be able to feed my family every day."