Christmas came in May for 350 households in the Nkomazi municipality when the Mpumalanga Farmer Association gifted them with groceries. 

 In a bid to assist the government in feeding the poor, the association says they all took off whatever they had, including their produce to give to the 54 villages in Nkomazi municipality on Tuesday. 

Speaking on behalf of the association, acting CEO Selby Mamba told Sowetan that they used a database from traditional leaders as they saw that more and more people are coming out asking for food.

“After seeing people being on the streets and some saying they are out trying to get some food to eat, we therefore realised that government can’t do it alone. As farmers we have land which we do our business on and some of these people are employees, and looking at this area in Mpumalanga we have the highest [Covid-19] infections, that’s why we decided to help with our crops and also the money we have to get this food.

"We are saying, let the government enforce the lockdown regulations while our people don’t risk [contracting] the virus by going out, looking for something to eat. So, we have all kinds of crops, we targeted nine villages here because those are the most affected,” said Mamba. 

Mamba said as farming is one of the biggest industry in the Nkomazi municipality, they saw it fit to lend a hand. 

One of the beneficiaries, George Makamu, 22, said his family has no one working and he had to go to the local Tonga Mall and help carry people’s luggages so that he can get money. 

“At home no one is working, I’m living with my parents and my little sister. My parents are not fit to work and I have to try get food for my family, I’m grateful for my chief who made sure that our house is one of the beneficiaries. We didn’t have mealie meal or anything to eat today.  But now with all the food we got and fruits, it’s Christmas at home, we are going eat rice and meat. We always eat morogo which we take from the fields, I’m really thankful,” said Makamu. 

Mamba said they are also going to attend to most of the rural municipalities, including Dr JS Moroka, Mkhondo and Bushbuckridge to have farmers in the surrounding to help the needy. 

Chairperson of the Mpumalanga house of traditional leaders, Inkosi Hhoyi Sandile Ngomane, told Sowetan that what the farmers have done is what is needed because they are farming in the very same land owned by the traditional leadership. 

“Yes, they came. We are thankful because some of these families no one is working and you can imagine what they are going through at this time. With the food given to them, we are asking for the public to stay at home and be safe from the coronavirus because if they are not careful, they will die. We are saying anyone who have ways to lend a helping hand, please don’t forget our people,” said Ngomane.