Marikana Food Gardens Boost Food Security Beyond Mandela Month

The initiative supports 150 beneficiaries with production inputs and practical training, helping communities become more self-reliant long after Mandela Month has ended.

A new food garden initiative launched in Marikana is giving families, schools and communities the tools to grow their own food while creating opportunities to earn an income. The programme, led by the North West Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with Sibanye-Stillwater and the Mineworkers Development Agency (MDA), forms part of this year's Mandela Month activities and focuses on building lasting food security.

The initiative supports 150 beneficiaries with production inputs and practical training, helping communities become more self-reliant long after Mandela Month has ended.

Communities receive tools and training

Beneficiaries have received gardening tools, seeds, seedlings and other essential production materials, along with ongoing technical support from the department's agricultural extension officers.

Instead of limiting the programme to the distribution of supplies, officials from the department, Sibanye-Stillwater and the MDA worked side by side with participants, sharing practical farming techniques and guidance to help establish productive and sustainable food gardens.

The project encourages households and community groups to grow nutritious food for their own use while selling surplus produce to generate additional income.

Schools become part of the programme

The Mandela Month initiative also extended to schools and backyard gardens across the province, where learners and residents received hands-on training in sustainable food production and garden maintenance.

Marikana II Primary School Principal Dikgang Andrew Phuza welcomed the support, saying the new resources would strengthen the school's food garden and improve its ability to support learners through increased food production.

He said the investment would benefit both the school and the surrounding community by expanding local food-growing activities.

Partnership strengthens local livelihoods

The Mineworkers Development Agency and Sibanye-Stillwater have supported the initiative by providing infrastructure and equipment needed to help beneficiaries expand their gardens and build sustainable livelihoods.

Sibanye-Stillwater Executive Vice President for Stakeholder Relations, Thabisile Phumo, described the programme as an important step towards creating communities that can produce enough food for themselves while contributing to long-term sustainable development.

North West Agriculture and Rural Development MEC Madoda Sambatha said the partnership demonstrates how collaboration between government and the private sector can deliver practical benefits for local communities.

Expanding food gardens across the province

Sambatha said the programme is designed to empower families, schools and communities to become food producers rather than food consumers alone. He noted that selling surplus harvests could provide an additional source of household income while improving local livelihoods.

The MEC also called for stronger cooperation between the department and the Mineworkers Development Agency to replicate similar projects in other districts across the North West.

He said the long-term vision is to establish more food gardens in schools and communities, giving young people valuable agricultural skills while strengthening local food production.

The department said the initiative reflects Nelson Mandela's enduring legacy by going beyond symbolic acts of service and creating opportunities that can continue improving lives, promoting dignity and strengthening communities for years to come.