Eyesihlahla Farms founder Sinethemba Nzuza made an emotional appeal to the Umlalazi Municipality and government to assist in making her business a success. 

Nzuza laid bare the challenges she faced with the municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture on Tuesday, during a visit by the Quality of Life (QOL) standing committee under the KZN Legislature. 

According to the QOL report, Eyesihlahla Farms encompasses a diverse range of agricultural activities aimed at meeting the demand for fresh produce and eggs in the local market. The farm started production on a small scale in October 2018. 

Nzuza said she wanted her project to be a success and to work so she can provide food for the destitute and employed.

“During seasons I employ about seven staff members, and I remunerate them well because I know farm workers are paid very little. I went to numerous meetings with the municipality and the Department of Agriculture for help,” she said.

The project’s core activities includes the cultivation of cash crops based on market demand.

Sithabiso Mthethwa, senior researcher at the QOL standing committee said Eyesihlahla Farms was awarded R1.4 million from the Youth Empowerment Fund in 2023, which was spent through the service provider appointed by the Office of The Premier (OTP)  to procure the following.

• Fencing
• Shade-net house installation
• Fertigation system (incomplete)
• Borehole (malfunctioning)
• Isuzu bakkie
• Packaging boxes

The company has three permanent employees and three casual workers. Mthethwa stated that for the past 10 months, the farm has faced challenges including extreme weather conditions, theft of fencing, and a lack of support for essential farming, such as a tractor.

Mthethwa said that to stay afloat, the company has identified another site and started ploughing where a private tractor is available for hire. 

“Another shade net structure has been built to ensure protection of the crops. The company has also ventured into buying fresh produce from other local farmers to maintain its market and avoid losing clients. The farm was not functional at the time of the visit due to theft and lack of support from (Department of) Agriculture which had not provided a tractor since it was requested in January 2025,” he said. 

Mthethwa recommended that the OTP should ensure that relevant government departments offer the necessary support to the recipients of the Youth Fund. This will ensure value for money on the funds invested in the company

N P Dlamini, the deputy director of socio-economic development in the OTP, said they were monitoring the project and were aware of the challenges Nzuza faces. 

“We funded this project because she ticked all the boxes. We expect other government departments to come on board,” he said.

Fikile Masiko, KZN MPL, said the committee was checking if funded projects are getting a return on investment and whether the government system is providing support to the beneficiaries. 

Masiko requested a monitoring report by the department and what action has been taken to assist Nzuza. 

In a brief presentation the KZN Agriculture and Rural Development Department stated that they have been providing support in terms of extension and advisory through engineering services, as the project had challenges with their irrigation system. The local office also supported the project with 1,6ha of mechanisation services during the 2023/2024 financial year. The project has received 1500 seedlings of green pepper in April 2025.

At the meeting, a representative of the Umlalazi municipality called for transparency and collaboration with all the departments involved. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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