Eric Mauwane has had his fair share of setbacks. But thanks to the guidance of mentors and the kindness of neighbours, he has survived the tough times and is now exploring opportunities to supply fresh produce for the international market.
On Monday 25th October 2021, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) and Oxfam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to host the 3rd and 4th Women in Political Participation (WPP) virtual academies. The WPP Academies will be as a result of the support and partnership from Oxfam Kenya.
Each Academy session will target a total of 35 participants comprising of 3 current/seasoned female politicians, aspiring or current politicians (age 18-35 years, at least 3 being women with disability and 3 student leaders), 2 media practitioners who will report on women political leadership and 2 male champions for women’s rights. The 35 learners will be drawn from various regions of the country based on the former provinces of Kenya.
It is expected that the academy sessions will create synergy and cooperation amongst women political leaders in Kenya and the region. Additionally, they will also help demystify perceptions held by women from getting into political leadership roles thus enhancing women politicians’ visibility.
FAWE in partnership with The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has been implementing the Enhancing the Inclusion of Women in Political Participation in Africa, Women in Political Participation (WPP) project. It aims at increasing the political participation and representation of women in Africa in line with the Maputo Protocol, various associated sub-regional protocols and standards, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project is being implemented in 8 African countries namely, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. FAWE has specific projects in Kenya and Tanzania and is leading in regional interventions including Model School Curriculum Reforms for Enhancing WPP, Inter-Generational Mentorships, Development of a Regional WPP Academy Learning Manual and Training of facilitators on the learning manual.
Nonhlanhla Gumede-Shabalala gave up a blossoming career in banking to help her father through a crippling drought in 2010. The 35-year-old has not looked back since and is now the proud owner of a flourishing sugar cane farm worth an estimated R10 million.
Sheep Farmer
Mawethu Kondile, Qaga, Qonce (King William’s Town), Eastern Cape
We’ve just finished shearing the sheep and I managed to get five 120kg bales from 204 sheep. We market the wool through BKB, which sells the wool through auctions for the export market to countries such as China and Brazil. From the wool I produced, we’ve managed to get a single bale of AAH-class wool from our young lambs (one year old).
This is the top-of-the-range class wool, something I’m very proud of. We have two bales of AAF class, one BF class and one split bale. The latter consists of Lox 1 and 2, BKF1, CBP and BP, among others.
Next week we’ll start preparing for the mating season. We’ll be dipping the sheep and deworming them using Talimax, an antiparasitic injection effective against sheep scab, roundworms, nasal worm (all stages), screw worm, blue ticks and other internal and external parasites.
We also provide a supplement feed I mix myself at home, using 6 x 40kg crushed yellow maize, 4 x 25kg crushed lucerne, 1 x 50kg molasses meal, 1 x 50kg SS200, 2 x 40kg lamb and ewe pellets, 50kg salt, 50kg feed lime, 40kg germ meal and 50kg soya meal, which contains about 30% protein.
The sheep have access to Multiblock in the kraals that they lick morning and evenings. The rams will be released with the ewes mid-October.
We unpack the topic of internal parasites that live in the large intestines of animals with well-known veterinarian Doc Faffa Malan.
Award-winning cattle and crop farmer Solomon Masango farms in the rolling hills of the Carolina district of Mpumalanga. Producing maize, soya beans and dry beans in a conservation-farming, rotation system, his cattle help to further optimised profits. And while his impressive farming business has seen him rake in the farming awards, the road from being a mineworker to a top farmer hasn’t always been easy. Today the struggle to secure land that he can call his own, and where he can build his farming business to its true potential, still continues for this inspiring farmer.
Following the remarkable success of the limited-edition Ford Ranger Thunder in 2020, Ford South Africa is introducing another unique and appealing iteration based on the upmarket Wildtrak – the Ranger Stormtrak.
“The Ranger Thunder was exceptionally well received when we launched it a year ago, proving unequivocally that there is strong demand for range-topping models that offer something different from the norm,” says Doreen Mashinini, General Manager for Marketing at Ford South Africa.
“The new Ranger Stormtrak follows the same recipe as the limited-edition Thunder by elevating the style, sophistication and exclusivity of our most luxuriously appointed model in the Ranger line-up,” Mashinini says.
EXTERIOR
In Stormtrak guise, the Ranger gains several muscular, attention-grabbing design elements, aside from a striking black mesh grille with red inserts:
• A black insert in the lower section of the front bumper.
• Black decals for the bonnet and doors.
• Black roof rails and 18-inch alloy wheels finished in gloss black.
• Three-dimensional Stormtrak logos on the lower sections of the front doors, as well as on the rear tailgate.
• A vibrant new paint colour, Lucid Red (the vehicle can also be specified in Sea Grey, Frozen White or Blue Lightning).
PRACTICAL EDGE
It’s not only on the styling front that the Ranger Stormtrak gains special treatment, everyday practicality has also been elevated thanks to the standard fitment of Ford’s new Power Roller Shutter for the rear load compartment. This ensures that goods can be secured safely in the load bed with ease – a feature that is complemented by the integration of the tailgate locking mechanism into the vehicle’s central locking system.
Other interior features include:
• An adjustable bed divider kit that makes it easy to compartmentalise the cargo area according to the size of the items being carried.
• A drop-in bedliner providing a useful 12-volt socket for powering accessories such as a camping fridge.
INTERIOR
Step into the cabin and you are greeted with sumptuous luxury and attention to detail – including:
• Illuminated front scuff plates.
• Premium leather seats that incorporate striking red stitching and the Stormtrak logo taking pride of place on the backrests of the front seats.
• Red stitching used throughout the leather-trimmed cabin, including on the soft-touch dashboard upper, steering wheel and gear lever, enhancing the sporty ambience.
• SYNC®3 infotainment system with embedded navigation.
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
• FordPass functionality that allows the owner to access numerous vehicle features remotely from their phone, such as remote and scheduled starts to cool or heat the cabin.
UNDER THE HOOD
The Stormtrak comes standard with an extensive list of innovative active and passive safety systems and driver aids, such as:
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Forward Collision Alert.
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).
• Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid, Driver Alert System.
• Semi-Automatic Parallel Park Assist.
• Ford’s 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo engine, which produces 157kW and 500Nm.
• An advanced 10-speed automatic transmission that delivers seamless shifts matched with responsive performance and impressive fuel economy.
• Towing capacity of 3 500kg remains unchanged.
• 800mm water wading depth and 230mm ground clearance.
For more information or to find your nearest dealer, visit ford.co.za.
Sandile Ngcamphalala, Manager of the Farmer Development Programme at Grain SA tells us all about the exciting programme to help develop farmers in South Africa.
Nkosana Mtambo woke up on his 21st birthday eight years ago, little knowing it was a day that would change his life. His father and grandfather gave him 710ha of farmland as a gift for his 21st birthday. This would become the foundation of Mtambo Boerdery, an operation consisting of 200 Bonsmara cattle, 400 Dohne merinos, and a fleet of tractors over three farms.
Jeremia Mathebula, Grain SA/Absa/John Deere Financial New Era Commercial Farmer of the Year in 2018, knows that to be competitive and profitable in a farming business means optimising all your resources. From only 10 cows in 2009 and a maize yield of less than 2t/ha in 2010, steady year-on-year growth has resulted in a successful enterprise of 600 Simbra cattle and 600ha of maize and soya beans outside Amersfoort in Mpumalanga.