1 minute read
DoA scoops silver at the WCG’s Service Excellence Awards
by WCDOA pubs
by Robyn Carstens, robync@elsenburg.com
From left to right: Vusumzi Zwelendaba (director of APSD), Dikeledi Pitso (district manager of APSD Cape Winelands), Michael Mackenzie (CASIDRA), Malebogo Phetlhu (senior agricultural advisor at APSD Cape Winelands), Jerry Aries (acting chief director of APSD) and Adriaan Conradie (acting director of APSD).
TThe Western Cape Government (WCG) celebrated its top employees and teams of 2020 at its annual Service Excellence Awards. In each of the seven categories, winners from the 29 nominees received a gold, silver or bronze award.
The Department of Agriculture (DoA) scooped a silver Service Excellence Award in the “Lead Programme/Project” category, which awards a team for cost-saving, improving the lives of citizens, and having a positive impact on service delivery.
The DoA’s winning project, One Home, One Garden, under the Programme: Agricultural Producer Support and Development (APSD) aimed to reach poorer households in COVID-19 hotspot areas across the Western Cape, through the establishment of food gardens. During the period 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020, 2 436 household gardens were implemented across the eight districts.
This intervention provided beneficiaries with the opportunity to become food producers, enabling them to progress to subsistence farmers and eventually, smallholder food producers. Support was provided in the form of different types of vegetable seedlings, seed, compost, garden equipment, grey water systems, and fertiliser, or chickens with feed.
Mr Jerry Aries (acting chief director of APSD, WCDoA) who accepted the award, was extremely proud of the team’s achievement. “Our team set out to provide beneficiaries with practical advice on the production of home-grown food as well as recognise the advantage of nutritious and fresh food for their families, thereby realising food security”, he said.
APSD continues to improve the lives of citizens with continuing follow-up support to established food gardens. The One Home, One Garden project hopes to reach many more citizens in the years to come.
