Management with University of London
15 July 2007
Hard-working Eastern Cape Agriculture MEC Gugile Nkwinti found himself in a
rare situation when called upon this week to address a press conference of
Southern African Development Community (SADC) journalists. He had an impromptu
re-union with an old time political comrade from the struggle days, who saved
him from capture by the apartheid security police during the 1980s.
On Tuesday, Nkwinti will fly out to London to attend a University of London
graduation ceremony on Thursday, where an MSc Degree in Public Policy and
Management, which he studied by correspondence, will be conferred upon him.
When Nkwinti arrived at the boardroom where the conference was held in the
Dukumbana government building in Bhisho, he was overwhelmed with joy when he
came across Frans Kruger, the former Daily Dispatch Deputy Chief Sub-editor
leading the SADC journalists.
The two men are now responsibly, but differently, contributing towards the
development of their country which they both fought for its freedom from the
bondage of apartheid oppression under the defunct National Party.
Kruger had left the Daily Dispatch in 1986 to work for the alternative press
under the auspices of the East Cape News Agency (ECNA) in Grahamstown. Kruger
is now teaching at the University of Wits, while Nkwinti is recognised for
having formulated the best agriculture policies among developing countries.
The two men warmly embraced, discarding for a while the press conference
protocol to recap on the old bitter days of the liberation struggle. While
Nkwinti was preparing to write his end-of-year exams in Grahamstown in 1987,
the apartheid security apparatus was hell-bent, hunting high and low for him
with a view to lock him up for his political activities.
The only way he could write his exams was to flee Grahamstown to East London
but there was no way he could flummox the police so he could safely leave his
hometown.
However, Kruger had other ideas. Using some pimpernel manoeuvres and
trickery, Kruger sprung Nkwinti under the cover of darkness and the two
hightailed for over 200 kilometres to East London, where the former political
activist-turned MEC was harboured in a safe house occupied by an unassuming old
white man.
SADC journalists, whose sponsored tour of the country was co-ordinated by
Kruger, had to wait until the two struggle comrades had finished their
pleasantries. Kwinti thanked Kruger for his help during the struggle. He
regretted that he could not find time since 1994 to express his gratitude to
Kruger.
Nkwinti believes in practicing what he preaches. Recently, he told emerging
farmers during the National Emerging Red Meat Producers Organisation (Nerpo)
tenth anniversary celebrations that those among them who neglected education
would never make into the commercial farming league.
His achievementofgraduating with a senior degree from one of Britain's
prestigious universities is set to inspire aspirant young farmers.
He told the press conference that the national government has put plans in
place to intensify the war against poverty during the next five years.
Nkwinti disclosed that the national Minister of Agriculture and Land
Affairs, Lulu Xingwana, recently announced a five-year land redistribution
programme where R21 billion would be used to acquire five million hectares of
land for redistribution to the landless black people.
Such measures, he said, would prevent calamitous Zimbabwe situation
occurring in South Africa. His agriculture policies have succeeded because they
have involved organising and mobilising communities at various localities to
use government assistance to uplift themselves.
The Green Revolution Policy was first piloted in Mbashe in 2005 with
resounding success, he said.
Enquiries:
Mthobeli Mxotwa
Cell: 082 560 7538
Issued by: Department of Agriculture, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
15 July 2007
Source: SAPA
