Programme Director
Kgosi Mogakolodi Masibi
Directors –General present here tonight;
Provincial Heads of Departments;
LandCare International delegates;
Members of the African LandCare Network;
LandCare Partners and governmental agencies;
LandCare project beneficiaries
Government Officials
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good Evening to all of you!
The past four days have been very hectic yet inspiring, as government officials and delegates responsible for promoting caring for our land put in long hours of work, to ensure that this conference craft a framework that will ensure the sustaining of natural resource management 15 years and beyond.
We have now come to the end of our 5th Biennial Conference on LandCare, and I am standing in front of you as a proud leader, because you did what you came here for. I can say without fear of contradiction that like the ones that have been held before, this has been a highly successful conference.
This conference brought together important stakeholders from international countries, South African government, the private sector and communities, who shared ideas and experiences. It was indeed an inclusive and representative conference, where we were able to exchange best practises and share knowledge on land conservation for sustainable development. We thank you all for your valued contribution. This conference will therefore be remembered for having ushered in a visionary approach for implementing sustainable methods in managing and preserving the South African land.
Land Care is a way of life and it should form an integral part of our daily life. Bagaetsho, go tlhokomela metswedi ya tlhago e tshwanetse go nna mokgwa o re tshelang ka ona letsatsi le letsatsi. Re itumelela le seabe se magosi a rona a nang le sona mo go rotloetseng baagi gore ba ikamaganye le manaane a puso, aa akaretsang lenaane leno la tlhokomelo ya lefatshe. Kgosi Masibi, re a go leboga, mme re kopa gore o re fetisetse molaetsa wa tebogo kwa ntlong ya magosi. Working together, we can do more.
The South African government recognises the importance of the land care programme and its potential towards the upliftment of the poorest of the poor. It is a programme that is initiated by the people in addressing problems that affects their daily lives. It is in this context that the government will continue to listen and respond to the needs of the communities, in order to ensure sustainable use of resources for food security.
We therefore call upon all partners to invest in this LandCare Programme, and ensure a better life for all. LandCare means different things to different people. To some it’s about the over 6000 or so community groups, that volunteer their time to protect and improve the condition of our bushes, rivers and land.
That volunteering spirit, particularly in rural areas of South Africa, has been nurtured by the LandCare ethos. To others it is about a culture of caring for the natural resources. That is, to ensure that these resources are sustainably managed and better shaped, for the future generation. LandCare is basically a broad church which heals the land to bear fruits to sustain livelihoods. It is for this reason that we are proud to celebrate LandCare movement’s achievements. Not just in terms of the direct on-ground achievements of the many LandCare groups, but also for the enduring legacy of a culture now embedded deep into our farming families and businesses. Added to this, LandCare builds social capital.
Ladies and gentlemen, you will agree with me that the programme has helped change the face of South African landscapes in significant and tangible ways, such as the numbers of jobs that are created every year. It is quite evident through LandCare programme, that land rehabilitation is now government outcome approach of reducing large tracts of land degradation.
It is a thread that not only binds many people, but also all Africans, regardless of their skills, race, creed, gender, age or cultural background. Our partnership towards implementing LandCare Programme with other African countries is bearing fruits, as we have seen many African countries being represented in this conference.
Dear delegates, I am pleased to hear that the conference had robust deliberations on aspects that matter to all of us, and it is now incumbent upon all of us, to ensure implementation of the conference resolutions, and this must start as early as tomorrow. As the saying goes, procrastination is the thief of time. Secretary’s Address September 2012 Tonight we will also be recognising and acknowledging the best LandCare community project, Conservation Agriculture project, Junior LandCare project and LandCare Champion. These are groups of people who have shown commitment to the continuous development and management of agricultural natural
resources, and the need for encouraging and supporting them cannot be over-emphasised. I wish those prospective recipients of this evening awards continued success in their endeavours, and may they be torch bearers not only to their surroundings, but regionally, nationally and internationally.
On behalf of the government of South Africa and in particular the Minister of DAFF, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, I would like to thank delegates from the African countries and those from Australia and Italy who represented the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), for taking time to be with us in this important conference, and for contributing to its success thereof.
Let the spirit of cooperation and working together that was so evident during the past four days; guide us as we together confront challenges facing us, particularly in promoting land care and food security.
I also thank all those who made this conference the resounding success that it has been; our service providers, the organising committee, the staff of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries led by the Acting Director General Mr Sipho Ntombela, staff from all nine Provincial Departments of Agriculture led by their respective Heads of Department, all the Chairpersons and Rapporteurs of the conference commissions, exhibitors and our security personnel.
Well done to all of you! Wendell Berry, an author of a book titled The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture, once wrote and I quote “The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer, restorer and resurrector by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.” With those few words, allow me Programme Director to conclude by once again thanking you all for your active participation. We wish you well in your travel back home, and we look forward to seeing you again at our next LandCare conference.
Baie dankie
Asante sana
Ndo livhuwa
Re a leboga
Thank you!
