FOOD SECURITY AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, SAYS DEPUTY MINISTER

• Fighting food insecurity must be a joint effort by everyone involved in the war on poverty, says the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ganief Hendricks.
• Key stakeholders from all three tiers of government as well as business and community leaders attended the inaugural stakeholder engagement in Msunduzi, KwaZulu-Natal, on sustainable livelihoods and food security.
• Those attending the stakeholder meeting also visited a farm in Hardingdale that is being seen as a sustainable model other communities can duplicate.

No child should ever go to bed hungry, says the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ganief Hendricks.

He was addressing the inaugural stakeholder engagement on sustainable livelihoods, food security, and nutrition in Msunduzi, KwaZulu-Natal on 9 January 2025.

The engagement, which brought together key stakeholders from all three spheres of government, including local councillors, the provincial head of department for the Department of Social Development, Nelisiwe Vilakazi, representatives from the national Department of Social Development, business leaders, and members of the public, aimed to inform the community about the role of the department and the ways it can be of assistance.

Hendricks emphasised the importance of food security, underscoring the goal that no child should ever go to bed hungry.

He stressed the necessity for stakeholders to work together, not just to alleviate poverty, but to completely eradicate it and highlighted the critical collaborative role community-based initiatives can play in ensuring the success of these objectives.

Both Vilakazi, and national officials attending the meeting, pledged their unwavering commitment to the visions outlined by the deputy minister. Their commitment reinforces the shared determination to fight food insecurity, poverty, and to support sustainable livelihoods across the country.

The engagement concluded with an inspection of a farming blueprint in Hardingdale, Msunduzi, which is seen as a model other communities can adopt and replicate.

The event was an important step in fostering collaboration between government, business, and communities to ensure that South Africa’s food security and poverty eradication goals are being met effectively.