NORTHERN CAPE LAUNCHES INTEGRATED FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY PROGRAMME IN KURUMAN

By Staff Writer.

• Efforts to support the most vulnerable in the Northern Cape have been intensified with the launch of an integrated food and security programme.
• The launch of the programme, ahead of two key days – World Food Day and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – is aimed at addressing the urgent challenge of hunger and poverty holistically.
• According to Statistics South Africa’s 2024 General Household Survey, the Northern Cape has the lowest proportion of households with adequate access to food in South Africa, only 65.7%.

The Northern Cape province has launched an integrated food and nutrition security programme under the theme “Hand in hand for better foods and a better future”.

The initiative was launched by the MEC for Social Development, Nontobeko Vilakazi, in collaboration with the MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Mase Manopole, in Kuruman in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District.

An initiative by the departments of Social Development, Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Health and Basic Education, the programme is part of ongoing efforts to promote sustainable livelihoods and combat hunger in vulnerable communities across the province.

The launch, held at the Leisure Time Inn in Kuruman, marked the culmination of a week-long series of build-up activities commemorating National Nutrition Week, ahead of World Food Day on 16 October, and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.

The launch brought together communities, youth, women, traditional leaders, mining houses, retailers, and various government sectors to address the urgent challenge of hunger and poverty.

According to Statistics South Africa’s 2024 General Household Survey, the Northern Cape has the lowest proportion of households with adequate access to food in South Africa, only 65.7%.

The John Taolo Gaetsewe District, in particular, remains one of the hardest-hit areas, with 73.9% of households living below the food poverty line and an unemployment rate of 58.3%. The Joe Morolong Municipality within the district records an even higher unemployment rate of 84.2%.

These statistics underscore the pressing need for comprehensive, sustainable interventions to ensure food security and economic empowerment throughout the province.

In the lead-up to the launch, the provincial Department of Social Development hosted two significant dialogues as a reminder that solutions must be community-driven and inclusive:
•⁠ ⁠A youth dialogue on 13 October 2025, which focused on strengthening youth participation in agriculture and food production; and
•⁠ ⁠A women’s dialogue on 14 October 2025 centred on empowering women as key agents in household and community food security.

The main launch event on 15 October 2025 included:
•⁠ ⁠A presentation of key food security statistics by PG Saul, the executive manager: community development and research at the Department of Social Development;
•⁠ ⁠A summary of the individual interventions by the four state departments aimed at combating food insecurity across the province, delivered by Lillian Senosi, director for agricultural development services at the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform; and
•⁠ ⁠A panel discussion with stakeholders from municipalities, mining houses, the retail and banking sectors, and other social partners on how to support the Northern Cape’s food security initiatives.

In her opening address during the panel discussions, MEC Manopole called on all partners, government, business and the community, to work together to end hunger and build resilient food systems that reflect the true potential of the Northern Cape.

The event marked a significant step towards institutionalising the Provincial Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Programme, with commitments to:
•⁠ ⁠Invest in local food production through financial and non-financial support;
•⁠ ⁠Improve food provision services for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, disabled, and frail beneficiaries;
•⁠ ⁠Enhance community profiling and social support through coordinated welfare services; and
•⁠ ⁠Enhance public/private partnerships to ensure the proper coordination of all efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty.

MEC for Social Development, Nontobeko Vilakazi, commended the spirit of partnership that characterised the launch citing that food security is not only about feeding people today but about restoring dignity, building resilience, and creating pathways for self-sustainability.

The launch marked a turning point for the province, where every household must have access to adequate, nutritious food, Vilakazi said.

Following the launch, the sector departments will work closely with local municipalities and private partners to roll out the food and nutrition security plan across all districts.

Emphasis will be placed on community-driven initiatives, capacity building, and long-term monitoring of food security outcomes.