Forty graduates turn conservation training into economic opportunity
Forty youths and women received certificates on Thursday in Bloemfontein for completing a community-based training programme hosted by Meals on Wheels in partnership with SANParks as part of a growing initiative to tackle youth unemployment, food insecurity and economic inequality in South Africa.
The training focused on agriculture, food preservation, leather and beauty product manufacturing, supported by the government and private sector partners. It aims to equip vulnerable community members with hands-on skills to start their own businesses and build self-sufficiency.
Seiso Mohai, deputy minister of agriculture, land reform and rural development, applauded the graduates for embracing an opportunity that links conservation with job creation.
'We must begin to see agriculture and biodiversity not only as tools for survival but as platforms for innovation and growth. What we are witnessing today is not just a graduation but a shift in how we build resilience in our rural communities,' said Mohai.
Skumsa Nthanga, SANParks head of socioeconomic transformation and Vision 2040 project lead, told TimesLIVE that the programme's purpose is to empower communities, especially those near biodiversity-rich landscapes, to reclaim their heritage through sustainable economic activity.
'We want to see beneficiaries establish and run their own enterprises. Our national parks are in remote areas with limited job opportunities. This programme is about closing that gap,' she added.
One of the graduates, Thulisa Mnqabisa from Nomathamsanqa, said she closed her beauty salon to join the training. 'I wanted to learn how to develop my own beauty products and eventually use them in my salon,' she said.
Mnqabisa told TimesLIVE that she now plans to manufacture and distribute her beauty products to BnB houses and hotels. 'The knowledge I got here will help me employ others in my community. That's the dream.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
an hour ago
- Mail & Guardian
SA politicians also weaponise migration
A moment to reflect: The US is politicising the issue of asylum, but in South Africa some populist politicians do the same. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy Headlines in recent weeks have been dominated by the meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump, after the US president granted asylum to white South African farmers. Framed by Trump as a response to alleged land seizures and violence, the move has been widely criticised as a politically motivated gesture aimed at energising his conservative base ahead of the US mid-term elections. This culminated in a televised version of what Trump might conceive of as version two of The Apprentice in the Oval Office. Despite the ambush, the South African delegation As much as Trump's reality-TV delusions persist, this moment presents an opportunity for introspection, given South Africa's own challenges with immigration. While the United States faces scrutiny for the politicisation of asylum, South African politicians have similarly weaponised migration to serve populist agendas. South Africa stands at the centre of intricate migration dynamics that continue to shape its socio-economic landscape, development trajectory, and national security concerns. As one of the continent's most industrialised economies, South Africa has long been a destination for migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees from across Africa. In a bid to intensify efforts against illegal immigration, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber recently launched A substantial proportion of migrants cross the border without any documentation. The majority originate from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho and Nigeria. These migration flows were and are still driven by multiple push and pull factors, including economic hardship, civil unrest and environmental changes in migrants' home countries. As climate change, organised crime and extremist activity intensifies in some areas, internal displacement and cross-border migration into South Africa are expected to increase, further complicating the country's migration governance. In an attempt to curb the influx, the South African government erected electric fences along its borders with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. This was inefficient; illegal migrants continue to enter illegally by damaging the fence. The establishment of the Border Management Authority (BMA) has augmented the fencing efforts. The BMA's mandate is to manage and secure South Africa's borders. This includes facilitating legitimate movement of people and goods while preventing and mitigating illegal activities at ports of entry and within the border law enforcement area. In the 2024–25 festive season, the Despite the deployment of drones, surveillance equipment and improved patrols, South Africa's border security continues to be problematic. The BMA and the police have both acknowledged ongoing issues, including infrastructural decay and systemic corruption among border officials, which compromise the integrity of enforcement efforts. The government has, since the democratic transition, enacted legislation intended to manage migration more effectively. The There is no definitive method to accurately determine the number of undocumented migrants in South Africa. Estimates vary widely and are often politicised. This is not unique to South Africa — globally, countries struggle to account for their undocumented populations because of the clandestine nature of illegal migration. But the The socio-economic and political costs of irregular migration are often cited by critics of the government's migration policies. Based on Professor Albert Civil society and political parties continue to play an influential role in shaping public discourse on immigration. While ActionSA and the Patriotic Alliance have pushed for stricter immigration enforcement and border controls, the Democratic Alliance has generally supported regulated immigration tied to economic opportunity and legal compliance. The Economic Freedom Fighters, on the other hand, have condemned mass deportations and raised concerns about the financial and humanitarian costs of hardline immigration policies. The government spent more than Despite these problems, it is important to acknowledge the positive contributions that migrants make to South Africa's economy and society. Many fill critical labour shortages, create businesses and bring cultural diversity. Effective migration management should not only focus on enforcement but also on integration, inclusion and sustainable development. A balanced and humane migration policy must consider the structural drivers of mobility across the region, such as poverty, inequality, and conflict, while also upholding the rule of law and national security. While South Africa's migration landscape is shaped by deep-rooted regional and global forces, it would be inaccurate to suggest that the country has consistently implemented evidence-based migration policies or applied them uniformly. Although frameworks such as the White Paper on International Migration (1999), the Refugees Act (1998), and the Immigration Act (2002) lay a strong legal foundation, their implementation has often been ad hoc, reactive and vulnerable to political influence. South Africa's adoption of a non-encampment model for refugees and asylum seekers, rooted in a rights-based approach aligned with the Constitution and international obligations, is commendable in principle. It allows refugees to live freely rather than being confined to camps. But this model also presents significant administrative and logistical problems, particularly in ensuring access to services, legal protections and regular documentation. One clear example of these difficulties is the persistent dysfunction within the asylum system, where application backlogs and lengthy appeals processes have left thousands in prolonged legal uncertainty. Another example is border management. Despite the creation of the BMA and increased investment in surveillance technologies, porous borders and corruption among officials undermine state efforts and contradict stated policy goals. To build a migration regime that is truly secure, fair and reflective of constitutional values, South Africa must commit to depoliticising migration governance, investing in institutional capacity and using reliable data to drive reform — rather than responding to public pressure or electoral cycles. Leleti Maluleke is a peace and security researcher at Good Governance Africa.
The Herald
3 hours ago
- The Herald
Truck driver arrested after being found more than 20 times over legal alcohol limit
KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate officials have arrested two alleged drunk drivers including one who was found to be more than 20 times over the legal limit. The transport and human settlements department said the RTI team working with police arrested a truck driver for drinking and driving in Van Reenen along the N3 on May 17. He blew 2.0mg/1000ml, which is 20 times more than the legal limit of 0,10mg /1000ml. He was arrested and charged by Ladysmith police and is expected to appear in court on August 18. A second driver who was also arrested on Friday for allegedly driving under the influence in Van Reenen is being held in the Ladysmith police cells. The driver allegedly blew 0.32 mg/1000ml which is three times more than the legal limit. MEC Siboniso Duma said nine victims of a horrific accident involving a truck in Empangeni along the N2 were recently buried. 'Families lost their loved ones and breadwinners, with children becoming orphans as a result of one reckless truck driver. 'In my meeting with senior management last Monday, I mandated our RTI team to strengthen their no nonsense, zero tolerance and Alufakwa campaign on our roads. We undertake to clamp down on bad behaviour in all corners of our province. 'In particular, we are paying more attention to trucks because, more than any vehicle, trucks can damage more vehicles at once and their accidents can lead to serious injuries because of the impact.' He said road networks being constructed, rehabilitated and repaired should not be playgrounds for 'irresponsible drivers'. Duma said road accidents cost the South African economy more than R164bn annually, an equivalent to 3.4% of the country's GDP. In addition, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) paid out more than R45.6bn in claims in the 2023-2024 financial year. TimesLIVE
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Mass vulture poisonings spark ecological crisis in the Lowveld
Vultures are scavengers that keep the ecosystem healthy by consuming carcasses and preventing diseases from spreading. Without them the human population could be in danger. A mass poisoning that took place on May 6 in the Lionspruit Reserve next to Marloth Park is the worst mass killing of vultures in the history of the Lowveld. SANParks rangers, VulPro and the Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre attended the horrific scene where over 100 vultures died. 'To lose to this number of vultures – let alone adult breeding birds during breeding season – is an ecological crisis,' Kerri Wolter, CEO of Vulpro, stated. VulPro and Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre have joined forces to combat this issue and call the new organisation The Vulture Ops. They conduct regular meetings and operate in smaller teams to facilitate quicker response times when alerted about poisonings. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Catastrophic vulture poisoning incident near Marloth Park The team collected samples from poisoned carcasses for testing to learn more about the poison and its harmful effect on these bird that are known for having strong digestive systems. Vultures can digest anything from bones to deadly bacteria like TB, anthrax, and the rabies virus that all occur naturally in carcasses. 'The SAPS are investigating and might be able to enlighten us soon,' Laura Mukwevho, a SANParks media relations practitioner, commented. Mukwevho further explained that they plan to prevent future attacks by initiating proactive intelligence gathering, intensive deployment of technology, and implementing manpower to hotspots to speed up response time to incidents. No arrests have been made so far and SAPS continues to look for the culprits and a possible syndicate that could be behind these operations. 'It appears there's a syndicate targeting vultures to eliminate these biological indicators. We're losing hundreds of birds in co-ordinated strikes. This isn't random, it's strategic,' said toxicologist, Dr Gerhard Verdoorn. ALSO READ: GRAPHIC CONTENT: More than 100 vultures killed in Kruger National Park Verdoorn, the director of the Griffon Poison Information Centre, suspects the illegal substance used in the poisoning could be Aldicarb and/or Terbufos. Terbufos is the toxin that caused the death of six children after they consumed snacks from a spaza shop in Soweto recently. In addition to cleaning carcasses, vultures act as aerial alarms in the fight against poaching. Without them, humans and wildlife would be more prone to severe illness and we would see a significant rise in extinctions. 'When carcasses remain exposed to the environment for weeks, it results in a build-up of harmful diseases and bacteria such as anthrax, botulism and rabies, which not only negatively affect our wildlife, but humans too. Should vultures go extinct, wildlife and humans will be vulnerable to disease outbreaks from carcasses,' Mukwevho said. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
