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New world of animal health created by Tardi and the UN Page 7
Bhizana village of Izinini finally receives title deeds Page 3
Zintle Ngcwazi (27) and Mamela Baraza (26) of Likamva Lethu Clothing receive overlock and industrial machines from DRDAR MEC Nonkqubela Pieters and OR Tambo District Cllr Mlamli Ndabeni.
End of long nights of tears, hunger as state hands over industrial sewing machines Hungry, exhausted seamstresses would fall asleep over their inadequate sewing machines as they pulled all-nighters to make deadline. But those brutal days are over now that women of in the eastern part of the province have brand new, industrial strength overlock sewing machines to ease their way. Eastern Cape MEC for Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) Nonkqubela Pieters was on hand for the occasion which brought hope of economic freedom to seamstresses in the OR Tambo District. The MEC was in Mthatha Kei Fresh Produce Market on Friday to handover 32 industrial and overlock machines to 16 enterprises in a bid to maximise their production and profits. Each business received an industrial overlock sewing machine. Nokwakha Jico of Mzikantu Sewing Co-op in Port St Johns spoke of the brutal overnighters as they battled to reach targets. “We would literally fall sleep on the machines. Now that we have these top-of-the-range machines, we won’t have to do that any more. “Now the hunger we were fighting will be gone
forever and our business will grow further and we thank the department for that,” said Jico, whose co-op has a contract with the social development department. She said they were sewing a range of clothings, including school uniforms and traditional gear. Some of the recipients included two enterprises that are run by unemployed fashion design graduates from WSU who ventured into the fashion business after they could not secure employment. Zintle Ngcwazi, 27, who runs Likamva Lethu Clothing in Misty Mount with five other young people, said the investment would boost their business. “I started the business in 2020 after I realised that I could not get a job with my qualifications or any other job for that matter. These machines will boost our income because we used to battle to sew heavy materials and we had to ask for assistance from other people. “That consumed lot of our time and we would fail to deliver. Now that we’ve received these machines, we are very happy because they will assist us to complete our orders on time,” Ngcwazi said.
Another graduate Litha Mabotshwa said she had battled using one domestic machine to sew a range of clothes. Says she started her business while studying at university. “I wanted to get employment but I couldn’t because the employment is not there. Now that I have these machines, I’ll be able to do wonders and end up training and employing people.” MEC Pieters said the investment by DRDAR should ensure maximum production and healthier profit. She said at the handover: “Treat these co-ops as businesses. We want you to grow your businesses. Municipality and government will give you training where you are lacking. This is an investment, treat it as such and ensure there’s growth. “Quality is very important, hence we are giving overlocks and industrial machines. “Good quality advertises your products. If you’re producing substandard products you will end up not getting the business. “We are fighting poverty and unemployment through this investment and we want to see you become successful business people,” she said.
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