BY: SIBUSISIWE NDZIMANDZE | JOURNALIST
MAYIWANE - Deputy Prime Minister Thulisile Dladla, together with National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) CEO Victor Lusekwane Mahlalela, launched a recovery drive today for farmers affected by recent storms. Government has begun distributing farming inputs across five constituencies, where crops were severely damaged.
The storm struck Mayiwane, Ndzingeni and Mhlangatane constituencies on 02 December 2025. Another storm hit Maphalaleni and Nkhaba (Jubukweni) constituencies on 26 December 2025.
The initiative was officially marked by a symbolic maize-planting exercise, held during the distribution of farming inputs to affected households in five constituencies. The programme forms part of broader recovery efforts aimed at restoring livelihoods in the agricultural sector and enabling farmers to return to production within the current season.
Speaking during the exercise, Mahlalela said this initiative prioritises support for constituencies where farmers’ crops suffered severe damage. He said DPM’s office and the Agency worked closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to encourage affected farmers to resume production, while also providing technical guidance and advice to support recovery on the ground.
Mahlalela further explained that the tractor hire component being provided to beneficiaries is funded through the National Maize Corporation (NMC) input subsidy, which supports farmers with access to mechanisation as part of national efforts to strengthen agricultural production.
He said farmers have expressed strong appreciation for the initiative, noting that many had already invested in their fields before the storm occurred. “Farmers are very happy with the initiative because, before the storm came, they had already invested,” he said.
Support Packages
NDMA confirmed that the recovery assistance is being implemented across the following constituencies, with some areas receiving maize seeds and others receiving beans and an hour tractor hire, depending on the support package provided:
- Nkhaba (Jubukweni Constituency): 31 homesteads affected, 20kg beans and one hour tractor hire per homestead
- Maphalaleni: 300 homesteads affected, 10kg maize seed and one hour tractor hire per homestead
- Buhleni (Ndzingeni Constituency): 50 homesteads affected, 20kg beans and one hour tractor hire per homestead
- Mayiwane: 69 homesteads affected, 10kg maize seed and one hour tractor hire per homestead
- Mhlangatane: 50 homesteads affected, 20kg beans and one hour tractor hire per homestead
The Deputy Prime Minister urged beneficiaries to plant immediately, noting that the rainy season is expected to end in March, making timely planting critical for securing yields. Government officials said the distribution marks the start of practical recovery support intended to stabilise agricultural production in affected communities, restore household production capacity, and help farmers return to normal livelihoods as quickly as possible.
