Sokhulu floodplain resotraiton workshop notes

1>In abandoned plots, with aliens or not, but no longer fertile (either inundated or not plant

some useful indigenous plants

2>Or in areas where invaded with gum – can clear that – around homesteads – wants to

remove and plant again… chopped down or clear stumps…

3>Training in propagation of indigenous multipurpose plants – Yes youth and interested

parties, ,,-propagation starter pack… can buy them back….

Ecosystem restoration along the ood plains _Sokhulu

Purpose: Introduction of team and purpose – talking about agriculture in general and then

discuss options of planting with the environment.. sharing information… Colleages sharing

dierent information, including climate change…

We understand that you have been farming for a long time, we are here to discuss things that are

chaining including climate change, to understand theproblems we are facing, and discuss

together potential options for improvement.

Please state which villages you are from:

Amanzanyama, Thongonya, Amalala (top and bottom) Holinyoka, Ehlaweni

Ehlanzeni: elds are waterlogged in this area, if not we would have more bananas, Now planting

in smaller plots more uphill… There are determined farmers, productivity has declined, Planting

amadumbe. Now farming is no longer able to farm and looking for work.. - we want to farm for

food and income – want a solution to take water out from the elds.

Mazwi: Why is the production declining?

have some waterlogging Emhlangeni , but this is another problem. Chemicals are

dangerous even to us as humans…

- Extent of contamination? –people think it is all the elds.

- Where are the elds? All villages have elds – there are waterlogging issues in all the elds.

We are asking just to understand – Those lands are inheritance from great-great grandfathers

and are passed on the families…

Mazwi: Also asking omama if they have land that they have that is theirs– women said yes, Can

water will ow out and in and because it is closed, the chemicals have built up and is messing

climate change…and we also need to look at our practices and whether there are things we can

do better to counteract the impact of CC and infertile soils. We understand how important

those elds are to you?

Can we have a few people, names and numbers to go and see their elds tomorrow? Just a

few…. Indunas will be having a meeting so won’t be available, but you can continue with the eld

visit… Agreed to start at the opt end of the elds and then move along to the eld representing

the other viallges (Hloingyoka, Amanzanyama) and if there is time also to Amalala,

Community member: Would rather have a rep from each community to go to the visit, instead of

others talking about plots belonging to dierent people… You should come to each area –

Some women are farming, but not in Emhlangeni – we farm bananas for example and we have

Mazwi: Need details for the representtives for each viallge.:

There are elds are closer to Ehlanzeni and Ehlawini– we can just give them a time and meet

people in the elds. – there is a lot to talk about. But you guys are scarce – you come and then

you go away again..

There are also other elds

Some of the other villages are far from the plains….

Erna: Suggested that we can also have meetings in each of the villages with farmers. And can

dierentiate betweenEmh and the farming/gardening happening at households or in communal

gardens.

Man: wevhavevalot of land please visit, want this place to go back to itsvearlier glory and

waterproblemtaics sorted out… the closing of the mouth really impacted negatively,

compensate them… Who should compensate vthem? Those people who make plans – if you

have access let them know thatthere is a lot of damage. Maybe they can come and help them

here…

water from the elds, it been very long please help us with that.

Erna: is there an issues of climate change have you noticed in the community.

Induna : Times have changed, back in the days summer used to be summer and winter would

be winter but now we really don’t understand what is actually happening, rains are scares and

temperatures are high and dominating the land.

Famer 2 ( Women) : we no longer harvest, we now have frost which destroyed most of the

produced, and we never had frost in this village or community.

Farmer 3 (Male) : we don’t notice much in terms of climate change(temperature is not that high)

and I think its because weare closer to the ocean.

Erna: Do you have water access? Ho w do you get water?

Farmer 3 (Male): We have a lot of water in this community, natural water which we do not need

and water which drink, we just need help with water in the eld.

Erna: We understand the issue with

need water for irrigation, please do not be confused. If you could help us with water for

irrigation.

Farmer 7(Male) : Back in the days when were we still kids, we used to receive rain every

weekends but that no longer happening, we also had a river which we used to drink but now it

has turned green (Algae) so we no longer drink from it.

Farmer 8 (Woman) : Please let us stop talking or asking a lot of questions, let allow these visitors

to talk about what they said they are here for and stop complicating things, they said they would

like to go and visit the eld sites let us allow them to do so.

Induna : Can we cut the meeting short and go to the villages or the elds

Farmer 9 (Male) : Is it possible for you(us) to entire eld for all the villages, we should give them

time to do that, as we would appreciate if they were to see everything in the eld.

Erna: We appreciate the suggestion, we are not forcing anyone to do anything, but the farmers

pay attention more on alien invasive species and how to deal with them.

Erna: Some of the clearing will be happening through the YES youth group, we are aware that

they have already started in some parts of the area.

representative. Please may I please ask if we will still go and visit the plots today?