At least two of the representatives from the local and provincial governments have called for changes in the agricultural sector. Addressing staff, students and members of the community at MUT on 16 July 2026, at the second edition of the Market Day, both representatives highlighted some of the areas in the agricultural sector that needed attention and that should lead to redress.
Dumisani Nhlengethwa, representing the eThekwini Municipality’s Economic Development Directorate (Agribusiness Division), delivered a stern warning about the global control of food systems. Nhlengethwa advised the public to actively cultivate food using indigenous seeds, warning of a deliberate attempt by “higher powers” to capture the agricultural system. “Young people must get into research and learn about the international capture of seeds by big corporations,” Nhlengethwa warned. “Our seeds are hidden somewhere and will be returned as a different product. Young people, get into research, and do things right.”
Nhlengethwa, an MUT graduate, also took aim at the cultural stigmas that sometimes hold back the adoption of traditional diets. “We need to dispel the myth that indigenous food is associated with witchcraft. We need to become a solution to the problem,” Nhlengethwa concluded.
Zandile Masuku, from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the major problem was access to markets. Masuku said they provide an early-morning market for farmers in all 11 districts of the province. She added that they also sell agricultural products to events that are hosted by the department.