By Pelane Phakgadi
The MEC Nakedi Kekana was leading the charge in developing the 2026/27 Strategic Plan of the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.The planning session, which took place at Karibu Lodge,Tzaneen in Mopani District, is crucial for outlining the department's goals and strategies for the upcoming year, focusing on agricultural development and rural growth.
In her opening remarks, the MEC acknowledged what was achieved last year. And commended the department for achieving 98% expenditure in the 2024/25 financial year. MEC Kekana further outlined six key focus areas for the Limpopo Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's 2026/27 Strategic Plan:
- Improving Basic Service Delivery: Ensuring extension support, timely water-use licenses, functional dip tanks, available vaccines, and completed infrastructure projects like irrigation schemes and packhouses
- Driving Inclusive Economic Growth and Job Creation: Focusing on strategic commodities like livestock, poultry, citrus, and grains, with emphasis on rural job creation and supporting emerging farmers.
- Building a Capable and Ethical State: Professionalizing the department, recruiting skilled officials, strengthening accountability, and cutting red tape.
- Fighting Corruption and Strengthening Governance: Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, pursuing investigations, and enforcing accountability.
- Ensuring Fiscal Discipline and Value for Money: Cutting wasteful expenditure, delivering infrastructure on time and budget.
- Deepening Social Compacts: Collaborating with farmers' organisations, agribusiness, financial institutions, and research bodies to drive agricultural growth.
"As we open this strategic session, I want us to commit to three things:
- 100% delivery from Year 1 – budgets spent, targets met, outputs visible.
- Collective accountability – no silos, no excuses, no hiding.
- A culture of urgency – we cannot defer to the future what must be done today." remarked the MEC.
MEC further highlighted the Zebediela Citrus Estate as a symbol of challenges and opportunities, emphasizing the importance of good governance to revive such projects.
On the second day of the Strategic Session built on the strong foundation laid a day before, with discussions delved deeper into the practical implementation of the six strategic priorities for the 2026/27 financial year. The focus was on translating commitments into measurable actions that will drive inclusive agricultural growth, job creation, and rural development in Limpopo.
Officials engaged on key programmes such as revitalizing agricultural infrastructure, improving farmer support systems, and strengthening partnerships with industry stakeholders. The MEC has emphasized that this phase of the session must sharpen delivery mechanisms to ensure that budgets translate into visible outputs on the ground, while maintaining fiscal discipline, governance, and accountability at all levels.
HOD Mpho Mashamba, an accounting officer for the department.
