SHEILA MHLONGO
UNksz Sinikiwe Khumalo, ongumfundi eNyuvesi yaseKwaZulu-Natal kwezolimo (Crop Science), unombono wokuphumelelisa umndeni wakhe ngokulima. Waqala ibhizinisi lokulima imifino nabafowabo ababili, uMbongiseni noMxolisi, epulazini elingamahektha angu-3.4 eduze nasekhaya labo. Bafisa ukwandisa imikhiqizo ehlukene kuleli pulazi, okwamanje elikhiqiza ubhontshisi.
UKhumalo ungowokuqala emndenini wakhe ukufunda enyuvesi wathi ukusebenza nabafowabo kuyajabulisa ngoba banezindlela ezahlukene zokucabanga kodwa bazama ukuhlanganisa imibono ngephupho elilodwa. Umholi webandla labo, uMnu Jotham Mtshali, wabagqugquzela ukuba baqale ibhizinisi, njengoba eqhuba uhlelo lokukhuthaza intsha ukuthi iziqalele amabhizinisi.
Uthando lukaKhumalo kwezolimo lwaqala esemncane emphakathini obuthembele kwezolimo lokuziphilisa. Naphezu kwezimo ezinzima nezikole ezingenazo izinsiza eDelfkom, eMpumalanga, waphumelela kakhulu waze wazuza umklomelo weMayoral Award wokuba umfundi ovelele esifundeni ekupheleni konyaka wakhe wokugcina esikoleni.
Ucwaningo lwakhe lugxile ekusetshenzisweni kabusha kwemfucuza ye-organic
Ucwaningo lukaKhumalo lubheka ukuhlanganiswa kwemfucuza yomuntu nengadini (co-composting), ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukukhula kwezitshalo futhi kwehliswe inani lemfucuza endaweni kamasipala. Ngoxhaso lwe-UKZN neprojekthi ye-RUNRES, wakwazi ukuvimbela amathani angu-15.6 emfucuza ukuthi angafakwa endaweni kadoti yaseMsunduzi. Uhlolisise izinga lokuphendula nokuxutshwa kwempahla ukuthola imiphumela engcono kakhulu.
Wathola ukuthi ukuhlanganisa udaka lwemfucuza ehlanzekile nemfucuza eluhlaza kwandisa ikhwalithi ye-compost nokukhula kwezitshalo (cucumber), kudlula i-compost yezimboni kanye nenhlabathi.
UKhumalo uhlela ukuqhubeka nePhD yakhe eqhubekisela phambili umsebenzi wakhe ngokulinganisa imiphumela yemfucuza futhi abheke nezinto ezingcolisa imvelo ezisanda kuvela. Ufisa ukwenza ucwaningo olungenziwa kalula emhlabeni wonke, noluzoba nomthelela eNingizimu Afrika.
