A multimillion-rand vegetable packhouse built for a women’s co-operative run by President Jacob Zuma’s wife Sizakele MaKhumalo Zuma is an empty shell more than three months after construction was completed.
The packhouse, about 500m from the president’s R246-million Nkandla residence, was built by the KwaZulu-Natal department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs for the Qedisimo Sendlala Co-operative.
Qedisimo Sendlala (putting an end to hunger) was started by MaKhumalo in 2010 to help women in the poverty-stricken KwaNxamalala village to produce their own food. The co-op is made up of 15 women from the president’s village.
The Sunday Times has established that despite funding to the tune of R2.5-million, the packhouse is not functional and has not been equipped with a refrigerated cold storage facility to store fresh produce.
Electricity, which is critical for equipment, refrigeration and lighting, has not been installed, and water has not been connected.
A source who has seen the inside of the packhouse said it was still an empty building.
“There is just nothing inside. The cold storage facility for vegetables has not been built. Water and electricity have not been connected yet,” said the source…
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