The once flourishing Tshivhase Tea Estate outside in Limpopo is a shadow of its former self.
The once flourishing Tshivhase Tea Estate outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo is a shadow of its former self. The collapse happened despite government investing nearly R200 million since 2006.
The Tshivhase tea estate was once the economic heartbeat in the Vhembe district. With more than 1700 hectares of tea plantations, less than 20 hectares are being maintained and rehabilitated without any harvesting taking place.During its bloom, the tea estate employed more than 2000 workers; currently, it employs about 200 workers. The year’s lack of maintenance rendered vehicles, tractors, graders, and packaging machines useless and beset with mechanical faults.
Thagwana says LEDA is not providing enough support. “So far, we are not producing at the moment because we don’t have harvesters, we don’t have maintenance money, the machinery is not maintained, the fleet is not roadworthy, everything here is shattered. And it pains me because I know the magnitude of this tea industry. Apart from black tea, we can even do another variety of tea, but LEDA is not doing diligence in this matter; they are always talking about densifying.
“We are very few since LEDA took over. Now we have a problem because we don’t know if we will continue working. We want revitalization of the tea estate so that more will be employed.”
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