News - 4th Quarter 2009
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Noodsberg has implemented a number of plant modifications to enhance food safety, reduce sugar contamination risk and achieve its HACCP accreditation. Clockwise from below left the photographs show the results: Protective covers sealing the wet sugar conveyor which conveys final refined sugar to the dryer; enclosure around the FAWEMA packing machine to protect the prepack range during filling operations; covers across the grasshopper conveyor receiving refined sugar from the centrifugals; a new ablution block, locker and eating facility for packing staff; and a handwashing station to reduce sugar contamination risk by packing staff during filling operations.
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Illovo Sezela has donated a brand new Toyota Hilux bakkie to the Umdoni Vulamehlo HIV/AIDS Association, a non-Governmental organisation founded by Maureen Oxfield in 2004 after seeing the devastation of the rural community from the HIV/Aids pandemic. It services both the Vulamehlo and Umdoni municipalities, a radius of about 80km. With no government funding, this team has a complement of 20 people - which includes a nurse, coordinator and caregivers - and they also have 21 volunteers. Currently they are looking after 926 very sick patients and 200 orphans. Dr Palmer assists with fund raising. They provide home-base care to both patients and families of the very ill patients who are not able to take care of themselves, assisting with treatment and food and spiritual healing too, with Pastor Tobias Mkhize a member of this dynamic team. They also started a subcommittee called “Men to Men”. Their vision is to educate as many men as possible on HIV/Aids and empower them to speak and conduct talks in the communities they live in. Before Sezela donated the bakkie, the association had only two vehicles, which enabled them to visit the community once every two months. Now they are able to visit and check on them once a month. What are friends for? Sezela’s Gretta Nhlangulela (senior HR officer) (left) and Collin Gwala (HR manager) (right) shared the joy of giving with members of the Umdoni Vulamehlo Aids Association when they handed over Sezela’s gift of a brand new Toyota Hilux bakkie for their work with HIV/AIDS-affected communities. The association’s members are (from second left) Elija Mzobe (project manager), Nombuyiselo Ncayiya (facilitator), Pastor Tobias Mkhize (executive member), Zama Mkhize (driver) and Thembi Mkhize (social worker). At left: Signage on the bakkie that helps lighten a heavy load.
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 The industrial and the agriculture departments at Sezela have combined their resources in an operation which excavates sediment from the clear water recovery plant to use as a fertiliser supplement on the surrounding cane fields. It’s a win-win project – and it also saves money.
Further, it is in line with the focus of creating and sustaining a competitive advantage for Sezela’s customers through the manufacture of natural products from a renewable source.  The sequence begins with the scrubber water which carries ash and sand from the Sezela factory’s boilers and is pumped up to a sediment dam about 2 kms inland. The ash and sand settle and the water is drained off the top dam by manholes and large stone drains buried in the sediment. It is then collected in a coffer dam – the clear water dam – about 22m below the sediment dam. The clear water is then returned by gravity feed pipeline to the sugar factory for re-use in the process.
 The sediment left behind comprises mainly soil/sand that was processed with sugarcane delivered to the factory, ash and biological and chemical products that settle from the factory waste water in the sediment dam. It has the appearance of black sand and it contains plant nutrients.
Using the sediment as fertiliser on surrounding canefields has a threefold effect: - It will extend the lifespan of the top sediment pond and realise cost savings, provided enough sediment can be excavated and spread on nearby fields economically on an annual basis. The first phase of the project involved the excavation of sediment and the annual maintenance on the plant. Had we not excavated, it would have cost extra money just to raise the drains. Considering that we also created more available capacity, it was a very cost effective solution.
Thanks to the well-managed team of tractors and trailers supplied by agriculture reporting directly to Dudley Daniel, section manager Sezela farm, we were able to achieve this cost-effective solution. For this first phase of the experiment, 12 425 m³ of sediment was removed, leaving the large hole which can be seen in the photos. - The lifespan of the top sediment pond could be extended well past its current 20-year horizon, eliminating the medium-term need to establish a new site once the current plant has reached its maximum capacity. This also reduces pressure on the environment.
- The agronomic benefit of the sediment lies in plant-available silicon which promotes healthy sugarcane leaves and improves the plants’ resistance to Eldana borer. Other important plant nutrients, contained at low levels in the sediment, supplement the normal fertiliser programme. Report by Lawrence Pratt (civil services manager), with assistance from Tom Hinett (management services manager) and Edgar Bruggemann (agricultural manager), Sezela.
Top: The big hole left after the sediment had been removed. At left: The sediment on the canefields, as fertiliser. Below: Agric’s tractors and trailers load and remove the excavated sediment.
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 Mooka Akapelwa Silumbu, human resources & administration manager at Zambia Sugar, is from the Lozi, the Zambian tribe that celebrates the annual Kuomboka traditional ceremony of the Lozi people of Western Province in Zambia. Below he shares with us his experiences and significance of the Kuomboka ceremony.
Born in Mongu, the epicentre of the Kuomboka ceremony, Mooka last attended it in 1974 as a boy at Lealui Primary School. So the 2009 Kuomboka was the first time he attended as an adult. Mooka says the Kuomboka is for him more than just a ceremony. As a Lozi, he feels duty bound to protect his tradition in a world where tradition is disappearing. His family practises ‘Kuomboka’ every year at a family level, moving from one village in the flood plain to the other on the high land. Mooka’s family also has a long history of royal duty. His great grandfather was the Prime Minister (Minyolui – owner of Barotseland) of the Barotse kingdom during the reign of King Lewanika and he was the leader of the Lozi warriors during the tribal wars when the stronger tribes conquered the weaker tribes, claiming their animals and wealth. Mooka’s great grandfather led the Lozi warriors in battle against the Tongas of present day Southern province. This campaign earned him the name Silumbu Muyasani (foreigner/one who stabs) from where Mooka gets his surname. However, instead of breeding hatred, the wars produced a “cousinship” between the Lozi people and the Tongas as well as other Bantu-Botatwe groupings (Ila and Lenje) which still exists in present day Zambian society. Another of Mooka’s grandfathers, Tawila, a renowned scholar of his time, was the Minyolui during the reign of King Yeta. Mooka says this year’s Kuomboka brought feelings of the prodigal son’s return home. His family took him in a dug-out canoe, and paddled alongside the Nalikwanda (the king’s royal barge) all the way from Lealui (the lowland) to a few kilometres before Limulunga (the highland). He later joined the crowd at the harbour who were anxiously waiting to welcome the Litunga (the King). Five of Mooka’s family members were paddling the Nalikwanda - a great privilege and the dream of any Lozi male. It was also a moment of pride to see his company, Zambia Sugar, as one of the corporate sponsors of the Kuomboka ceremony. Zambia Sugar has been part of the Kuomboka for a long time. This year it provided a ton of sugar, used to sweeten the traditional brew Ilya, financial assistance and branded T-shirts. This support for the Kuomboka cheers the multitude of cane cutters at Nakambala who hail from the Western province. At the time the Kuomboka takes place in April most of them are in Mazabuka missing out on the ceremony, so Zambia Sugar’s participation gives them a sense of contributing to the Kuomboka indirectly. Mooka’s favourite and the most important part of the Kuomboka is the docking of the Royal Barge, the Nalikwanda, at Nayuma Harbour in Limulunga. At this stage the beat of the royal drums (the maomas) reaches a crescendo - each beat rhythmically bringing joy to the onlookers, but seemingly beating in tandem with each Lozi traditionalist heart. Initially there is a mock docking of the Nalikwanda which is simply hilarious - the paddlers put up tremendous, stupendous performances to entertain the crowd. Mooka says: “Oh boy, one must be there to believe it!” The women sing “Tamboka Limwene” (“Welcome King”); “Mumbwe tumuka tukumone” (“King come out of the barge for us to see you”) and other traditional songs. This welcoming and wooing of the Litunga (the king) to come out of the royal barge, so that his subjects can see him, is simply classic. The Royal Highness, the Litunga’s, majestic stepping out of the royal barge is a wonderful moment. Mooka feels that traditional ceremonies like the Kuomboka are the mainstay of any culture, a form of cultural identity for every tribe and a firm foundation of cultural heritage. What did he take away from the Kuomboka? He says: “I left appreciating how Zambians support each other. The Kuomboka was not only attended by the Lozis; even traditional chiefs from Northern and Luapula provinces of Zambia graced the occasion. To me this is a unifying factor of the Zambian people.” And his resolve after this year’s ceremony is never to miss any future Kuomboka.
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 Sicebile
Gordon Malangabi Crawford
(Publisher: Reach)
“Sicebile”, a ground-breaking book published recently about Swaziland’s material culture, was authored by Gordon Crawford, Ubombo’s steam and power generation engineer.
The word “Sicebile” has its roots in the Swazi word for treasure and its meanings include “We are rich”, “We have treasure” and “We are blessed”, usually used in the context of family. Gordon, born Charles Gordon Crawford in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in 1954, has lived his whole life in Africa, always in close proximity to the various Nguni peoples of Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Swaziland. In Swaziland he is known by the name “Malangabi”, which was given to him when he joined the Inyatsi regiment of traditional warriors – a singular honour. The name means “a bright smokeless flame”. Gordon says his love for African artefacts started as a child “when I used to visit a blacksmith and a woodworker in rural Malawi and spend hours watching these men produce beautiful barbed arrows and other items.” In 1989 with his wife Judy he moved to Ubombo Sugar as a mechanical engineer and here they have raised their four sons. Continuing his interest in African artefacts, he was amazed to find that, while Zulu traditional art was widely written about and sought after, the art of the neighbouring Swazis had been largely ignored.  “It has been my experience that even the most knowledgeable Swazi traditionalist knows less than about 20% of the items described in the book because of their scarcity, plus that many are restricted to certain areas and are unknown outside those areas,” he says.
“Sicebile” is thus the first book ever to reveal the artefacts and beaded clothing of Swaziland’s rich heritage. Gordon has spent twenty years in research, visited related tribes in seven African countries and collected thousands of cultural items. He has interviewed numerous elderly people to get their viewpoints, kept detailed notes of provenance (place of origin, history and record of ownership) on all items collected and commissioned experienced craftsmen to show how various items were made. The result is a comprehensive, well-paced and constructive book in which the Swazis are given a chance to speak for themselves and tell their own story about their material culture.
Requested by the curator of the National Museum to write the book, which took almost six years in planning, Gordon received much encouragement from various African art experts to write it, such as Professor Karel Nel of Wits University, Dr William Dewey of UCLA and Dr Michael Conner of ArtConsul in America, as they also realised the great need to document these items before they disappeared. “I trust that now a full appreciation of Swazi traditional art will be experienced by both Swazis and foreigners alike,” Gordon says. Note: The book can be purchased at all bookstores and giftshops in Swaziland. In South Africa it is available at
Clarke's Bookshop, 211 Long Street, Cape Town 8001 and
internationally it is available on the Internet at EBay, where a search for "Sicebile" will reveal it. Illustrations of the Swazi cultural heritage include the back of a beaded mirror, a beaded snuff gourd, a headrest, a three-legged pail 33 cms tall and an imposing headdress.
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At Ubombo Sugar, the theme for World HIV/AIDS day was “Stop AIDS Keep the Promise”, with a slogan of “Lead, Empower and Deliver”. It started with a march from the main gate to the Mayaluka community hall, where participants were reminded of the promises made during the 20 years the country has had to deal with the pandemic. In these 20 years, the King of Swaziland declared the disease a national disaster and that “yindzaba yetfu sonkhe” - “we are all involved”. The youth pledged to delay sexual activity until the right time. The HIV negative groups pledged to remain negative for the rest of their lives by abstaining, being faithful and using condoms all the time. People who tested HIV positive promised not to spread the virus and to adhere to medical advice, while those on ART (anti-retroviral therapy) pledged to remain on treatment for the rest of their lives. Ubombo Sugar, as a business, promised not to ignore the situation and continue with business as usual, but got involved in assisting in the alleviation of the impact of the disease. The company has a vibrant Peer Educator System and a well-managed wellness programme in place. As further assistance the company is, on behalf of the Ministry of Health of the Government of Swaziland, distributing and managing the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs). As a result of the activities on the HIV/AIDS day, a support group has since been formed for all people living with the virus. The formation of the group was a ground-level approach as it was initiated by employees who are already HIV-positive. The group meets once a month and has the company’s full support.  |  | | Ubombo's employees display their banner before the start of the march. | Getting ready to “walk the talk” are Khanya Dube (operations manager), Anthony Domleo (agricultural manager) and Oswald Magwenzi (agric development manager). |  |  | | John Hulley, acting Ubombo MD at the time, learns about “eating like a robot” – red, orange and green foods. | Bongani Dlamini, a peer educator, makes a presentation. |
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 A new 30 t/h (tons per hour) sugar drier (pictured) and a new 50 kg bagging plant were installed and commissioned at Ubombo in 2008. The new drier enables Ubombo to produce VHP sugar of improved quality, thereby meeting specific customer requirements. During the latter half of the 2008 season, utilising the new installations, Ubombo has already produced direct consumption VHP sugar and a new VHP sugar bagging size of 50 kg VHP Sugar. The project was completed well within budget with various cost savings incurred from Ubombo staff initiatives. |
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 European Union Advisor for Agriculture and Food Security, Raniero Leto, hands over grant agreement documents to the Chairman of the Shire Valley Cane Growers Trust, Dr Eric Chilembwe (centre). Looking on (right) is the managing director of Illovo Malawi, Ian Parrott. Included in the wide-ranging support package was a €2.55 million grant to the Trust for the expansion of Kasinthula Smallholder Scheme to phase III, ultimately benefiting 220 smallholder cane farmers. Kasinthula small growers send their cane to Nchalo sugar mill. |
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|  Results of the annual game count in Nchalo Estate’s Nyala Park in September show the park is home to 10 different large mammal species, with Nyala buck being the most dominant.
Some species have increased significantly in number since the previous year’s (2007) count, others have decreased. Nyala, for instance, have increased by 20 to 228, giraffe by 4 to 25, wildebeest by 12 to 39 and zebra by 4 to 17. Unchanged in number and marital status is the lone female buffalo which, like the giraffes, is a significant attraction for visitors to the park.
The counting was done on foot, with observers walking and recording all the animals they saw, on different days and at different times. Other animal totals counted in September were 21 Impala buck, 17 Waterbuck, 2 Blesbok, 6 Bush pigs and 7 Bushbuck. Compiled by Jones Mwalukomo, senior wildlife officer – Nyala Park. A giraffe, scientific name Giraffa camelopardalis , is called “Kadyansonga” in Chichewa, meaning eating at the top or tip of trees. The world’s tallest mammal, a fully-grown giraffe will reach up to a height of 5-6metres from the ground, like this handsome fellow photographed in Nyala Park. |
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|  A GIFT FOR KASASA SCHOOL
Kasasa Independent Private School at Dwangwa had its humble beginning in the late 1990s with a handful of students, teachers and below-standard structures. It has now grown close to international standards. On a day that will be remembered by Kasasa School, it received a donation of MK700 000 from the general manager of Dwangwa Sugar Corporation, Ken Tembo. The GM said it was his wish to see the school grow to greater heights. In accepting the donation, the chairman of the school, Justin Dzinkambani, said this was an historic donation. Following various donations received, he was now very optimistic that the much-awaited computer lab would be constructed and he thanked the Dwangwa GM most sincerely. At the handing over of a cheque to Kasasa Independent Private School were (from left) Maston Mtambo (Dwangwa’s AHRM-admin), Sidrick Sapuwa (school committee member), Tina Issa (head girl, receiving the cheque), Ken Tembo (Dwangwa GM), Eheud Banda (head boy) and Justin Dzinkambani (chairman of the school and also of the school committee). | |
189 DESKS FOR CHIKWAWA SCHOOLS 
Nchalo has donated 189 desks to four schools in Chikwawa - Nchalo CCAP, Mwanza, Malikopo and Lengwe. When handing them over, then Illovo Malawi MD David Haworth (left) said Illovo Sugar (Malawi) recognises the importance of education institutions as they provide a solution to the skill needs of the company and the country and that is why it had made the donation. The Member of Parliament for Chikwawa and also Minister of Irrigation, Hon Mkombezi Sidik Mia (right), thanked Illovo for the donation which he said will go a long way in improving the education environment for pupils in his constituency. He requested Illovo to continue assisting in education and other areas. 
Pupils at Mwanza School try out their new desks. | |
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Dr Eliana invited the women of the Maragra community to visit the hospital in Manhica, the closest town to Maragra. Here the staff deal with hundreds of sick people daily, malaria, Aids and TB being but some of the challenges they face. The visitors were humbled that in spite of many problems, they still serve with dedication. The children’s ward, where most patients were being treated for malnutrition, touched everyone’s heart and the women came home determined to put their efforts together to “make a difference” (“MAD”). Pooling their talents and resources, they started making material books, soft toys, bean bags and painted blocks for the children to play with. They also made curtains, sheets and pillowcases to brighten up the ward and have planned a fundraiser to help the hospital with its laundry facilities. Over and above what the “MAD” ladies have made, Maragra sugar mill has assisted by donating a much-needed wash line! With new blue sheets and pillow cases, curtains, the mobile, Teddy and toys, all the work of the Maragra mill women’s group, the Manhica Hospital children’s ward (above) has a new lease of life.
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