A Land of Plenty
Giyani, the Tsonga word meaning 'a place where people dance' and 'a land of the friendly people', was officially established in 1969. It is the administrative and commercial centre of the Mopani district and also the former capital of Gazankulu Banstustan. In many ways it still resembles a friendly traditional village and the people of Giyani are known for colourful folklore, which includes two recorded folktales, along with 1900 proverbs.
Giyani is also rich in cultural history, with royal families dating as far back as 1822.
The plethora of economic development initiatives in Giyani include a natural resources-based programme. This consists of a variety of environment and nature resources-based business streams such as agro-processing,mining and minerals,as well as eco-tourism.
In terms of agro-processing business, the primary activity is value addition and post-harvest beneficiation of raw natural materials to produce commercial commodities that are sold to both domestic and inter-national markets. Promising examples of agro-processing are, inter alia, mopani worm processing enterprises, essential oils enterprises, beekeeping/honey production enterprises, oyster mushroom production enterprises and small-scale commercial fishing and processing enterprises.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES |
Air Pollution is an environmental problem
that primarily affects the town of Giyani due to the
concentration of vehicles and small industries there.
Deforestation affects most the Greater Giyani municipal area. Firewood collectors, including farm-workers, villagers, traditional healers and herbalists aggravate the problem. Water Pollution caused by littering and the over-flow of sewage, creating serious health problems for people who depend on water from rivers and streams. Informal businesses, conducted along the road to Moeketsi-Malamulele, worsen the problem by illegally dumping in the Klein Letaba River. |
| Natural habitat (loss of it) is becoming
increasingly fragmented and scarce in Giyani, as
agricultural expansion, formal and informal housing
settlements, and urban sprawl lead to large-scale
clearing of bush, making it increasingly difficult
for indigenous flora and fauna to survive.
Soul erosion has increased with the loss of grassland and wetland vegetation. The major causes of soil erosion are veld and forest fires, deforestation, overgrazing and poor land use planning and management. Clear-felling or uncontrolled burning of plantation compartments can also lead to increased soil erosion. Invasive alien plants present a major threat to the sustainability of greater Giyani. It is essential to eradicate these plant species as they vast amounts of our scarce water resourses. |
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