Mahlubi Sibi views the fight for human rights as an integral part of the right to access nutritious food. His work as a human rights advocate has transformed into a movement for food justice, which is now being implemented at the Jonguluntu Urban Garden at St Francis Catholic Church in Kwangle, Western Cape.
The main goal of this garden is to grow nutrient-rich produce and provide it for children's meals. Sibi grew up in Lange, as did his father, but his grandfather was from the Eastern Cape. In 2022, he traveled there to reconnect with his roots.
While staying in the village of Ngkwazi, near Alice, in 2024, Sibi discovered another side of food production. He noticed that traveling to the city could take a whole day, making daily vegetable supply from shops difficult. As a result, he started growing his own food.
When he returned to Lange later that same year, he began to see food cultivation as something more than just self-sufficiency. In a community where children could easily rely on less nutritious food, Sibi saw an opportunity to make locally grown produce more accessible.
Together with his business partner, qualified accountant Mkhoseli Tiywa, they began to bring this idea to life by creating the Jonguluntu Urban Garden.
Given the limited land availability in Cape Town, Sibi and Tiywa searched for a suitable gardening spot. They found a plot at St Francis Catholic Church, where they cultivate a 26x20 meter area behind St Anthony's kindergarten, covering about 520 square meters. Their initial focus was on the children at the kindergarten. Sibi noted that they were concerned about the lack of a nutrient-rich diet in the preschool because they are parents themselves.
The garden produces crops such as coriander, parsley, green onion, lettuce, cabbage, rosemary, lavender, leek, beetroot, kale, mint, and mustard. Sibi describes this system as mutually beneficial: children receive fresh vegetables, and the gardeners can take some of the harvest home. Additionally, they sell part of their harvest in partnership with the Lima Ungemi cooperative.
Soil nourishment through agroecology
Comparing the sandy soil they use in Cape Town with the soil he saw in the Eastern Cape, Sibi explained that they had to study soil enrichment methods to ensure a good harvest. They collect organic waste, such as leaves, grass, and dead plants, which serve as a carbon source, and pile them up. Then, they collect kitchen waste from the kindergarten and neighboring residences, adding it as a nitrogen source to create their own on-site compost.
Methods of regenerative, agroecological, and organic farming are also used. Sibi emphasized that no pesticides or chemicals are used during cultivation; only organic methods are employed. They avoid monoculture farming, preferring mixed farming.
Most of the work is done manually using basic tools such as rakes, shovels, and sieves, and watering is done with watering cans. Sibi notes that this is a very labor-intensive and manual process, adding: 'When we care for nature, nature feeds us.'
He also points out that foregoing chemical additives is a practical decision since they are well aware of the destructive impact of these substances on people and the environment. The garden also uses crop rotation, alternating long-growing crops such as tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and cabbage across the planting area.
Sibi and his business partner contribute different skills to the initiative. Tiywa, as a qualified accountant, is responsible for the garden's financial management, while Sibi handles the strategic leadership of the Jonguluntu Urban Garden.
Sibi plans to establish connections with other organizations and residents on the St Francis grounds. They have already expanded this initiative to the Hamilton Naki complex on Bhunga Avenue, where they established a community garden. The concept is for people to come and tend the garden and, in return, collect what they need to sustain life.
For Sibi, the broader vision is for more households to grow something they can consume. He believes this initiative is moving towards creating Mzansi, where households have access to food they can grow themselves, while promoting environmental sustainability and helping to combat poverty.