On 1st March 2016 Mr Sivuyile Silinga was appointed as a new Senior Agricultural Advisor / Controller to manage the Alice Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) office. He has experience in the field of agricultural advisory services and management. His mandate is to work with the team of extension officers to drive the administration of the Alice DRDAR office; farmer support and development programs such as provision of agricultural infrastructure; food security programmes; extension and advisory services; focus on agricultural research programs with Higher Education Institutes and Research Institutes; and coordinate rural development and stakeholder engagement in agricultural development. Sivuyile Silinga was born at Mgomanzi AA in Butterworth in 1979, he holds a National Diploma from Fort Cox College of Agriculture and Forestry, a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural Extension/Production from the University of Fort Hare and a Masters Degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Free State. He has a certificate in Local Economic Development from Tshwane University of Technology and a certificate in Project Management from Varsity College. He worked for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR) as an Agricultural Development Technician at Whittlesea from 2003, he moved on in 2006 to work as the Project Manager on the Shiloh Irrigation Scheme, then in 2009, he worked as Chief Farm Manager at Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute. Mr Silinga is looking forward to his new post and is eager to connect to various projects such as Amanzi for Food.

By Phindile Sithole