LEBO MAKHENE-PULUMO
DURBAN - It was in the Spring of 2018 that celebrated KwaZulu-Natal farmer and entrepreneur Hlengiwe Hlophe found herself on the wrong side of the law. In October of that year, she was charged with cruelty to, and the abuse of, animals at her farm, Ukwanda Farm, in Winterton.
This was not the idyllic end she had hoped for, having been awarded a commercial woman farmer of the year award just three years prior. And yet, here she was, about to lose it all.
Many of us watched and hoped for a quick resolution, knowing the struggle of entrepreneurship, especially for women in farming. Her story stood to be an inspiration, and this incident would sully it and her name. Today, she stands acquitted of all wrongdoing in relation to those charges.
The accusations began in 2014, and were initially directed at her husband, and then continued into 2015, with her as the target. As a result of the malicious suspicion and allegations, the farm found itself under a curatorship of sorts, and Hlengiwe Hlophe was out of the driver’s seat and unable to execute the vision she had for the farm she founded in 2009. It was during this time that due to a court order, 250 of her pigs were placed under someone else’s care, some of which were sold and slaughtered to disburse costs.
This was the beginning of the downward spiral of a farm that was once on an upward trajectory – and her dreams were being shattered. As a result of these events, she found herself unable to earn a living, and her life was in disarray. She was not in control of her business, and the biggest casualties of the situation was herself and her farm.
She fell behind on payments of the loan she had taken to acquire the farm. She lost her livestock, which was central to her business, and her dream was fading. In addition, her name was being dragged through the mud in the media, her credibility as a businesswoman was in doubt, and she was facing a justice system that is often uncertain.
Believing in justice as she did, she did not retaliate, but welcomed investigations and the necessary processes, and held out hope for a quick resolution that would allow her to go back to the business she had worked so hard for. It was through these struggles that she had been awarded the female commercial farmer of the year award, and had managed to secure supplier contracts to various supermarkets and hotels.
But these achievements, instead of inspiring and propelling her, brought her strife, and she found herself subjected to unwarranted scrutiny and abuse. It was this scrutiny that saw her wrongfully charged with cruelty and abuse to animals – an indictment on a still-developing woman farmer. A nightmare began, which threatened her vision – that of a woman farmer working hard to change her life and the lives of those around her, inspiring other women and employing the unemployed.
Hlophe subjected herself to the process and investigations in the hope that they would vindicate her, but the NSPCA continued to probe and, in the process, disparage her.
An experienced businesswoman who had worked in human resources and quality assurance before embarking on the entrepreneurial journey, her dream of establishing a farm that would change lives and make a mark was under threat.
Without livestock and effective control of her farm, the business she had developed, namely supplier agreements with various supermarkets and a hotel group, were at risk. Now, she would be known as a negligent farmer and unreliable businesswoman. These considerations seemed not to bother those who were hell-bent on seeing her go under. Furthermore, there were calls for her commercial woman farmer award, together with the prize money, to be withdrawn. The justice system was her last hope of freeing herself from the nightmare.
Through all this, she maintained her innocence, described her efforts and explained that she was doing her best, ensuring the good health of the animals and seeing to their nutrition, to manage the farm. Where things were not right she admitted as much, and stated that it was never due to neglect or carelessness. Despite her assertions, she was charged. In the end, she was left with just 10 pigs from her 250 – essentially, back where she started.
A week ago, the Winterton Magistrate’s Court dismissed all charges against her. The court found that the case brought against her was not developed – the State had failed to establish a prima facie case. Despite claims in the media of evidence of neglect and misconduct at Ukwanda Farm, claims that were based on the assertions of the NSPCA, the court still acquitted her. It’s a victory, but too little too late.
Her good name and credibility have been dragged through the mud, her ability to earn an income through the farm has been compromised, the various commitments she had in relation to the farm, chief among them the loan used to purchase the farm, fell behind, and she as a woman has been battered and bruised. My hope is that this can be a lesson to other women entrepreneurs out there to never cower when you are threatened and/or bullied. To subject yourself to the legal process and stand by your truth – it will set you free. Entrepreneurship, especially as a woman, is a lonely journey, and without collective and institutional support, failure prevails. It is my sincerest hope that Ukwanda Farm will once again rise and do what it was always meant to – multiply and prosper.
Lebo Makhene-Pulumo is a Journalism and Politics Rhodes University graduate. She is a Businesswoman, Columnist, Blogger, GBV and LGBTQI Activist, PR and Marketing Executive.
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