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Thirty-eight Animal Health Technicians—63% of them women—have graduated from the Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute (TARDI), injecting fresh capacity into strained veterinary defences as the Eastern Cape and the country face heightened threats from Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and other diseases.
TARDI Principal Dr Nandipha Ndudane said outbreaks of diseases such as rabies, FMD, African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza affect food security and highlight the importance of skilled animal health professionals working at the community level.
“When livestock are affected, rural economies suffer, families lose income, and communities face food insecurity. When zoonotic diseases spread, they endanger both animals and people. This is why your role is so critical. You are the frontline defenders of biosecurity,” she told graduates at the graduation ceremony held on Thursday.
The institute expects many of the graduates to strengthen animal health services in rural areas where veterinary professionals remain limited by improving disease monitoring and providing technical support to farmers.
Dr Ndudane also announced a major boost for the institution, saying it has secured a revised bursary allocation of R15,4 million from the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA) for the entire duration of its diploma programme. This will fund dozens of new students from impoverished rural backgrounds.
Combined with AgriSETA funding (R1.57 million for 20 students) and emergency provincial support (R790,000 facilitating 10 additional admissions), TARDI has positioned itself among the few institutions in South Africa offering 100% free education to new students including meals, accommodation, and monthly stipends.
Through these partnerships, many students from rural backgrounds have been able to study through fully funded programmes.
Since its establishment in 2015, TARDI has produced 412 graduates who are working in veterinary public health, livestock production, animal welfare, disease control and rural development.
While acknowledging the need to enrol more students, Ndudane said TARDI has recently reduced class sizes to strengthen the practical component of the diploma programme.
“Our qualification is highly practical. By working with smaller groups we ensure that every student receives the hands-on training required to deliver quality services to farmers and communities,” she said.
Students also benefited from collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and the Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, where they participated in laboratory-based practical training and field exposure.
Many graduates have additionally completed training in new venture creation, preparing them to establish their own primary animal healthcare facilities. Recent legislative changes allow qualified animal health technicians to open and operate such facilities, enabling graduates to become entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector.
TARDI also supports graduates entering the workforce through workshops on job applications, interview preparation and professional registration.
In a personal moment during the ceremony, Ndudane shared that one of the graduates was her own daughter.
“As a mother, I am profoundly moved to witness her walk across this stage, to see her hard work rewarded, and to know that she will join her peers in serving our communities with competence, compassion, and commitment. I stand here with two hats, as the Principal and leader of this institution, but I stand also as a parent, proud mother goose, filled with joy and gratitude”.
