Ramadwa said this during the inaugural Sport Farm Festival for Farm Workers held at Tshipise Aventura farm, outside Musina, in the Vhembe District Municipality.

Seven netball teams and eight soccer teams participated in the matches that provided fun and entertainment to more than two thousand spectators, including Ramadwa.

Ramadwa won the hearts of farmworkers, mainly Zimbabwean nationals, who were happy to see her spending the whole day with them.

The MEC and and her head of department, together with officials from her department braced the windy weather to watch all the matches played from knock-outs to the final at dusty pitches.

Musina Local Municipality Mayor Carol Phiri also attended with her councillors, who together with their colleagues from other municipalities in Vhembe, watched all the matches until the final game.

In netball, Alice Dale walloped Khumbelo of Doreen by eleven goals to seven.  Alice Dale qualified to reach the final after they beat Doreen again by twenty-six goals to eight.

In soccer, ZZ2 beat Khumbelo, also from Doreen, by 1-0 to be crowned champions of the tournament.

All the teams were given medals for their efforts were given full kits and balls.

Both captains of the winning teams, Beauty Mbedzi and George Sibanda, said they were happy that their teams did well in the tournament.

Ramadwa encouraged all the players to continue participating in sport so that they could remain healthy.

“We decided to organize these games in order to help you participate in sport so that you can stay healthy.  We believe sport can also take you away from crime.  My advice is that you must continue playing different sport so that you can have a healthy body,” said Ramadwa.

Ramadwa said the department would continue participating in these games on a yearly basis.

The games have been organised by local farmers from around Tshipise, Doreen and Mopani in the previous years.

Ramadwa’s department gave participating teams free transport and food. Department of Home Affairs, Department of Social development and LoveLife were there to render their services and give health advices to the farmworkers.

Ramadwa encouraged farmworkers to apply for identification documents so that they could register to vote in next year’s elections.