[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

Master of Ceremonies, honoured guests, thank you for the honour to address an audience who are as concerned and dedicated as I am to conserve threes which are the basic departure point for all efforts to conserve our environment.

I usually picture an earth without trees just to remained myself what the world and we would be without them. A very sad and inhospitable place, I can assure you.

When we protect and promote tree-growth, we effectively promote environmental conservation. Trees are the controlling factor in many natural systems. They provide habitat for many species, they promote water and soil conservation, clean out air, provide food and shade and soften the effects of development by absorbing noise, screening eye-sore and generally making the man-made environment a better and a more pleasant place to live in.

Most South Africans have faith in the future - which is very essential at this stage. There are various ways of expressing such faith, but few of man's deeds reflect his faith so forcibly and are so much future-orientated as the planting of a tree.

The earth's population are using, according to estimates, some three billion cubic metres of timber annually, mainly as fuel. For this purpose it has been established that a forest area equalling that of 20 rugby fields is being destroyed every minute - this adds up to 12 million hectares of forests disappearing from the earth every year.

Another 10 million hectares of forests are being degraded every year. It has also been established that some 70 million people live in dry areas impoverished by deforestation, soil erosion and desert conditions resulting therefrom.

When considering all these facts, together with acknowledging the indispensable presence of trees in the environment, one realises that the planting of trees is fast becoming vital - not only by Government or business institutions, but also at grassroots level.

In South Africa, in particular, the planting of trees is not a luxury, but a necessity. Large communities are dependent on wood as their sole source of fuel, both for cooking and heating purposes.

The environment is the totality of life, the biosphere which includes human beings. Living in harmony with the environment expresses this relationship, which is based on the recognition that the environment is not for exploitation by man. It challenges some cultural arrogance which is based on conquest, and subjugation of the environment through advanced technology. It calls, therefore, for re-thinking and a new orientation towards the environment before solutions to environment damage can be proposed.

Environmental concern requires total change in human relationships. Instead of us versus others, ours and theirs, friends and enemies we need biospheric solidarity based on global responsibility.

This calls for an alternative civilisation that rejects the division of human beings into gender or racial categories. The quality of humanness is debased when people and environment are destroyed in any part of the globe.

You are all aware that we have entered a period of reconstruction and development in our country. The most important challenge facing us during this period will be to enhance economic production to meet the needs of our people today, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. We need to begin to more seriously address the problem of unsustainable and unbalanced exploitation of our natural resources.

In trying to implement the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RPD), environmentalists must be careful not to adopt an anti-growth stance. We should forge a development strategy that has sustainable conditions built into it. We should ensure that development goes in harmony with, and not at the expense of the environment.

The RDP emphasises that economic activity in South Africa should be focused specifically on the eradication of poverty, which in turn will lead to a decrease in environmental degradation. At the same time, unsustainable pattern of consumption by the more privileged sectors of our society will also need to be addressed.

Ladies and gentlemen, the RDP is not about building houses, creating jobs and feeding school children only. It is about motivating a demoralised people, giving them back some of their self-respect and creating communities which can take responsibility for their own well-being.

It is about peace, prosperity, equity and most of all, quality of life. Development enables people to reach their full potential and to enjoy a good quality of life.

In the face of massive inequalities in South Africa, such as uneven but rapid population growth, disparities in income, education and life styles, the inefficient distribution of the population in relation to resources, the road to an equitable society in South Africa is neither easy nor short.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Roman writer, Horace, coined this wish in 40 BC: "This is one of my prayers: for a parcel of land not so very large, which should have a garden and a spring of ever-flowing water near the house, as well as a bit of woodland."

I think that 90% of all South Africans will say amen to this prayer. We all have in us a very basic and inborn love of the land.

Therefore, a commitment to the RDP by all sectors of our society is essential to provide an acceptable livelihood to all our people.

You are all aware that it is National Arbor Day next Friday which offers every South African the opportunity to express his/her goodwill towards the building up and maintenance of this country's essential natural resources.

Trees are surely our best friends. Be kind to trees. Plant lots of them, because it is good to have lots of friends.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, we should guard against making our next generation inherit the legacy of our economic and environmental mismanagement.

I thank you.

Contact numbers: cellular - 082 651 0243, 082 651 0244