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The Western Cape Clean Up Operation (WECCO), initiated by the Western Cape government to ensure a clean, safe and hardworking province is now fully underway.

Municipalities who applied throughout the province have been given approval for the funding of their WECCO urban and rural renewal projects that focus on waste collection, recycling, greening and environmental education. Western Cape MEC for Environmental and Cultural Affairs, Glen Adams, will be personally handing over the cheques to the various Municipalities at the following functions:

11 October, Thursday
15h00: Prince Albert Municipality
18h00: Oudtshoorn Municipality

12 October, Friday
10h00: Ladismith Municipality

15 October, Monday
13h00: Beaufort West Municipality

26 October, Friday
09h00: Knysna Municipality
13h00: Klein Karoo Municipality
18h30: Mossel Bay Municipality

* The cheque to the Overberg Municipality was handed over by the Minister on Saturday, 29 September at the launch of the Hermanus Whale Festival; and

* The cheques to the Breede River, Swartberg and West Coast Municipalities will be handed over in early November.

The approval process included the evaluation of the project proposals, meetings with the respective representatives of the local authorities and site inspections of the areas specified in the proposals. The WECCO Coordination Committee conducted the evaluation of projects with the assistance of a decision-support computer system known as the 'Prioritisation Model', which is widely used by the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

The funding will be used specifically for the following:

Oudtshoorn Municipality:
The funding of R236 000.00 will impact on the previously disadvantaged towns of Dysselsdorp and De Rust, which currently do not have street cleansing programmes. The project will see skips being strategically placed throughout the township areas with the municipality collecting twice a week. Independent contractors will ensure that their allocated area is kept clean at all times.

Klein Karoo Municipality:
The poorly serviced towns of Uniondale and Haarlem will benefit to the amount of R70 5000.00 in order to provide a proper waste disposal site, carryout a general clean up of the area and ensure sustainability through the strategic placing of wire disposable sites. In addition, the Municipality will demolish unused and damaged buildings both for physical and safety reasons. As in the case of Oudtshoorn, contractors will be appointed.

Mossel Bay Municipality:
Kwa-Nonqaba, Joe Slovo and D'almeida will benefit from the R441 380.00 allocation, which is to be used to clean the 50 wards through contractors and serve as a basis for environmental education in the area.

Knysna Municipality:
The areas of Sedgefield, Knysna, Rheenendal and schools in general will benefit from the R88 000.00 allocated to clear litter, remove rubble and alien vegetation especially in the forest areas. Schools and unemployed individuals will form the basis of this project.

Prince Albert Municipality:
This semi-desert area is one of the poorest, with a high rate of unemployment, in the Western Cape. The funding of R110 000.00 will see the area being physically cleaned and provide job creation opportunities.

Beaufort West Municipality:
This recycling initiative using local unemployed woman has been granted R300 000.00 in order to cover the start-up costs with the Municipality being responsible for ensuring sustainability.

Kannaland Municipality
This project, which will commence with a street festival in Ladismith is set to collect and recycle waste paper in all areas of the town, using local unemployed volunteers. The volunteers will also be trained to recycle waste into viable crafts in order to develop small businesses in the area. R300 000.00 has been allocated to this initiative.

The funding of Municipalities to carry out the aims of WECCO is only the first part of the overall objectives of this project. Within the next two months, funding will be allocated to non-governmental and community based organizations to ensure the success of WECCO and a clean, safe and hardworking Western Cape.

Contact: Michelle Alexander on 4834350 or 0827827767

Issued by: Office of the MEC for Environmental and Cultural Affairs, Western Cape, 11 October 2001