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31 May 2007

Mpumalanga Agriculture and Land Administration MEC Dina Pule has cautioned communities against environmental degradation and invited industry to play a meaningful role in protecting the environment. Speaking during her budget vote on Tuesday, 29 May 2007, in the legislature MEC Pule said, "We chase wealth at all costs, listening to the get rich demon that President Mbeki spoke about during the recent Nelson Mandela lecture. Like the gold hoarder that Lebanese Poet Khalil Gibran speaks about in his book titled 'A Tear and a Smile,' we are going to discover that yesterday we were so rich in happiness and today we are poor in gold as we would have degraded our environment to death. Sustainable development remains the key to riches in happiness and gold."

MEC Pule made a commitment that efforts would be stepped up to make recycling the order and practice of every household. Community based recycling initiatives are to be launched. Each and every household is encouraged to extract as much economic value as possible from waste. Rather than just throwing things into the rubbish bin, people are to sort the waste and see what can be reused.

Various international commemorative days such as World Environment Day, that was established in 1972 as a way of expressing environmental concerns globally are to be used to mobilise communities behind environmental management. The current climate change and efforts made to slow the momentum of dramatic environmental changes we are seeing at the poles and around the globe are causes for us to really do our part to 'Think Globally and Act Locally.' The issues emphasised are on our current actions and the future impact(s) on the environment for a sustainable environment and tourism.

The emphasis will be on the efforts of changing the status quo by 'Clean up Campaigns' and planting of trees which will be rolled out in September 2007. One hundred thousand trees are to be planted as part of Greening Mpumalanga. The youth and women must position themselves to benefit from these initiatives. Plans are currently underway to establish community nurseries in the different municipalities of the province. Greening Mpumalanga has positive spin-offs as it preserves the environment and ensures that tourism improves sustainably, creating jobs and wealth.

Our environmental initiatives would not only urge communities to recycle, but will show them how they can improve their lives and gain skills by caring for the environment. R49 318 000 will be allocated to Environmental Services which consists of Environmental Education, Environmental Impact Assessment, pollution and waste control this financial year. An additional R28 million has been requested from Treasury for the Greening Mpumalanga Flagship. Communities around the Bushbuckridge area are invited to the Provincial Celebration of World Environmental Day on the 8th of June 2007 at Mkhuhlu Community Hall. Those far away can celebrate by cleaning their neighbourhoods and establishing parks out of rubbish dumps.

In the past financial year notable successes were achieved which includes amongst others the planting of 7 916 trees in the province, environmental improvement of 117 schoolyards and community areas in partnership with stakeholders. We were able to complete the Gert Sibande Integrated Waste Management Plan, and the Mpumalanga Biodiversity Conservation Plan.

'Climate Change - Today's actions-Shaping tomorrow's environment. All our actions count.'

For more information contact:
Putsoa Makua
Tel: 013 766 6005
Cell: 083 555 6152

Issued by: Department of Agriculture and Land Administration, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
31 May 2007