KAROO NEWS - The Dr Beyers Naudé Local Municipality (DBNLM) took part in World International Environment Day on 5 June, including the day in its municipal waste management programme.
The municipality cleaned illegal dumping sites and the transfer station around Asherville, Santaville, uMasizakhe and Kroonvale. This is globally the biggest international cleaning event of the environment.
Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep), it has grown to be the biggest global platform for environment outreach. The event was started in 1973 and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted World Environment Day this year with a focus on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. Land restoration is the key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which will be running until 2030. This is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world, which is critical to achieve sustainable development goals.
DBNLM communications officer Vuyisa Jantjies said that the municipality is relieved to see that some NGOs actively contribute to World Environment Day. He said they play a pivotal role in protecting and promoting a clean liveable environment. SANParks continues to be a strategic role player in protecting of the environment.
Faith actors participate
The Faith on earth Coalition has created a guide for faith actors to join the Global World Environment Day celebrations. The guide aims is to engage communities and individuals, motivated by religious and spiritual principles with land restoration, desertification and drought resilience, Jantjies said.
Local faith communities celebrated this day on 10 June, organising a clean-up of illegal dumping sites, after which there was a gathering in the Alex Laing Hall. The initiative driven by the local South Africa Faith Communities Environmental Institute (SAFCEI) was formed in 2023 at the Assemblies Church of God in Asherville and was organised by Daantjie Japhta.
A number of schools participated in the clean-up, including Adendorp Primary School, Graaff-Reinet Primary School, Narsingstraat Public Primary School, Spandau Secondary School, Kroonvale Primary School, Lingcom Primary School, Isibane Primary School and Thembalesizwe Primary School.
The day ended at the Alex Laing hall in Kroonvale with a festival of local dance and music. The organising committee thanks the participating schools, the community of Graaff-Reinet, and DBNLM for providing refuse bags, gloves and transport to remove the garbage.
"There is work being done to rehabilitate the transfer station to an acceptable state and restore things to its former glory," said Jantjies.
"The municipality has received a grant from Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) to ensure that Waste Management in the municipal area is attended to. This includes the purchasing of earth-moving equipment to service municipal facilities like the transfer station, and to provide training to responsible officials and workers."
"The work being one at the transfer station is under this programme. After the cleaning, restoring the environment, the transfer station will be closed, as it was a temporary arrangement for residents to deliver waste at the site untill a service provider is appointed," Jantjies concluded.
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