Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry at Heideveld Park, Cape Town
6 September 2007
MEC of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning,
Chairperson and members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water
Affairs and Forestry,
Councillors,
Members of the Heideveld Community,
Programme Director,
Ladies and gentlemen
It is an honour for me to be here in Heideveld as part of our national Arbor
Week celebrations, and to join this community in its efforts to improve this
area through the planting of trees. It is encouraging that these greening
efforts are being done as a partnership with a number of different stakeholders
which include national, provincial, and local government, as well as community
based organisations such as the Great Commission United and the Just Do It
Foundation.
Ladies and gentlemen, Arbor Week is celebrated annually from 1 to 7
September; its purpose is to focus our attention on the importance of trees in
our daily lives and to raise awareness about the need to plant and protect
existing trees. The spirit and character on display today in Heideveld seems to
exemplify the foundational purpose of our celebration of national Arbor Week. I
am sure that it was this same spirit that was the motivational force behind the
work of J Sterling Morton of Nebraska in the United States, who proposed in
1872 that a public holiday called Arbor Day be celebrated by the State of
Nebraska. In 1874, Arbor Day was celebrated for the first time in that State
and from this humble beginning it grew to become a festival celebrated
throughout the world.
It is a celebration that was changed in South Africa from one day to a week
at the request of numerous stakeholders involved in environmental issues in
this country; they felt that one day was not enough to celebrate trees and to
tell people about the importance of trees. Arbor Week should be regarded as the
culmination of what has been done throughout the year to plant, care and
maintain existing trees.
The theme for this year's Arbor Week is 'Plant a Tree - Grow our Future.' In
this year's campaign we are calling all citizens, organisations, institutions
and the private sector, as well as you the learners to action and making a
contribution in their respective areas to green South Africa.
Last Saturday on the 1 September President Mbeki launched our Arbor Week and
the 'Trees for Food Programme.' At the launch event, which took place in
Ga-rankuwa, Tshwane, the President spoke about how even a visitor to South
Africa could easily tell which areas were the former 'whites only' suburbs � it
is clearly visible by the trees. What is important to us is that we address
that negative legacy and plant trees across all areas and beautify our
communities.
Ladies and gentlemen, the benefits of trees extend far beyond our immediate
environment as they help to absorb carbon dioxide, which is one of the main
contributors to global warming and climate change. Our efforts to increase the
number of trees planted are but one of the measures we are taking to mitigate
the impact of climate change, and contributes to protecting our planet for
future generations. As part of its response to climate change the United
Nations has a global target of planting a billion trees, and with our campaign
South Africa will contribute to meeting this target and helping our planet.
Trees are also important because they provide benefits in preventing soil
erosion, and the protection they provide us from the wind. One must also not
forget the importance of trees for medicinal purposes, and the many economic
benefits and industries that exist because of trees as well as the social
activities that take place around trees. Trees provide important habitats for
survival of birds, animals and insects. Additionally our indigenous trees form
an important part of tourist attraction areas and making South Africa a
beautiful country.
This year we have started a programme to plant at least a million trees a
year. This campaign will in no small measure contribute significantly to
improving the landscape of South Africa, and making our country even more
beautiful. Planting a million trees this year and every year for the
foreseeable future will require a massive effort by all of us to plant trees on
this scale.
Through this programme we hope that every school child should be taught
about the importance of trees and the many benefits they provide, and be given
the opportunity to plant and nurture their own trees be it at home or at
school. Every clinic, school, business, household, place of religion, and
government institution should be planting trees. We are also encouraging the
private sector, both big businesses and small, to sponsor trees for their local
community.
This programme will be rolled-out and implemented country-wide and the
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry has prepared a planting programme and
schedule which will indicate where future plantings of these million trees will
take place throughout the country. Special emphases will be given to the
poverty nodal points and schools, early learning centres, old age homes and
other public institutions will be targeted.
An important part of our tree planting efforts are focusing on fruit trees
because in addition to the many other benefits that trees bring, by planting
fruit trees we are also able to contribute directly to improving people's
lives.
Through this programme we will make sure that in the Western Cape 110 000
trees will be planted in this financial year, of which 70% will be fruit trees
and the remaining 30% are ornamental/indigenous trees. The majority of these
trees will be planted largely at peoples homes (about 60%), the remaining 40%
will be planted at schools. And we will be focusing our efforts on the
historically disadvantaged areas.
Programme Director, in Heideveld we will be planting 800 fruit trees and
have been working with the Great Commission United and the Just Do It
Foundation who are our local partners. We will be planting about another 200
indigenous trees, of which one is the Cape Ash species, along this very park
and sidewalks. We have also agreed with the Cape Town City Parks that they will
be 'our eyes and ears' in maintaining these trees (pruning, irrigation and so
forth). But to really make a difference we need the full and active
participation of our communities, particularly our learners.
Today we are joined by the members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee
on Water Affairs and Forestry. Their presence sends out a message that our
Parliament cares about planting trees and the environment. And I hope that
through their participation in today's event these Members of Parliament will
take the message to their own constituencies across the country and be part of
our national effort to plant more trees and care for existing trees.
In conclusion programme director, Arbor Week and other initiatives of my
Department will not be successful without the participation of our stakeholders
and partners. I would like to thank all of them for their support, in
particular our corporate sponsor Total South Africa for supporting Arbor Week
for all these years. We also thank you for coming on board regarding support
for the Trees for Food Programme. Your efforts and contribution in this regard
are highly appreciated.
I would like to thank the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality for
hosting this important event in partnership with my department and the Great
Commission United and the Just Do It Foundation. I would like to also thank the
Municipality for their efforts in extending greening to historically
disadvantaged areas, in particular to the Heideveld community.
I thank you
Issued by: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
6 September 2007
