competition
28 November 2006
Inspired by everybody's environmental right to effective and equitable
service delivery and waste management practices, the Cleanest Town Competition
has since its inception in 2001 aimed to improve the physical conditions of
towns all over South Africa. Having launched the Western Cape leg of the
competition on Monday, 29 May 2006, in Hermanus, Western Cape MEC for
Environment, Planning and Economic Development, Tasneem Essop, emphasised the
importance to specifically evaluate those areas "agter die bult."
This year, 22 out of the 24 local municipalities entered the Western Cape
competition and Minister Tasneem Essop personally congratulated the winners at
a prestigious gala dinner and award ceremony held at Spier Wine Estate on
Thursday, 23 November 2006.
This year's Western Cape competition was highly competitive with many
municipalities making a concerted effort by showing substantial improvements.
Swartland Municipality however, showed their commitment by taking the
provincial title, followed by Overstrand Municipality and Breede River
Winelands. The Breede Valley Municipality was given recognition especially for
their impressive community recycling partnership in Touwsriver, taking the
title of "Most Improved Municipality."
A panel comprising of officials from the provincial Department of Health,
the national Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the provincial
Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning and Tsoga, the
latter a non-government community and environmental organisation, undertook
site visits between May and July 2006 evaluating the 22 participating
municipalities.
Valuable input was also obtained from officials from the provincial
Department of Local Government and Housing about the planning, development and
maintenance of key water and sanitation infrastructure in the municipalities. A
comprehensive report was distributed to municipal representatives at the awards
ceremony. Municipalities were evaluated on two key aspects:
* First, the physical condition of each municipal area, which is the town or
city centres, low income residential areas, commercial and industrial areas,
tourist attractions and public facilities, for example schools, taxi ranks and
sports facilities, as well as the waste disposal sites. This aspect accounts
for 40% of the assessment.
* The second aspect of the evaluation, which is often more complex to
measure, is the municipal support systems. This includes environmental
programmes and projects that are in place as evidenced by the level of
community involvement and awareness by caring for their environment. Specific
aspects covered are municipal waste minimisation programmes, e.g. recycling or
re-use of waste products for job creation, community mobilisation in
environmental issues, budgetary and personnel support, comprehensive waste
management planning and enforcement of environmental transgressions. Municipal
support systems account for 60% of the assessment.
The Cleanest Town Competition is an opportunity for councils to show their
commitment to their communities and the environment in which they live,
especially towards service delivery and waste management practices. Initiated
in 2001 by former Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Valli
Moosa, the Cleanest Town Competition aims to encourage municipalities to
improve their current environmental management practices with a specific focus
on integrated waste management.
In addition, the aims of the competition include the raising of
environmental awareness amongst the public and the embodiment of the vision of
"A Sustainable Home for All, Now and Forever," which the Western Cape
Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning has adopted as
part of the Premier's vision of "A Home for All" for the province. This vision
translates into the enhancement of a sustainable and equitable future, where
the benefits of resources as well as the consequences of our environmental
impacts are equally shared amongst the citizens of the Western Cape.
The competition is open to metropolitan and local municipalities nationally,
with provincial winners competing against one another for the national title.
Last year the Western Cape also did very well nationally, with Overstrand
Hermanus municipality winning first runner-up in the local municipality
category and the City of Cape Town taking the second runner-up in the Metro
category.
The Cleanest Town Competition is a national competition co-ordinated by the
national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, while the provincial
Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning manages the
Western Cape leg of the competition.
Enquiries:
Coenraad Pieterse
Tel: (021) 483 2823
Fax: (021) 483 3211
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning,
Western Cape Provincial Government
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
