Eastern Cape Govt to introduce best neighbourhood competition during Arbor Week
In a programme designed to change the outlook of Eastern Cape Townships, the Provincial Department of Human Settlements will introduce the Most Beautified, Cleanest and Enhanced neighbourhood Annual competition during the Arbor week this year. The competition is a call to action for communities to start own initiatives of beautifying, cleaning and enhancing their neighbourhoods.
The main challenges within communities are certain unhealthy lifestyles, choices and patterns of behaviour among residents. As a threat of climate change intensifies and weather patterns are affected, food security becomes a greater problem.
In this era of climate change government is encouraging communities to maintain a clean and green environment in numerous ways such as water harvesting, waste management and the planting of trees and vegetable gardens to improve air quality and sink carbon emission in their neighbourhoods.
The department is challenging individuals, community organisations beneficiaries in the annual competition to showcase what they have done as a community to beautify, clean and enhance their communities. Winners of this competition will be recognized and awarded at the Annual Provincial Govan Mbeki awards. Qualifying projects will be scored in the competition according to the following categories:
- Most Beautified and Cleanest – Waste management and Recycling
- Greening: Planting of trees, food gardens and environmental friendly neighbhourhoods
- Most Enhanced: Use of available natural resources, availability of recreational facilities (informal and formal) roads, clinics etc.
Community projects will be assessed by independent judges and the winning neighbourhood can expect to win some awesome prizes for the benefit of their community which can include food and garden implements, waste management tools and sporting equipment.
The competition will be launched in Dutywa on 4 September 2015 with numerous activities such as site visits to community enhancement projects accompanied by a handover of a new residential settlement, providing sustainable human settlements and promoting home ownership for the poor.
The department will be collaborating with the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, House of Traditional Leaders and Department of Social Development to incorporate food security for destitute families.
The competition forms part of the department’s programme on the implementation of Project Enhancements and Community Integration.
Note to Editor:
The project enhancements referred to include availability and or proximity to social and economic amenities (sport, shops, health centres, roads infrastructure (informal and formal). Greening refers to planting of trees and food gardens, harvesting of water and waste management. Beautification refers to waste management and recycling used to beautifying communities.
The launch will be held as follows:
Date: 4 September 2015
Venue: Dutywa( Next to the N2)
Enquiries:
Lwandile Sicwetsha( Mr)
Director: Corporate Communications
Tel: 043 711 9679
E-mail: lwandiles@ecdhs.gov.za
