The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms. Barbara Creecy, will launch on Friday, 17 November 2023, the R152 million worth Gauteng Working for Water Environmental Programme in Heidelberg, Gauteng. The WfW forms part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) that focuses on removing invasive alien plants (IAP) and bush encroachments from critical water ways and wetlands.
The IAP threaten biodiversity, water security and quality as well as destroy the productive use of land and ecological functioning of natural systems. The plants also pose an additional threat of fuelling wildfires and increasing soil erosion if left unmanaged.
Minister Creecy will outline how the Working for Water Environmental Programme will be implemented in the five Gauteng municipalities namely (City of Tshwane East, City of Tshwane West, City of Joburg, West Rand, Sedibeng, and the City of Ekurhuleni) to clear 74 781 hectares over a period of five years, starting from the current financial year 2023/2024.
Members of the media are invited to attend the event as per the details below:
Date: 17 November 2023
Time: 9h00
Venue: Ratanda Multipurpose Centre, Heidelberg Gauteng
To RSVP, please contact: Noma Bolani on 066 112 3746/ nbolani@dffe.gov.za or Michael Mokoena on 082 906 5795/ mmokoena@dffe.gov.za
For media enquiries, please contact:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
