Edna Molewa, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs will officially launch the Enyokeni Greening (Tree Planting) Project in Kwa-Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, 11 September 2011.
The Department of Environmental Affairs through its Social Responsibility Programme – an affiliate of the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) – has committed about R3.5 million to execute this project.
This significant tree planting initiative will see a total of 34 000 trees planted in the surroundings of the Enyokeni Royal Palace in Kwa-Nongoma, linked to the annual Reed Dance Ceremony. Four thousand of these trees were obtained through a sponsorship from Vodacom. The project is in line with initiatives aimed at combating the effects of climate change through tree planting and forest preservation.
His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini has allocated approximately twenty hectares of land for this worthy project. The Champions of the Environment Foundation and USUTHU Traditional Council are also key stakeholders in this project. The launch of the project will also coincide with the Zulu Reed Dance Ceremony at the Enyokeni Royal Palace.
Traditionally maidens remove reeds from the river and present them to the king. The removal of the reeds being linked to the planting of trees is also in keeping with the principle of sustainable development. The tree planting ceremony combined with the Zulu Reed Dance is seen as an awareness raising event in the build up to the Seventeenth Conference of Parties (COP 17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban later this year.
Trees are known for acting as carbon sinks in that they absorb the carbon dioxide which gets emitted through a variety of human activities including the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide and other Greenhouse Gases contribute to Climate Change.
In August, Edna Molewa who is also the Head of the South African Delegation to COP17 said that, “If there is any legacy we can bestow on our people from this conference is the power of knowledge. Knowledge not only in understanding what climate change is and how each and every one of us can contribute, but in knowing that decisions we make today determine the heritage of future generations.”
Climate change is one of the greatest threats to sustainable development and it is imperative that South Africans are made aware of climate change as we continue to look at opportunities of climate proofing our people, our economy and our natural resources.
Media is invited to the event:
Details of the event are as follows:
Date: Sunday, 11 September 2011
Time: 9h00
Venue: Enyokeni Palace, Kwa-Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal
RSVP:
Banele Mabena
Tel: 012 395 1607
E-mail: EMulibana@environment.gov.za
Lucky Sindane
Tel: 012 310 3198
Cell: 072 188 9216
E-mail: LSindane@environment.gov.za
Enquiries:
Albi Modise
Department of Environmental Affairs
Cell: 083 490 2871
Bantu Holomisa
Champions of the Environment Foundation
Cell: 082 552 4156
Langa Shangase
Usuthu Traditional Council
Cell: 083 303 4700
