The Department of Cooperative Governance and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) today signed a significant memorandum of understanding to formalise their partnership to provide solid waste management technical assistance to the value of just over R900 000 to Mahikeng Local Municipality for a period of a year.
Director-General Vusi Madonsela and JICA representative, Hiroyuki Kinomoto, met in Pretoria earlier today where they affirmed their commitment to assist Mahikeng initiative to revive the town.
Madonsela said: “Mahikeng is among towns that are facing challenges of polluted environment and scattered solid waste”.
The JICA’s Kinomoto said the Japanese agency is involved in development schemes which include technical assistance that they provide to South Africa. The agency will supply solid waste management equipment and advice to Mahikeng Local Municipality.
In recent years, Mahikeng Local Municipality has been experiencing challenges in managing its solid waste resulting to general declining levels of environmental cleanliness. The new partnership will serve as a springboard for the municipality’s town regeneration programme aimed at reviving the town.
At the signing of the memorandum of agreement today, the municipality acknowledged that the partnership will help the municipality with sound technical advice for:
- efficient utilisation of available resources for waste management
- capacitating waste management team within the municipality
- improved cooperation from users e.g. communities and businesses on waste management
- successful implementation of the Waste Management Improvement Plan of the municipality, and
- increased awareness on recycling activities by stakeholders.
The JICA experts, recently, visited Mahikeng municipality in July this year where provision of solid waste bins were provided to the municipality and a study tour to the City of Cape Town to observe solid waste recycling best practices was conducted.
Today’s formalisation of partnership is a culmination of the existing regular interaction between the municipality and the agency. The Department and JICA agreed to further explore support to other Municipalities in support of the Back to Basics programme.
For more information please contact:
Dumisa Jele
Cell: 082 908 4798
