The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Bernice Swarts, today, 09 January 2026, concluded a three-day monitoring and evaluation visit to projects funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in the North West Province.
During the visit, Deputy Minister Swarts toured several DFFE supported projects, including the Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot in Tlhabane, as well as St Stephens Anglican Church in Mogwase, where she inspected trees planted as part of the Greening Programme’s One Million Trees Campaign held on Heritage Day, 24 September 2025.
The Deputy Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Directors-General, Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize (Environmental Programmes) and Ms Mamogala Musekene (Chemicals and Waste Management); the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Waste Bureau, Mr Masopha Moshoeshoe; as well as senior DFFE officials.
Deputy Minister Swarts concluded the oversight visit earlier today by leading a community clean-up campaign in Tlhabane, Rustenburg. The campaign was supported by various stakeholders including community members, representatives from the Rustenburg Local Municipality, and DFFE officials.
“I call on all residents of South Africa to participate in government efforts to keep our communities clean,” said Deputy Minister Swarts.
She explained that keeping communities clean not only contributes to a healthier environment and cleaner air but also plays a role in socio-economic upliftment. To advance attainment of an inclusive waste economy she emphasized that “Residents must understand that waste is gold. For example, collecting cans or bottles and selling them to recycling companies can help create jobs and business opportunities within communities,”.
The Deputy Minister further indicated that the DFFE will continue to work closely with municipalities and other stakeholders to create much-needed work opportunities for poor and unemployed South Africans through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). She highlighted that such projects must align with the EPWP Phase V, which places due importance of providing exit opportunities for participants. “We are also continuously calling for meaningful exit plans for EPWP participants. We will explore partnerships with SETAs to ensure that participants acquire practical skills that will enable them to enter the formal job market or secure other sustainable livelihood opportunities upon exiting the programme,” she said.
Deputy Minister Swarts visited the St Stephens Anglican Church in Mogwase, which participated in the DFFE Greening Programme. She reiterated the DFFE’s commitment to working with all sectors of society to advance President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge to plant trees.
“President Ramaphosa has given us clear instruction that we must plant trees,” said the Deputy Minister.
Following the success of a first of its kind project of planting one million trees in a single day last year – 24 September - Deputy Minister Swarts announced that plans are already underway to plant five million trees in a single day this year.
“South Africans have demonstrated that when different stakeholders work together, it is possible to plant one million trees in a single day. This year, I once again call on all South Africans to partner with us to ensure that we plant five million trees in a single day,” she said. She reiterated that the trees are key for South Africa to mitigate the dire impacts of climate change. She appreciated the partnership with the faith community and how it may be extended to include environmental awareness for different communities in all languages.
As part of the visit, Deputy Minister Swarts also inspected operations at the Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot in Tlhabane. The purpose of the visit was to assess the facility’s operations, to engage first hand with the black owned SMME's and their staff that operate the depot and the waste tyre ecosystem around the depot. Over the past 2 years, the depot operator with the assistance of the Waste Bureau, has been able to drive operational efficiency improvements to move the depot from being at near full capacity to having significant capacity.
The greater throughput of the Rustenburg waste tyre depot has also supported the expansion of processing capacity downstream in the province and adjacent provinces. The primary transporter operating in the North West province is a black women owned SMME but despite this Deputy Minister Swarts made the call for the "even greater inclusion of women and youth owned enterprises in the waste tyre ecosystem through the expansion of services to rural communities."
Deputy Minister Swarts added that she will continue to implement monitoring and evaluation site visits across all provinces where the department is implementing projects.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Zolile Nqayi
Cell: 082 898 6483
E-mail: znqayi@dffe.gov.za
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