Councillors (Cllr) Betty Kgare on behalf of the Capricorn District Municipality
Executive Mayor
Cllr J Kaka on behalf of the Mayor of Polokwane Municipality
Councillors present
Me Lindiwe Maepa, the Telkom Executive: Empowerment and Sustainability and your entourage
The Head of Department of Public Works, Me Morongoa Ramphele and your Executive Management
Community leaders of Mankweng and surrounding areas
Ladies and gentlemen
A hearty good morning
On 18 March 2010, the Premier of Limpopo Mr Cassel Mathale accompanied by Members of the Executive Council officially launched the Greening Limpopo Campaign under the theme “Plant for the Planet : Billion Trees Campaign” in Jane Furse, Sekhukhune district.
The official launch of the Greening Limpopo Campaign was a culmination of months of intense work which saw us as the department travel the length and breadth of the province and beyond to create awareness and solicit support for the campaign.
Leaders from all sectors of society were met and with no exception gave the campaign their overwhelming approval and support to the Green Limpopo campaign. No wonder the official launch in Sekhukhune was such a resounding success.
The Greening Limpopo Campaign is born of the massive degradation and deforestation which poses an environmental threats in many parts of the parts of the province.
The campaign to Green Limpopo is premised on the following factors:
- Poor and unsustainable agricultural practices
- Growth of the commercial forestry industry in environmentally sensitive areas
- Rapid mining activities and different land use developments
- Irresponsible human activities on natural habitats
- Conflict between conservation and development needs
- Unsuitable diversity, and
- Inadequate strategic thinking and planning regarding the importance of biodiversity.
The Greening Limpopo Campaign is intended to bring forth the following immediate benefits:
- It will create job opportunities in line with Expanded Public Works Programme principles. The employment creation potential is approximately 7 000 people in the period from 2010 to 2014;
- Roll back the desertification and deforestation afflicting many parts of our province
- Contribute to food security initiatives through the planting of fruit trees;
- Provide training and exposure in greening and horticulture;
- Contribute to the world-wide movement to reduce comprehensive global warm
The success of this campaign will depend on our ability to mobilise the whole of society, its institutions and organisations. From now henceforth greening will be integrated into the government bulk infrastructure delivery programmes. Planting trees will no longer be an afterthought when infrastructure has been in place for years.
This time around the designs of our schools, hospitals, clinics, libraries and other governmental building will include the planting of trees so that we do not add to the greening backlogs that we are currently facing. We will therefore have to contend with greening backlogs in public spaces and buildings.
We therefore appeal to our communities to individually and collectively ensure the success of the Greening Limpopo Campaigning but taking initiatives to populate their environment with trees and more trees. This gesture will ensure that we live behind a legacy we all can be proud of.
The success of the campaign has been as a result of the generosity of business, big and small, who each gave according to their abilities. We will never be tired to appeal to business to continue playing its part in ploughing back into various communities in the province by buying as many trees as they can.
To our municipalities, we appeal that their Integrated Development Plans and Budget be sensitive to green issues by ensuring that the protection of the environment is also catered for on annual basis.
Our meeting is because Telkom has as part of its social responsibility mandate partnered the Department of Public Works in Greening Limpopo by 2014. Telkom has given generously to the campaign by donating trees for all our districts.
I take this moment to through Me Lindiwe Maepa express the gratitude of the government and the people of Limpopo for remembering that we are people too and deserve your support. Let this not be a once off partnership, but a partnership that will go beyond today.
We are confident that we can be able to meet our targets by 2014 and have every part of the province resembling the biblical Garden of Eden.
Re a soma
Thank you.
