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The Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Barbara Thomson, accompanied by the leadership of the Umtshezi Local Municipality, has today 31 March 2015 launched over R13.8 million worth of Community Parks and Street Cleaning projects in Umtshezi, KwaZulu Natal.

It is anticipated that the implementation of these projects will create at least 235 work opportunities. This entails amongst others employing 160 women, 160 youth and people living with disability which will result in 11 669 person days.

The Department of Environmental Affairs, through its Environmental Protection and Infrastructure Programme (EPIP) initiative, funded the Working on Waste, Working for the Coast, Working for Land, People and Parks, Wildlife Economy, Youth Environmental Services, and Greening and Open Space Management programmes. These projects are aimed at creation of job opportunities, small business development and skills development through labour intensive methods as per the requirements of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

The Umtshezi Community Parks and Street Cleaning projects to be launched involve rehabilitation of community parks and planting of trees in and around Umtshezi Local Municipality. The projects aim to restore, enhance and rehabilitate open spaces, thereby maximizing measures towards pollution mitigation. It will also play a critical role in the improvement of climate change through minimization of biodiversity loss and encourage use of greener technologies to mitigate against environmental degradation.

Through the Umtshezi Community Parks Project, the Department will amongst other things build parking bays, plant grass; and provide general landscaping as well as an ablution facilities. In addition, existing fencing to the parks will be refurbished.

On the other hand, the Umtshezi Street Cleaning Project, which is implemented as part of the Department’s Working for Waste Programme, the DEA is making a colossal contribution to the municipality to carry out basic solid waste management operations. These include collection and safe disposal of waste, hence the purchasing of skip and concrete bins. The initiative will assist the municipality to move towards investments that will promote the green economy concept, particularly for low carbon economy growth.

Deputy Minister Thomson urged members of the community (as beneficiaries of these prestigious projects) to take ownership of these projects by ensuring that they are kept clean and well maintained. This is one of the many ways to ensure that “Together we move South Africa forward.”

Issued by Department of Environmental Affairs