Date: 01/02/2003
Source: Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Title: Mahlangu: World Wetlands Day celebrations


SPEECH BY THE PREMIER OF MPUMALANGA, NJ MAHLANGU, AT A WORLD WETLANDS DAY 2003 CELEBRATION, Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve, 1 February 2003

Programme Director
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Valli Moosa
MEC for Agriculture and Environment, Mrs Candith Mashego-Dlamini
Mayor of Highlands Municipality, Mrs Jane Makalane
Mr David Lindley of Mondi Wetlands Project
Chairperson of Mpumalanga Parks Board, Mr Nkosi
Ladies and Gentlemen

Thank you Minister Valli Moosa for awarding us with the RAMSAR certificate which we as people of Mpumalanga hold in high esteem.

This certificate is for all the people of Mpumalanga.

As Mpumalanga we are proud to be amongst the seventeen RAMSAR sites nation-wide.

This place where we are gathered today, the Highlands Meander, is one of the seven tourism regions in Mpumalanga.

And it is already known world wide as the nature lover's paradise, for its rarest birds, best rock climbing, and most spectacular wild flower displays.

Dullstroom, South Africa's best trout and fly-fishing hamlet, offers a diversity and string of quaint historic places that have made it a popular weekend hideaway for well-heeled city sleekers.

The recognition given to Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve as one of the RAMSAR sites is but another added advantage to the already world renowned Mpumalanga as one of the best tourist's destinations, in particular for eco-tourism.

This means that more tourists will flock to the province with a purpose of visiting this site and as people of Mpumalanga we need to position ourselves for the positive spin-offs that will result from this site.

We are also proud that this event coincides with the World Wetlands Day, which is a day that emphasises the importance of fresh water.

We need fresh water every day in so many ways.

We need it to stay healthy; we need it for growing food, transportation and industry. We need it for animals and plants, for changing colours and seasons.

That is why as government we have made it our challenge to ensure that every citizen of this country has access to clean and fresh water.

As government we have gone a long way in an attempt to address the problem of water shortage for agriculture, domestic and industry uses.

As Mpumalanga we are far in advance of the targets on water and sanitation adopted by the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and in accordance with the South African targets, we are committed to provide clean water to all by 2008, and eliminate sanitation problems completely by 2010. We shall pay increased attention to the conservation, storage, development and use of water to ensure maximum economic, social and environmental benefits for our people.

We shall accelerate the water and sanitation programme to ensure that all people are sustainably served with clean water by 2008.

We need to encourage our people and promote the collection of rainwater (i.e. rain water harvesting) for domestic purposes, including the development of household vegetable gardening for food security.

Let me once more thank the Minister for his wisdom to come and celebrate this day with the people of Mpumalanga.

I thank you.

Issued by Office of the Premier, Mpumalanga
01 February 2003