The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs Nomvula Mokonyane will lead a Back to School and Environmental Awareness Campaign in Durban, Kwazulu Natal, tomorrow, 09 January 2019.

As part of the Back to School Campaign, Minister Mokonyane will be handing over eco-school desks to a schools in Kwa -Zulu Natal.

The schools desks are from the department’s Eco-Furniture programme which was started 14 years ago. The Eco-Furniture Programme which is the Department of Environmental Affairs’ brain-child, is a job creation initiative that offers opportunities to unemployed South Africans. Furniture, such as, eco-desks, walking sticks and chess board tables, is produced out of the alien invasive plants.

Invasive alien plants cause an enormous damage and threat to water security, reduce the productive use of land, and affect the ecological functioning of natural systems. Moreover, such species deepen the impact of floods and fires, and increase soil erosion. It is estimated that these plants are present in 20 million hectares of the country, and they are spreading rapidly.

 

Members of the media are invited to attend as below:

Date: Wednesday, 09 January 2019

Venue: Mandosi Combined School, Umzinyathi Road, Inanda

Time: 07:00-09:00

 

For RSVPs and scheduling of interviews please contact Gaopalelwe Moroane on 0825121094 / GMoroane@environment.gov.za
For media queries please contact:

Zolile Nqayi

Cell: 082 898 6483/ znqayi@environment.gov.za