Issued by: Ministry of Water Affairs
1 November 1996
ASMAL DONATES TWO THOUSAND TREES FOR "GREENING" OF CERES AREAS
A gift of 1 000 trees each to two townships in the Ceres area was announced by Prof Kader Asmal, MP, Minister of Water Affairs & Forestry, when he opened the Bella Vista swimming pool today (Friday 1 November 1996).
Professor Asmal was acting in accordance with the imaginative Greening of South Africa campaign which was launched some time ago as part of his Department's community forestry programme. The idea is to turn barren, treeless areas of South Africa into green, shady havens for communities as a prerequisite to transforming such area into vibrant, attractive and livable centres.
Bella Vista, where the Minister opened the swimming pool and Nduli are the two recipients of 1 000 trees each.
In his prepared speech, Professor Asmal viewed the opening of such a swimming pool as a symbol of the development of a new South Africa - a South Africa where previously excluded people are no longer hewers of wood and drawers of water but, as he put it, "swimmers in water" and full citizens of an exciting and developing country.
About 1 000 people attended the pool opening.