Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Mbali Hlophe and her entourage visited Ithute Primary School in Alexandra for an oversight visit at the start of the new academic year.
The MEC did not come empty-handed as she delivered seedlings for a vegetable garden and 20 trees to be planted at the school. This was part of 1 000 trees with 980 to be planted at various places in the township.
ALSO READ: Ithute Primary School learners allegedly sleep in classes as teachers apparently skip school
Hlophe and school acting principal Kenneth Moerane symbolically planted two trees on the grounds of the school. One was named Panyaza by the principal after the former education MEC and now Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, and the other was named Mbali in honour of Hlophe.
Hlophe said, “We are trying to encourage communities to grow their own food and not always rely on buying small things such as tomatoes, spring onion and spinach when they can grow their own in their backyard.
“Gone are the days when you needed massive land to do this. Technology now enables us to grow and produce massive crops on a small patch of land, and this is what we want these kids to learn and also go and grow their own crops at home.”
ALSO READ: Iphutheng boys boot their way to semi-finals of the Discovery Alex Schools League
Hlophe urged the residents of Alexandra to form waste-picking teams that would not only clean up the township but would also rid the township of the massive infestation of rodents.
“I am not encouraging people to just throw their rubbish anywhere in the hope that waste pickers will collect it, but after having sorted out their waste, leave it out in decent plastic bag for the Pikitup trucks to collect.
“Instead of crying out for the R350 grant, there is money to be made as waste pickers,” she suggested, adding that some of the waste pickers make between R4 000 and R7 000 a month.
“Waste-picking will also help us take care of the environment and at the same time limit the effects of climate change.”
ALSO READ: Alex primary schools receive sanitisers from the SCZ Foundation
