MEC Msibi helps clean up streams in Pienaar
Mothers of small babies were also called to stop dumping disposable nappies into waterways, as this contributes to pollution of the environment and its streams.
The MEC for agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs, Mandla Msibi, and officials of this department recently rolled up their sleeves and cleared up some streams in the area.
“All this litter, if left unattended, poses a health risk to both the environment and the people using the water downstream,” he said.
READ : Public is encouraged to keep the rivers clean
This comes as a positive response to a call made by the national Department of Water and Sanitation for South Africans to honour the late President Nelson Mandela by heeding its call of preventing the pollution of freshwater resources, by cleaning up streams, wetlands, dams and canals.
Msibi called on the community of Pienaar and surrounds to love their environment by refraining from littering. He said locals must ensure their surroundings are clean and healthy, and avoid illegal dumping. “Waste in the stream poses health and safety hazards to children, livestock and animals, including the small animal species that depend on it for survival, thus it is important to keep our environment clean,” he said.
READ : Youth must sow, so country can reap
Msibi also encouraged schoolgoing children to think outside the box for their future careers, and to consider agriculture and environmental sciences as career options. He indicated the sustainable business in those sectors. Msibi and his entourage also visited Mbongeni Primary School, where they ploughed a food garden to help augment the school’s nutrition programme.
