Arbor Week: Municipality to plant 1 000 trees in town

Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) officials together with other stakeholders rolled up their sleeves and celebrated Arbor Week by planting trees in Mohlakeng.

This was at the park along Sandile Street on Tuesday, September 6 under the theme, ‘Forests and sustainable production and consumption’. Arbor Week is celebrated from September 1 till September 7.

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RWCLM spokesperson Phillip Montshiwa said the municipality was committed to planting 1 000 trees in and around Rand West City.

“The National Arbor Month campaign is aimed at sensitising South Africans about the need to conserve, protect and plant trees for environmental and human related ideals.

The idea is to highlight the value and importance of trees and forests to South Africans in general, and afford us the opportunity to undertake a major national awareness programme while reiterating the value of trees and creating awareness of tree species that are threatened by extinction,” said Montshiwa.

RWCLM Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Waste and Environment Nozipho Mabena urged residents to look after their very own infrastructure, including the trees planted on the day.

“We come here to implement these programmes and hand them over to you as the community, and we ask that you take care of them. We are going to leave this place having ensured that there is food security and that there is also a park here with your help. If the community cannot take care of its facilities, you will end up saying that the government is useless,” said Mabena.

Also read: LETTER: Please stop killing our beautiful, life giving trees

RWCLM plans to plant 1 000 trees throughout its region and will embark on cleaning and rehabilitating six illegal dumping spots.

Throughout the month it will plant more trees at AFRI Village, Dan Tlhome and Toekomsrus Extention 2, and plant hedges at the Finsbury park.