The West Rand District Municipality together with the MEC for Agriculture and Environment in Gauteng Nandi Mayathula-Khoza hosted a Wetlands Awareness Campaign at the Toekomrus Community Hall on 21 February.
This was to educate residents of the area and pupils from local schools about wetlands and their importance in our environment.
A Wetland can be defined as an area that consists of wet and spongy soil and is usually found where the water is near the sand or where the sand is covered by water.
According to West Rand District Municipality Executive Mayor Mpho Nawa, most people are unaware of what wetlands are and tend to overlook their importance.
“Most of the community is not aware of the importance of conserving the Wetlands in our areas.
“They are there not only to regulate floods and purify water but they are also meant to restore and to recycle our waste water for purification,” says Nawa.
Meanwhile, Mayathula-Khoza shares the same sentiments and says that the turnout at the event was great.
According to Mayathula-Khoza, he hopes that people left having learned a great deal on the wetlands and their importance.
“The key objective of this initiative is to raise people’s awareness of the interdependence that exists between wetlands and to also understand that they create an opportunity for small scale farming if appropriate farming methods are used.
“They provide fertile soil and are reliable supplies of good quality water.
“Given their importance for water supply and food production, wetlands are a key element of achieving the goals of poverty eradication worldwide,” says Mayathula-Khoza
At the event, pupils from Toekomsrus Primary School, Randfontein Secondary School and Hartzstreet Primary School gave a presentation of their understanding of what having wetlands can mean for the community.
