Stern warning from environment minister over use of new fleet
The Collins Chabane Municipality received a stern warning from the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy to use the newly donated fleet for the sole purpose it was intended for.
LIMPOPO – The Collins Chabane Municipality is one of 19 beneficiaries for the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s National Waste Collection and Landfill Management Fleet programme at R44.5m, after the minister’s office received complaints about littering and uncontrolled waste dumps around the Kruger National Park.
“We are asking you to use these vehicles to also regularly clean up along the Kruger National Park so that our domestic and international visitors can see that we are proud of our natural assets and our major tourism attractions. We call upon all the mayors, to make the country proud by maintaining these areas and ensuring they are free of unsightly litter and illegal dumping, and that the landfill sites within your municipalities are properly managed. We hope the vehicles we provided will assist in achieving this goal,” Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy said.
She requested that the vehicles be serviced regularly and on time, so that they remain in good condition. Creecy launched the national project, from which 19 municipalities will benefit, on May 23 at Mulenzhe village and was joined by Collins Chabane Mayor, Moses Maluleke and Thovhele Nkhaneni Ramovha.
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The municipality received a compactor truck and a skip loader both at a value of more than R5m. This national waste management intervention seeks to address waste collection issues in unserviced areas, illegal dumping and land fill operations in selected municipalities across the all provinces.
Creecy added that due to budget constraints, most local municipalities are facing serious challenges with waste collection services and as a result, some of the residents and businesses dump waste in open spaces, which develops into illegal dumpsites.
Waste disposal facilities in most municipalities are also not properly managed due to a lack of fleet and equipment.
Creecy furthermore embarked on a Good Green Deeds clean-up campaign and took to the street of Mulenzhe village, which led to Mulenzhe Clinic where she planted a tree.
Ramovha thanked the minister for her visit and said he hoped to mobilise the communities in 15 villages under Mulenzhe Tribal Council to keep their areas clean.
