Bid to make Mossel Bay greener

Gallery Update

MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND GALLERY - The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment held a meeting on Wednesday, 11 May, in support of the Mossel Bay Municipality greening programme.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the greening plan development milestones and the implementation plan for planting the 2 000 trees to be donated by the department to the Mossel Bay Municipality.

A site visit also took place and the delegation visited the cemetery on Louis Fourie Road, a open area in Great Brak River and a sport facility. Also discussed were Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) job opportunities and the Arbour City Awards for 2022.

PHOTO GALLERY: Making Mossel Bay greener

Masithandaze Falitenjwa, deputy director of forestry from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, chaired the meeting. The discussion mainly focused on the acclimatisation of the trees and the types and size of the trees to be donated. Job opportunities and the implementation plan were also discussed.

Falitenjwa presented the department's Arbor City Awards to municipal officials. Director of Community Services at the Mossel Bay municipality, Elize Nel, mayor Alderman Dirk Kotzé and other officials of the municipality assured Falitenjwa that the municipality would enter the competition.

The municipality acknowledged it was ready to receive the trees and planned to plant at least 300 before the winter. Mossel Bay is focusing on a GROW strategy that consists of five pillars, namely governance, economy, safety, environment and social regeneration. With the planting of 2 000 trees it aims to make Mossel Bay become one of the greenest towns in South Africa, if not the greenest, as well as create temporary jobs with the planting, as well as the watering of the trees. "By doing this we will be stimulating the economy, even if it is just temporary jobs, boosting the environment in the short and long term, and lastly, the beautification of the environment promotes dignity in communities, assisting in the total upliftment of a community, therefore aiding social regeneration," said director Elize Nel.

The municipality's prelimary plan is to plant the trees in the following places:

600 to 800 trees in the Mossel Bay Cemetery, next to the Magistrate's Court and Louis Fourie Road in Heiderand.
200 in Marlin Street, in Extension 13.
200 in the open area across the road from the South African Police Services in Great Brak River.
200 next to the Amy Searle channel in Greenhaven.
100 trees divided between the following sports facilities in the rural areas: Friemersheim, Wolwedans, Greenhaven, Brandwag and Herbertsdale.

The balance of the trees will be planted in smaller groups and also be given to various schools to be planted during Bid to make Mossel Bay greener in conjunction with vegetable gardens at a number of schools during that week.

Masithandaze Falitenjwa, deputy director of forestry at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Photo's: Jannie du Plessis