THE Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, presented the Arbor City Award to Drakenstein Municipality at a ceremony in Mbekweni on Tuesday.
The award of R250 000 for the greenest town in the province, encourages municipalities to undertake greening initiatives. The Drakenstein Municipality also received 1000 trees as part of the winning prize.
Drakenstein pipped Stellenbosch and Cape Town to the post in the awards. A national winner will be crowned next year.
“The government seeks to embrace a transformative environment based upon the idea of sustainable development,” said Joemat-Pettersson.
“During a previous era in our history, the provision of services was not done in an equitable manner, and this left the residential areas of historically black communities with few green areas.”
She encouraged residents to plant indigenous and food-bearing trees, and to water them with domestic waste water.
“You should plant a tree for every year of your life.”
The municipality is planning to expand on current projects with the aim of planting at least 1000 trees per annum, targeted at new and current low-cost development areas.
According to Mayor Charmaine Manuel, the municipality has planted 3000 trees over the past three years and has donated 2600 trees to disadvantaged communities, in co-operation with the Winelands District Municipality.
