By Nangamso Mabindla
10 October 2006

THOSE who took part in the Mdantsane Greening Project have been recognised for their good work and have received certificates for the part they have played in keeping the township's environment healthy for its citizens.

Initiated by Buffalo City in 2001 and funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the project aims to clean the environment and to fight unemployment and a lack of skills in the impoverished township. It is part of the Expanded Public Works Programme.

Since inception, the project has employed more than 200 people, mainly unemployed youth and women in the area who were selected by their ward councillors. They have been taught about preserving the environment, learning identification and eradication of alien vegetation, garden services and first aid.

Certificates showing that they had participated in the project were issued last week at a ceremony attended by Executive Mayor Zintle Peter, ward and proportional representative councillors, Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism representatives, representatives from provincial government and officials from the City's cleaning and local economic development departments.

Representatives from the Small Project Foundation, which managed the project, also attended.

Speaking at the ceremony, the foundation's August Khuzwayo said the project was part of the presidential Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme. "With this project we wanted to fight unemployment in the township as part of [the programme]. We targeted unemployed youth and women, and deployed these to areas where criminals used to reign supreme because they would hide behind bushes and rob people."

The group, with the help of the City's cleaning department, removed these bushes, so doing away with criminals' hiding places. They also removed alien vegetation along streams so that people could use the land profitably by growing food.

"With the help of the provincial department of education we were also able to identify 24 schools that needed agricultural tools," Khuzwayo said. "This assisted with the school nutrition programme because these schools could have their own vegetable garden."

As part of efforts to keep Mdantsane in good condition, the group has already planted 3 500 trees around the township, and they plan to have planted 30 000 trees by March 2007.

Luntu Bobo said the project would speed up development in the area. "This is a government initiative to fight unemployment and has encouraged good relations between the three tiers of government," said the councillor.

Following the formalities, Peter planted some trees at the Highway Park and Egerton train station in Zone 9, saying that they were a symbol of hope. She urged people to take care of the trees as they meant life for the residents.