Fashion and flowers
mark 10 years
By Tabisa Mntengwana
18 November 2008
A GROUP of 12 delegates from Leiden, in the Netherlands, was welcomed to Buffalo City with songs, an exhibition and a fashion show on Monday, 17 November.
The exhibition, part of the 10-year anniversary of the partnership between the two cities, was opened by the portfolio head for constituency, public participation and special programmes, Andile Ntoni. He gave a brief background on the relationship between the two cities.
“The partnership, which is based on a citywide approach, has grown throughout the years with various projects that have helped Buffalo City tremendously.”
Because of their support of Buffalo City, especially during the Amalinda floods, Dutch people had become part of the municipality.
In response, the deputy mayor of Leiden, Jan-Jaap de Haan, said, “The partnership has helped many of us to understand Buffalo City well and to know that we have another home in South Africa.”
The exhibition has stands focusing on the tulip, the national flower of Holland; waste management; the Mdantsane Urban Renewal Programme (MURP); and Leiden.
At the tulip stand, there is information and banners about the history and origin of tulips, which are the most common flower in Leiden. The information brochures also look at the economic and tourism impact of tulips.
“In Leiden, the tulip is one of our favourite flowers and we enjoy seeing other countries appreciating this beautiful flower,” said De Haan.
The waste management stand has information on the management of floods in the city, caused by storm water and overflowing rivers.
At the Leiden stand, the focus is on Dutch ceramics and cheese making. The Leiden Youth Brigade and MURP are also explored.
On the day, students from Walter Sisulu University held a fashion show, with their designs made from recycled material. Items on show included dresses, hats and tops made of paper and plastic.
The day concluded with tips from the waste management unit on what to do at the refuse collection points that will be launched on Wednesday, 19 November.
“The collection points are intended to encourage a good habit of waste management systems in promoting public awareness on the need to reduce dumping and littering,” said Nosiseko Skweyiya, the City’s waste management representative.
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