MunicipalNews

Metro scoops greenest award

The metro has won an award for the greenest city in the country.

The Ekurhuleni Metro is the greenest city in South Africa.

The announcement was made by the National Department of Environmental Affairs, during the Greenest Municipality Competition (GMC), held in Durban, recently.

“This is a clear indication that the systems and strategies the municipality has employed when it comes to environmental management and greening initiatives are beginning to yield fruits,” said Ekurhuleni’s member of the mayoral committee responsible for environmental development, Clr Vuyelwa Mabena.

The metro is known to be the city of firsts, including being the first aerotropolis in Africa, the first metro to host the World Airport Cities Conference and Exhibition and also a four times winner of the Blue Drop Award.

According to Mabena, the latest accolade the metro has received is due to the dedicated efforts of various departments within the municipality – which include waste management services, health and social services, the water and sanitation department, the energy and electricity department, the communications and brand management department and the environmental resources management department.

The Greenest Municipality Competition (GMC) started its life as the Cleanest Town Competition (CTC), with a primary focus on implementing the National Waste Management Strategy.

The Cleanest Town Competition’s pillars were the principles of reducing, recycling and reusing waste materials.

Although these principles are still relevant, other elements related to sustainable development and various greening interventions have been added.

The GMC also focuses on efforts to get municipalities to be central to the green economy.

The Department of Environmental Affairs awards prizes according to two categories, namely: the Metropolitan Municipality and Local Municipality.

The prize money has to be utilised for projects that promote environmental-related projects and green economy initiatives.

The metro’s R3.5-million cash prize will be channelled to other green projects.

“We are very pleased to have successfully met the national Department of Environmental Affairs’s criteria for assessment, which includes good waste management plans, policies and strategies; institutional arrangements and political support within municipalities on environmental programmes; greening initiatives, including landscaping and the planting of trees, and community involvement on environmental projects and programmes,” said Clr Mabena.

A total of 111 metropolitan and local municipalities competed for the awards.

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