Officials gear up to clean the environment and its treasures

The Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) hosted a campaign for World Wetlands Day on Thursday February 24

March 6, 2022

Michelle Boshoff 1 minute read

The delegation picks up refuse at the Dorps River. Cllr Chris Nkuna (acting director of community services, TCLM), Cllr Friddah Nkadimeng (executive mayor, TCLM), Busi Shongwe (MEC for agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs), Herns Trower (speaker, TCLM), Cllr Dikeledi Sibanyoni, Cllr George Sangxu and Tiny Mabuza (Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Mbombela).

The biodiversity in grassland ecosystems and wetlands is seriously threatened by human activity and development.

Another factor threatening the fragile ecosystems, is the onslaught of refuse being dumped into rivers and onto riverbanks. To counteract this and clean up the Spekboom and Dorps rivers, the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality (TCLM) hosted a campaign for World Wetlands Day on Thursday February 24. Busi Shongwe, the MEC for agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs, visited the municipality to focus on the importance of the day.

The delegation at the Air Quality Monitoring Station in Mashishing.

Officials from the Ehlanzeni District Municipality also joined the campaign. The Air Quality Monitoring Station in Mashishing was also launched. It is the first station of this calibre to be introduced in the Ehlanzeni District.

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“The station will measure and monitor gas levels and dust emitted in the air. The polluted air is often the result of mining and other industrial activities, which are detrimental to the health of the community,” said Ezrom Sekgobela, the spokesperson of TCLM.

Agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs uses World Wetlands Day to focus on what they refer to as the treasures of the environment.