The Mpumalanga MEC for agriculture, rural development, land and environmental affairs, Nompumelelo Hlophe, has urged the public to take action in preventing the careless disposal of plastic. She said this during the World Environment Day celebration held on June 5 at the Simon Gondwe Sports Centre in Botleng, Delmas, within the Victor Khanye Local Municipality.

Hlophe said as residents of Mpumalanga, it is everyone’s duty to declare war on this ‘enemy’ called plastic pollution.
Accompanying Hlophe were traditional leaders, the acting executive mayor of the Nkangala District, and the executive mayor of the Victor Khanye Local Municipality.

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World Environment Day serves as a global platform for promoting environmental awareness and education.
An annual campaign commemorated worldwide on June 5, it offers an opportunity for reflection and decisive action. It highlights the urgent need to address pressing environmental issues such as climate change, which has brought significant devastation to communities in recent years.

This year’s event was celebrated under the theme: ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’. This theme seeks to mobilise communities for action to address plastic pollution. Plastics are responsible for around 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

On the day, the officials participated in a clean-up campaign, handed over garden tools and 40 smart agricultural boxes, and distributed food parcels.

Addressing the gathering, Hlophe said the people of Mpumalanga have the power and the choice to rethink the use of plastic and how they can reduce, reuse and recycle plastics.

“We must address plastic pollution in our own spaces, including our homes and public spaces such as taxi ranks, bus stops, schools and clinics.”

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She expressed appreciation for the community-based organisations, NGOs, waste pickers, and Zonda Insila Programme warriors who work behind the scenes to tackle plastic pollution.
“More than 430 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year, and only a small fraction is properly recycled. The rest ends up clogging our rivers, polluting our oceans, and poisoning our animals,” Hlophe said.