Million trees in one day, vows department

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) recently launched the One Employee, One Tree initiative at their head office on Steve Biko Road in Arcadia.

Themed “My Tree, My Oxygen” the initiative calls on all government employees from all DFFE offices to support its goal of planting one million trees nationwide on September 24.

The initiative is a key component of the Revamped National Greening Programme, which aims to plant 10 million trees over five years, in line with the clarion call of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Sixty percent of the trees must be fruit trees and 40% must be indigenous trees.

Through a website curated by the Government ICT office, the DFFE will be able to track which employee bought a tree, when, how many of them and which ones didn’t. The site is set to be publicly available in due course.

Leading the March 28 launch was the DFFE’s Deputy Minister, Bernice Swarts whose keynote address was followed by tree planting at the Department’s Environment House alongside fellow stakeholders.

Members of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi), South African National Parks (SANParks), South African Weather Service (SAWS) and iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority were all in attendance, making up all the entities of the DFFE.

“This is a programme that I live and breathe because I believe that South Africa is not living up to its tree-planting potential,” Swarts said.

“When I started attending programmes involving BRICS, I saw that as South Africa, we are not in the space we need to be. Even Zimbabwe has 25 million trees planted each year, and Ethiopia has planted over 350 million trees in one day. I was at KOP last year in Saudi Arabia they planted one billion trees in that place and it’s a desert,” Swarts said.

Swarts believes that working for the department means that you should have a passion for the environment and be eager to assist in addressing climate change.

She wants every South African to plant a tree but the work must start at DFFE after she has been lobbying stakeholders (mines, police, universities) to donate to the cause.

The Chamber of Mines recently met with the DFFE, pledging to donate to the cause as they are contributors to the pollution.

“We have an ambitious target of planting a million trees in one day but it’s very possible. Everyone wants to tag along so we as the department are going to start.

In all botanical gardens across the country, we have installed tree banks, courtesy of SANBI.”

Swarts said when you buy a tree, it’s going to go to the national botanical garden in your province.

The deputy minister wants residents to place their names on their trees as they will be making history.

Swarts said she’s confident that the department will plant more than a million trees on September 24, as numerous stakeholders are coming on board.

She wants no South African to cut down a tree without replacing it, emphasising that “without enough trees, our very existence is in jeopardy”.

On June 16, the G20 will be planting trees for Youth Day, which will count toward the One Employee, One Tree initiative, according to Swarts.

Swarts said the trees are going to be planted in safe spaces such as Early Childhood Development centres (ECDs), primary and high schools, hospitals and clinics, police stations and churches.

The DFFE also has signed a memorandum of understanding with the South African Council of Churches to plant trees across the country.

On September 24, Swartz said the president and deputy president will be planting their trees at their respective events.

They want all South Africans to join them on the day, she said.

“We want 60% to be fruit trees for the food security they provide. When disadvantaged people have R20 in their pocket, they are not going to think about buying apples and bananas, they’re going to buy bread, soap or milk.

We engage with traditional leaders when we visit communities, giving them hundreds of fruit trees because when the community doesn’t have they can get them from the communal trees.”

Swarts said they have a similar pilot programme in Pretoria, where fruit trees have been planted in Laudium for people living in informal settlements.

“When we did it, people were sceptical, saying that they would be stolen and vandalised, but I have seen that once people own something, that’s rarely the case.”

 

Director General of the DFFE, Nomfundo Tshabalala said the department is pioneering the project because charity begins at home.

“We are going to be an example, we are going to ensure we lead in this whole campaign because climate change is a reality. As a mandate in this department, we must ensure that we maintain sound environmental programmes.

I would want to emphasise that as a country we will be hosting G20 and this programme is very key when you look at the focus areas of the G20, which include mitigating climate change, strengthening food security and enhancing biodiversity,” she said.

Organised Labour (NEHAW and PSA) representative, Kagisho Monnahala said they were honoured to be a part of the launch and pledged their support to the deputy minister.

“Our message is this, rest assured, that organised labour is in full support of today’s occasion. Organised labour within this department has always been working hand-in-hand so no initiative can be there without any support or form of collaboration between us.

Strength lies in the ability to unite and uniting will make our country survive.”

Monnahala assured the deputy minister that they were fully committed.

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