Cleaning campaign at Phola

Mr Moudy Mudzielwana an environmentalist by profession and an advocate of human development is committed to sustainable development.

His aim is to save communities and the environment they live in and to create a sustainable development; that was exactly what happened during a cleaning campaign held at the entrance of Phola on Friday, September 11.

Mr Mudzielwana together with the Tshikovha Graduates Academy said they started planning for the cleaning campaign last year.

They had clearing of waste onsite, rehabilitation of the environment, planting of vegetables and trees, seeding of the area and providing waste skips for waste disposal as an objective.

Hoping for a clean, healthy and safe environment plus a green space and a proper disposal area.

Another objective was to hold education awareness, organise resources, coordination and implementation with the local municipality and an integrated waste management strategy going forward.

The outcome was that the objectives were reached, in that Phola and Ogies were cleaned, waste infrastructure was organised and graduates in environment field training were held as well as a clear strategy to deal with waste management was put in place.

“We wrote to stakeholders for assistance in the following resources: Waste skips, wheelie bins, seeds for trees and plants, indigenous trees, PPE safety vests for patrons, masks for guests, tools, cement as well as machinery like graders, water browsers, a TLB and a tipper truck,” said Mr Mudzielwana.

Mr Mudzielwana also indicated that the country is faced with a lot of challenges.

Some of the challenges are ignorance and inability to improve the lives of people. Lack of shelter, health services, environmental management infrastructure, resources, jobs, basic services delivery, poverty and recently Covid-19 challenges.

“The project will see through local entrepreneurs, graduates and community members working together with mining houses, corporates, non-governmental organisations and human rights advocates coming together to address the environmental challenges. These programmes need to be based on an actual action plan to guide sustainability of the project. The aim is to create small waste enterprises and environmental groups who will help coordinate environmental protection programmes aligned to other government initiatives,” added Mr Mudzielwana.

He further thanked all the stakeholders who supported the programme and promised to compile a detailed project brochure outlining every detail of the project.

They receive support from: Gencore, Petco, Mwelase Mining, SUCU online TV, Beryl Mine, Watercombe Farm Indigenous Tree Farm, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform.