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Today, the Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs, Ms Barbara Thomson announced the winners of the 4th Greenest Municipality Competition during an award ceremony held at the Karibu Lodge, Tzaneen in the Limpopo province.

The City of Johannesburg, whose strengths included an Integrated Waste Management Plan (WMP) document that covered all relevant environmental legislation, took first prize in the Metropolitan Municipality category.

In the Local Municipality category, Mogalakwena won. Some of their waste management efforts include discouraging the use of bottled water in the council and the use of digital media to communicate with the public.

The Greenest Municipality Competition commenced in 2001 and was known as the Cleanest Town Competition. Its primary concern was implementing the National Waste Management Strategy. Its main pillars were the principles of reducing, recycling and reusing waste material.

The Greenest Municipality Competition aims to raise awareness on issues around environmental protection, social upliftment and economic growth, as per the recommendations of the 2006 / 2007 Cleanest Town Competition (CTC) Report

The newly enhanced Greenest Municipality Competition accommodates developments within the greening movement and have allowed for the incorporation of other elements outside of waste management. Those elements are: Waste Management, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Water Management, Landscaping, Tree Planting and Beautification, Public Participating and Community Empowerment, Leadership and Institutional Arrangements Presentation.

The Greenest Municipality Competition has played a major role in terms of a broader focus on environmental issues and will link to other global and national initiatives including climate change efforts.

‘’With Climate Change, human induced climatic conditions with devastating effects such as increased temperatures which are accompanied by thunderstorms and flooding, amongst others, compelled us to expand the scope of the competition to include environmental friendly elements. Fortunately the subject of Climate Change and its destructive consequences are being given high priority attention.  Governments of the world have been meeting yearly in the past decade to talk and find collective solutions to the global warming problem.  Last year December the conference took place in Lima, Peru.  Later this year, the meeting will take place in Paris, France. The reality of the matter is that actions to fight and curb this huge problem should start at local government level.  If the municipalities’ Integrated Development Plans (IDP) incorporates measures to address climate change, we can be assured of tackling the problem successfully in the end, no matter how long it will take, ’’ said Ms Thomson.

The Department awards prizes according to two categories namely: the Metropolitan Municipality and Local Municipality which are awarded first, second and third prizes. The prize money/ funding has to be utilised for projects and activities meant to make a difference.

The projects must be aligned with the aims of the GMCs, i.e. one or more of the elements mentioned above. They should be implemented in terms of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)

Metropolitan Municipality Winners

Local Municipality Winners

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS