Tomorrow, 20th June, in my capacity as the MEC for Environmental Affairs, I will be part of the official opening of the Greater Kokstad Landfill Site.

I will be joined by the Mayor of Greater Kokstad Cllr Bheki Mtolo, the Mayor of Harry Gwala Municipality Cllr Zamo Nxumalo, the entire local leadership and many other stakeholders including the community.

Undoubtedly, this official launch will mark an important milestone in our quest to usher in a new era in the fight against Climate Change.

On the World Environment Day - 5 June 2020, we announced our plans to work with municipalities to ensure the integration of waste-pickers into the waste management systems of municipalities.

We wish to report that we are continuing with our efforts aimed at strengthening our partnership with Waste Pickers Association, Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and municipalities in the area of waste management.

We are singling out waste management because it has few types of impacts on climate change. And these are:-

●Landfill methane emissions;

●Reduction in industrial energy use;

●Emissions due to recycling and waste reduction;

●Energy recovery from waste.

The new Greater Kokstad Landfill Site represents a huge endeavour on the part of the municipality leadership, employees, contractors, environmental activists and the community as a whole.

It is a tribute to their ability to work together and to master the new state-of-the-art environment protection system and to do this all on schedule and within budget.

Critically, as the department we have agreed to start the process of ensuring the presence of members of the Council on Climate Change in all municipalities including Greater Kokstad.

Through the Council we want to forge partnership with civil society, business fraternity and communities at large.

We are planning to have a sustained campaigns focusing on the grassroots mobilization for waste collection focusing on recycling industries of various materials such as plastic, cans and bottles etc.  We want communities to turn trash into cash.

Through this, we want ordinary members of communities across the province to have sustained businesses that will create jobs opportunities.

We have agreed that the department and municipalities must assist waste pickers to have registered businesses.

Environment and nature conservation in general are another critical avenues for job creation as we confront the challenge of unemployment, poverty and inequality created by COVID-19.

NB: _Members of the media are invited to attend the event tomorrow. Programme will start with 10h00 at the Greater Kokstad Landfill Site with official programme at 11h00 at the Town Hall.

Issued by The KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism And Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube