Pollution is at the top of the agenda at the Lekgotla held in Kimberley. The Environment, Forestry and Fisheries department has convened a meeting that will come up with ways to enforce environmental by-laws.
It’s a three-day meeting that thrash out all challenges, including chemical waste and other forms of pollution.
The Lekgotla coincides with the launch of a clean-up campaign by Sol Plaatje University students.
Their initiative comes at the exact time when government officials meet to try finding solutions to current litter and pollution challenges.
“We are trying to invoke that pride in the residents of the country, starting with Kimberley, to show that it’s a diamond city. We have so much to be proud and we just want to help by cleaning the environment,” says a student Joycely Atwell.
The Lekgotla is held every two years, in effort to advance new ways of tackling environmental issues faced by society.
Department officials are hoping awareness campaigns will stop South Africans from polluting the environment.
“Issues around air pollution that’s one area where we’re going to be focusing quiet heavily on. Also the waste sector you know the president launched the good green deeds programme and that’s one programme we’re going to focus on heavily as well,” says Department of Environmental Deputy Director General, Ishmaa Abader.
The provincial department of Environment and Nature Conservation says they have their hands full in dealing with the water pollution issue.
“The pollution is always affecting and always blocking the sewer lines n,ow the Department has bought two monitors in which now they are going to do a cleaning campaign. We are doing it, constantly together with the local municipality, which is the Sol Plaatje – now it will unfold soon,” says Environment and Nature Conservation MEC, Nomandla Bloem.
Delegates attending the Lekgotla say while this is a good initiative, it will need a collaborated effort from all stakeholders, including all citizens to make a lasting impact.
