Councillors from King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality launched Arbor Month and celebrated it by planting trees at Owen Dam in Mthatha last week.
Some of the departments the municipality has partnered with include the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT), the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), OR Tambo District Municipality, and Walter Sisulu University (WSU).
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services, Councillor Sihlwele Nyengane, emphasised the importance of planting trees, stating that they play a major role in ensuring that people are able to breathe fresh air. He condemned people who cause veld fires, as this leads to soil erosion.
He said that as the Department of Community Services within the institution of KSD, they chose to launch Arbor Month to educate people.
He added that they invited students from different schools, including the Walter Sisulu University because they know that children have a big influence on society. According to him, they want the area of Owen Dam to be a beautiful park, which is why they are busy cleaning it and planting trees. They want to ensure that it attracts the eyes of those who are passing by.
“As we know, there is a problem of climate change that is affecting us all the time, and the disasters it brings. Trees serve as a windbreak. They protect us in all the weather conditions that we face and make the area more beautiful. We will make sure that we visit all the wards in our municipality to plant trees.”
He confirmed that people who also want to plant trees can do the same, and the municipality will assist them so that they can plant in their homesteads. According to Nyengane, another challenge is that people do not respect nature. They do whatever they want. He said that people must make sure that if they cut down a tree, they must plant another one.
