THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has been named the second greenest metro in South Africa by the Department of Environmental Affairs and received prize money of R3 million at an awards ceremony held at the City Hall recently.
A representative of the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), Sello Phuroe, said that this was a token of appreciation to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality for ensuring that residents lived in a clean and healthy environment.
“The municipality plays a crucial role in building climate resilient communities through planning of new residential areas, urban development, provision of infrastructure and services and managing of water.
“The best municipality in terms of the Blue Drop water is Nelson Mandela Bay. In the Eastern Cape, only two municipalities won. The second one is the Mzimvumbu Municipality,” Phuroe said.
Referring to the municipality’s waste management team, acting mayor of the Bay, Tshonono Buyeye, said that the award was a significant moment for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
“I would like to thank the department for encouraging us to live in a greener environment. What you hear or read must not make you think less of your work. There would be no first runner-up if there was no competition. It means that we are measured against the rest of the country and these are the results of your hard work,” Buyeye said.
“Thank you for putting our metro on the map despite the challenges that we are facing. We have managed to improve our services to ensure that our residents live in a healthy environment.
“Continue to inspire other directorates to do better. Where there is a will and good leadership, anything is possible,” he added.
Buyeye also urged NMBM residents to play their part in maintaining a clean environment.
“This achievement is a true reflection of what is happening in our metro. We understand that the coronavirus might have a negative impact, but we want to ensure that all those challenges are addressed speedily.
“The criterion that had to be met in order to win an award, was energy efficiency, and in most cases all the municipal buildings are doing great in that area. The metro is the best in terms of Blue Drop water. Landfill sites are being rendered by the municipality and this has a great impact on the economy of the metro,” he said.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality competed against other metros that include, Buffalo City, the City of Johannesburg and City of Tshwane. The City of Johannesburg walked away with the R3.5 million first prize.
