Download background and purpose of the project by bantu holomisa, mp

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT
BY
BANTU HOLOMISA, MP –
CHAIRPERSON: CHAMPIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOUNDATION
AT THE LAUNCH OF THE AFFORESTATION PROGRAMME,
KWANONGOMA, KWAZULU-NATAL
11 SEPTEMBER 2011
Programme Director, His Majesty, Oondlunkulu, Royal Highnesses,
Honourable Minister of Environmental Affairs, Honourable Premier,
amakhosi, executive mayors and councillors, honoured guests, reed
dance participants, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to provide you with a brief background on why
we are gathered here today at this official launch of the Enyokeni
afforestation project, which is being implemented by TourismWorld, a
KwaZulu-Natal based company, in conjunction with Usuthu Traditional
Council.
1
I am grateful to His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekizulu who
showed keen interest in this project when I introduced it to him during my
visit on the eve of his birthday last year. His Majesty immediately showed
me a forest that he and the Reed Dancers had created many years ago.
He encouraged me to bring as many trees as possible, as he would get
young people and the Reed Dancers to partake in the tree planting
ceremony. Mine is to say to His Majesty: “Mission accomplished Sir!”.
The Enyokeni project follows our successful 2010 Hegebe land treeplanting project in the Eastern Cape, where we planted more than 3 000
indigenous trees during the first phase of the project. The purpose of
these projects is to implement long-term strategies aimed at mitigating the
negative effects of climate change and the reduction of carbon footprint. In
addition, these projects will, inter alia, help restore eco-systems, create
jobs, transfer skills and educate learners and members of the local
communities about the effects of climate change.
We believe that, once sufficient trees have been planted, they will assist in
improving the rainfall in the area, which will benefit farming and grazing.
These steps will contribute significantly in combating desertification, which
poses a major threat to food security.
2
The Enyokeni project has created jobs for the local community. The
community must nurture this project as you would care for your own
children, so that it may grow into something that will benefit the whole
community. This project should serve as a catalyst to be emulated by
other villages in the province.
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight that none of these projects
would have been successful without the untiring support of the
Department of Environmental Affairs. We thank the Department for its
openness to new ideas and willingness to assist in projects aimed at
combating climate change.
Champions of the Environment Foundation is an autonomous, apolitical
group formed to meet the urgent need for a coordinated campaign to
heighten national awareness of environmental conservation issues and
best practices benefiting the whole community and future generations.
The Foundation collaborates with the private sector in the restoration of
local eco-systems with the objective of not only uplifting the local
community, but also creating a business model that would encourage
other individuals and corporate institutions to contribute to environmental
projects. The Foundation also assists the private sector to connect with
relevant community and government leaders.
3
We have in our midst the CEO of Carbon Check, Mr Adam Simcock,
whose company has recently been accredited by the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board of the United Nations (UN) as the
only carbon emissions reduction accredited operating entity in Africa.
Accordingly, Carbon Check has a critical role to play in the fight against
climate change.
For the sustainability of these projects, we invite companies to invest at
Enyokeni Project in order to earn carbon credits. Carbon offset
calculations will be applied to all the trees planted in this ceremony today.
All the trees planted today are indigenous and come from KwaZulu-Natal.
TourismWorld, the organisation responsible for managing the Enyokeni
project took care of mapping sites, digging holes, measuring carbon
baselines of the planting sites and storing the geo-database maps and
associated carbon baseline information.
I am confident verification by any accredited institution would doubtlessly
confirm the work performed, adhered to professional standards. We thank
you and the community of Enyokeni for your sterling work.
4
On behalf of Champions of the Environment Foundation, I would like to
thank His Majesty, Usuthu Traditional Council and the Department of
Environmental Affairs, as well as the office of the Premier, for accepting
our proposal to have this project here.
Champions of the Environment Foundation are proud to have been given
the privilege to coordinate these projects for all the stakeholders free of
charge.
We would also like to thank Vodacom, SABC, Media24, Carbon Check
and BMW South Africa for partnering with us in this important event.
Our special thanks also go to the Reed Dancers. In the age where both
human beings and the land are so easily ravaged by disease and neglect,
the Reed Dancers are sending a vital message to the world. These young
women are encouraged to place honour on physical status in the same
way women in our communities are encouraged to spread the message
about honouring our environment.
Finally, the planting of the 34 000 trees on the land donated by His
Majesty is indicative of his dedication to the protection of the environment
and food security.
5
Let the message be as strong as these young women; as strong as His
Majesty and His people; as strong as the voices of all South Africans. The
environment is our lifeblood. If we protect it, we protect our future. Let us
honour our planet, and by so doing, honour one another.
I thank you.
6