Pretoria - Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica will embark on a clean up and tree planting campaign on Saturday in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, as part of celebrating Mandela Day.
The former South African President Nelson Mandela turns 91 on 18 July, and the call has gone out for people everywhere in the world to celebrate his birthday by doing voluntary work in their communities for 67 minutes.
Madiba has been making an imprint on the world for 67 years, beginning in 1942 when he first started to campaign for the human rights of every South African.
According to the department, "Taking Care of My Environment," is the strong message that will resonate on Saturday as various activities unfold under the environment umbrella in celebration of Mandela Day.
Minister Sonjica, together with the local stakeholders and the community, will clean and green Mamelodi for 67 minutes in keeping with the call to participate in activities aimed at making a difference to communities on Madiba's birthday.
The Mamelodi event will be held in close collaboration with Tshwane Metro, Buyisa-e-Bag, Indalo Yethu and the Mamelodi Community.
Indalo Yethu through its partnership with the SABC1 will make 67 trees available to green the township.
The event, which is held two weeks after the promulgation of the Waste Management Act, is also aimed at heightening awareness around waste management. It will take place at the Solomon Mahlangu Square in Mamelodi from 9am until 2pm on Saturday.
The South African National Biodiversity Institute has also invited Minister Sonjica, to a tea party for 180 elderly people from Eersterust, Mamelodi, and the Pretoria City Centre, which will be held at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens.
In the Free State, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs, Maggie Sotyu will also conduct a clean-up campaign in Botshabelo.
The waste collected will be disposed off at one of the five recycling centres funded by the Environment Department's Social Responsibility Project, in Botshabelo.
In addition, the event will entail awareness on water conservation as well as a tree planting session at a Day Care Centre for the disabled.
The event will commence at 8:30am until 2pm from the Mangaung Municipal offices in Botshabelo.
In Cape Town, the Environment Department's Marine and Coastal Management Branch based in Cape Town will have an open day at its Marine Research Aquarium based in Beach Road, Sea Point.
Youth from various orphanages will be visiting the aquarium where they will be able to see how fish are grown and learn more about careers in the marine sciences field.
Members of the public are also welcome to visit the research aquarium for this event. The aquarium will be open from 9am until 3pm.
In Limpopo, the Kruger National Park, in partnership with Munghana Lonene FM will be donating a house to a destitute family in the village of Cruquetlawn a village situated at about 15 kilometers outside Kruger National Park.
According to the department, more than 40 children from the village will be taken to the park.
The purpose of the event is to offer the children, who under normal circumstances would not afford a holiday in the park, an opportunity to enjoy a game drive in the park and to expose them to conservation principles with specific focus on the health of the river systems.
