Fight against climate change: Environment department launches one million trees campaign
Image: Supplied/ Michael Mokoena DFFE
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) launched the one million trees campaign at the Pretoria National Botanical Gardens under the banner" My tree, my oxygen, plant yours today".
Launched on Monday, the campaign aims to encourage South Africans to plant trees with the intention of preserving biodiversity and mitigating the impact of climate change.
The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts said everyone has a responsibility of contributing to the cause of planting trees as they are suppliers of oxygen.
Ambassadors, traditional leaders, NGOs and learners at the occassion of the launch of the one employee, one tree campaign
Image: Supplied/ Michael Mokoena/ DFFE
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
"The country has borne the brunt of climate change and the resultant devastation it causes in communities and economies. We have witnessed fires, deadly heatwaves, heavy rains, floods, and prolonged droughts. These events underscore our shared vulnerability, but also our shared responsibility to act, to adapt, and to do so in a way that leaves no one behind.
We have made a plea to our traditional leaders to not harm trees for whatever reason, because sometimes one just needs the leaves, or the bark, not the root, they don't need to harm the tree," said Swarts.
According to Global Forest Watch, South Africa lost 10% of its humid primary forest from 2002 to 2024.
Further information from Climate Home News indicated that global deforestation reached record highs in 2024 with climate change driving the charge. 6.7 million hectares of primary tropical forest were lost, which is nearly double the loss compared to 2023.
Tree planting is one of the mitigating factors that are recommended to slow down this environmental threat. It is for this reason that the department is pursuing the coordination and implementation of the National Greening Programme, remarked Swarts.
The country hosted the second African Forum on Urban Forestry from the 18th to the 21st March 2025 and the International Day of Forests, where 2,000 trees were planted at Diepsloot.
Swarts outlined that they have chosen to plant one million trees on 24th September 2025 as the country commemorates Heritage Day.
Obakeng Ramabodu, Tshwane's MMC for Environmental and Agriculture Management, announces the city's ambitious tree-planting initiative to combat climate change.
Image: Supplied / City of Tshwane
Meanwhile, Tshwane MMC for Environment, Obakeng Ramabodu indicated that they have embarked on a process of cleaning the city and are exhausting all available avenues to keep it clean.
Ramabodu remarked that the City of Tshwane fully supports the government initiative, citing that the planting of trees makes the environment cleaner and safer for everyone.
"This is a people's programme, it does not need any political affiliation, it would be good to see our townships get a facelift and look as aesthetically appealing as the suburbs and parts of the inner city, looking clean and with trees.
"Please stop peeing on the streets and please stop littering, we are in the process of getting our city clean and we want to keep it that way," he added.
IOL News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
Remembering a Durban hero: The story of lieutenant McGarr
Lieutenant Clement A. N. McGarr was a true South African hero from Durban who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Image: Supplied / Taz During the Second World War, countless South Africans answered the call to rescue a world in peril, leaving behind their families, homes, and futures. Thousands of miles from home, they confronted the forces of tyranny - on land, at sea, and in the air. They did so not for recognition or reward, but to defend the ideals of freedom, democracy, and justice. In total, over 334,000 South Africans served across the globe, and more than 11,000 were killed. Among the young men who went off to war but never returned was Lieutenant Clement Aldwyn Neville McGarr. McGarr was born on 24 November 1917 in Johannesburg and moved with his family to Durban in 1923. He loved the city deeply and began his schooling there. At the age of twelve, he was struck by polio and became paralysed from the waist down. But McGarr refused to give up. Through determination and relentless effort, he recovered the use of his legs and attended Glenwood High School, where he excelled academically and athletically. He was a proud member of the school's First XV rugby team, and one of his greatest passions was riding motorcycles. After completing his studies, McGarr worked in the laboratories of Lever Brothers, and later joined the Treasury Department of Durban Corporation. In May 1940, as the war intensified, McGarr enlisted in the South African Air Force (SAAF). Motivated by a sense of duty and love for his country, he trained diligently to become a pilot. On 26 April 1941, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and awarded his pilot's brevet. Soon after, he was posted to Egypt and, in October 1941, joined No. 2 Squadron SAAF, flying Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters over the Libya–Egypt frontier. On 6 October 1941, while on patrol over the Egyptian desert, McGarr's squadron was intercepted by German fighters. During the fierce aerial combat, his aircraft was hit, and he was forced to bail out. He landed in the desert with only one shoe - the other lost mid-air - and wandered for three days without food or water before being captured by the German Afrika Korps. After a brief internment in Libya, he was sent to Germany and imprisoned at Stalag Luft III. There, McGarr immediately volunteered to join one of the most daring prisoner-of-war operations of the war: The Great Escape. The plan aimed to enable up to 200 Allied prisoners tunnel out of the camp, not only to free them but also to disrupt German operations by forcing them to divert resources. McGarr's role was to oversee security teams - watching for guards and preventing the tunnels from being discovered. A picture of McGarr's grave at the Poznań Old Garrison Cemetery in Poland. Image: Paul On the night of 24–25 March 1944, McGarr was among the 76 men who escaped. This extraordinary feat was later immortalised in Paul Brickhill's 1950 book The Great Escape and made famous globally by the 1963 film adaptation, starring Steve McQueen. While dramatised, the film brought long-overdue recognition to the real heroes behind the escape, including McGarr. Following the escape, German forces launched a massive manhunt. McGarr braved freezing temperatures and remained on the run for a short time, but he was eventually recaptured by German forces and taken to Görlitz prison. Enraged by the escape, Adolf Hitler ordered the Gestapo to execute 50 of the recaptured prisoners - an act in direct violation of the Geneva Convention. On 6 April 1944, a truck arrived at Görlitz. Six names were called. One of them was Lieutenant Clement McGarr. Alongside his fellow escapees, he was taken into Poland, ordered off the truck and executed. He was just 26 years old - with so much life ahead, and so much to give. Cremated by the Gestapo, McGarr's ashes were initially interred at Sagan. After the war, they were exhumed and re-interred at the Poznań Old Garrison Cemetery in Poland. A beautiful headstone marks his grave - a quiet and eternal reminder of his heroism and sacrifice. The story of Lieutenant Clement A. N. McGarr is one that goes beyond a single life; it echoes the stories of countless South Africans who fought and died for a better world. Each had a name, a voice, a life - that deserves to be remembered. It is our solemn duty to honour their memory, to uphold the values they fought for, and to ensure the world never forgets the brave young souls who gave everything they had for everything we have today.
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Remembering a Durban hero: The story of lieutenant McGarr
Lieutenant Clement A. N. McGarr was a true South African hero from Durban who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II. Image: Supplied / Taz During the Second World War, countless South Africans answered the call to rescue a world in peril, leaving behind their families, homes, and futures. Thousands of miles from home, they confronted the forces of tyranny - on land, at sea, and in the air. They did so not for recognition or reward, but to defend the ideals of freedom, democracy, and justice. In total, over 334,000 South Africans served across the globe, and more than 11,000 were killed. Among the young men who went off to war but never returned was Lieutenant Clement Aldwyn Neville McGarr. McGarr was born on 24 November 1917 in Johannesburg and moved with his family to Durban in 1923. He loved the city deeply and began his schooling there. At the age of twelve, he was struck by polio and became paralysed from the waist down. But McGarr refused to give up. Through determination and relentless effort, he recovered the use of his legs and attended Glenwood High School, where he excelled academically and athletically. He was a proud member of the school's First XV rugby team, and one of his greatest passions was riding motorcycles. After completing his studies, McGarr worked in the laboratories of Lever Brothers, and later joined the Treasury Department of Durban Corporation. In May 1940, as the war intensified, McGarr enlisted in the South African Air Force (SAAF). Motivated by a sense of duty and love for his country, he trained diligently to become a pilot. On 26 April 1941, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and awarded his pilot's brevet. Soon after, he was posted to Egypt and, in October 1941, joined No. 2 Squadron SAAF, flying Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters over the Libya–Egypt frontier. On 6 October 1941, while on patrol over the Egyptian desert, McGarr's squadron was intercepted by German fighters. During the fierce aerial combat, his aircraft was hit, and he was forced to bail out. He landed in the desert with only one shoe - the other lost mid-air - and wandered for three days without food or water before being captured by the German Afrika Korps. After a brief internment in Libya, he was sent to Germany and imprisoned at Stalag Luft III. There, McGarr immediately volunteered to join one of the most daring prisoner-of-war operations of the war: The Great Escape. The plan aimed to enable up to 200 Allied prisoners tunnel out of the camp, not only to free them but also to disrupt German operations by forcing them to divert resources. McGarr's role was to oversee security teams - watching for guards and preventing the tunnels from being discovered. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading A picture of McGarr's grave at the Poznań Old Garrison Cemetery in Poland. Image: Paul On the night of 24–25 March 1944, McGarr was among the 76 men who escaped. This extraordinary feat was later immortalised in Paul Brickhill's 1950 book The Great Escape and made famous globally by the 1963 film adaptation, starring Steve McQueen. While dramatised, the film brought long-overdue recognition to the real heroes behind the escape, including McGarr. Following the escape, German forces launched a massive manhunt. McGarr braved freezing temperatures and remained on the run for a short time, but he was eventually recaptured by German forces and taken to Görlitz prison. Enraged by the escape, Adolf Hitler ordered the Gestapo to execute 50 of the recaptured prisoners - an act in direct violation of the Geneva Convention. On 6 April 1944, a truck arrived at Görlitz. Six names were called. One of them was Lieutenant Clement McGarr. Alongside his fellow escapees, he was taken into Poland, ordered off the truck and executed. He was just 26 years old - with so much life ahead, and so much to give. Cremated by the Gestapo, McGarr's ashes were initially interred at Sagan. After the war, they were exhumed and re-interred at the Poznań Old Garrison Cemetery in Poland. A beautiful headstone marks his grave - a quiet and eternal reminder of his heroism and sacrifice. The story of Lieutenant Clement A. N. McGarr is one that goes beyond a single life; it echoes the stories of countless South Africans who fought and died for a better world. Each had a name, a voice, a life - that deserves to be remembered. It is our solemn duty to honour their memory, to uphold the values they fought for, and to ensure the world never forgets the brave young souls who gave everything they had for everything we have today.
IOL News
18 hours ago
- IOL News
What is the difference between koeksisters and koesisters?
Koesisters has Cape Malay roots. Image: Facebook The ongoing cheesy koesister trend has sparked a lively debate among South Africans, splitting opinions into two camps: those who question, "Why would you create such an abomination?" and those who would bravely try it for the 'vibes'. Because of this trend, the age-old question arises: "What is the difference between a koesister and a koeksister?" While some may argue that they are essentially the same, enthusiasts of either or both desserts will tell you otherwise. Despite their similar names and shared deliciousness, these two iconic foods are rooted in distinct cultural traditions and offer entirely different flavour experiences. Koeksisters Let's start with koeksisters. For some, a koeksister (with the k) is more than just a fried pastry and an overpriced item at retailers. It's the taste of home and heritage. It is made from plaited dough strips fried until golden and crisp, and are then plunged into an ice-cold sugar syrup, producing a glossy, sticky surface and a satisfyingly crunchy texture. The syrup is also often infused with lemon juice or even ginger, adding a tang and kick to the sweetness of the sugar syrup. It is believed the name "koeksister" may derive from the Dutch word koekje (meaning 'cookie'). Dutch settlers brought early versions of this treat to South Africa in the 17th century, adapting recipes like oliekoek (oil cake) and stroopkoek (syrup cake) into what we now know and love as the koeksister. Koesisters In contrast to the sweetness of the koeksister, the koesister (without the k) offers a warmly spiced, cake-like alternative. Another key difference is that koesisters are rooted in Cape Malay culture While koeksisters are plaited, koesisters are oval in shape and often darker in colour. They are made from a fragrant dough infused with cinnamon, cardamom, aniseed, and sometimes naartjie peel. Some would also add boiled potatoes to the mix, which sounds odd, but let's be honest, nothing can be worse than cheese. After being deep-fried to golden perfection, they're dipped in hot syrup and rolled in desiccated coconut, creating a soft, slightly chewy texture with an aromatic, comforting flavour. It is a Sunday tradition for koesisters to be enjoyed with tea or coffee. Rumour has it that the name is believed by some to come from the word 'koes'—a reference to the quiet gossiping of spinsters while cooking. IOL
