Latest news with #Swarts
The Citizen
12-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
One million trees campaign kicks off at Botanical Gardens
One million trees campaign kicks off at Botanical Gardens The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) recently launched its One Million Trees campaign at the National Botanical Gardens. Led by Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts, various stakeholders attended the July 7 launch. It followed the One Employee, One Tree launch at the DFFE Head Office in April. '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,' Swarts said. President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed that 10 million trees, comprising 60% fruit and 40% indigenous, be planted in the country over five years, ending in 2026. Among others, attendees included: – Deputy Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Mapaseka Steve Letsike – Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Eritrea, HE Mr Salih Omar Abdu – High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, HE Mr Malik Muhammad Farooq – His Majesty Morena Moremoholo Motebang Mopeli of the Bakoena Royal House (Qwaqwa). The DFFE plans to use the campaign to create employment opportunities through tree planting and tackle the high cost of living by integrating fruit trees into food security efforts. '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 co-ordination and implementation of the National Greening Programme,' Swarts stated. She said that if trees that are suitable for a particular area are planted, and we continue working with researchers, the battle against climate change will slowly be won. The DFFE has developed a list of suitable trees that can be planted in different provinces and climate zones. They have also developed a database of nurseries where trees will be sourced through the QR system developed to access the pledge form and the catalogue of the nurseries. Swarts said, 'We have made a provision to accommodate those sponsors who intend to contribute trees. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has designated spaces to be used as a tree bank, where the donated trees will be stored. 'The donated trees will be stored at the 11 National Botanical Gardens across the country and DFFE nurseries, while we are finalising logistics for the one million trees planting day, September 24. We are dedicating that day to planting trees across the country, as we commemorate Heritage Day.' The department has also identified spaces where trees will survive for generations, and the trees will be planted there. These are areas where most of the requirements to plant and care for trees, such as availability of water, dedicated people to take care of the trees, security or fencing, are met. These include public institutions, early childhood development centres, churches, schools, police stations, clinics, some low-cost housing units, and many other places. To date, a list of sites where trees will be planted has been developed and is being refined as input from stakeholders is gathered. Swarts closed off with a quote from the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, Kenyan Wangari Maathai: 'When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope.' Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
07-07-2025
- General
- IOL News
South Africa's ambitious plan to plant a million trees in one day
The Forestry Department aims to plant one million trees on September 24. Image: ImsoGabriel Stock via Pixabay As part of its National Greening Programme, South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has announced an ambitious plan to plant one million trees on September 24. The initiative not only aims to mitigate climate change, but also create employment and enhance food security through the planting of fruit trees. At the launch of the One Million Trees Campaign at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden on July 7, South Africa's Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, said her department was currently finalising logistics for the 'one million trees' planting day. The DFFE has identified 'safe' spaces where the trees will be planted, where requirements such as water availability, a dedicated person to look after the trees, and security or fencing are in place. Such places will include public institutions such as schools, churches, clinics, Early Childhood Development Centres, and certain Low-Income Housing establishments. The trees will be sourced through a network of approved nurseries, and South Africans will be asked to sponsor trees as soon as the DFFE's online QR system has been set up. The donated trees will be stored at the 11 National Botanical Gardens across the country, and DFFE nurseries, while planting logistics are being finalised. 'We are calling on all South Africans to join hands in greening our country. This is an all of society campaign which calls on collaboration by government departments, municipalities, civil society organisations, Non-Government Organisations, corporates, students and learners, churches and the public at large to plant at least one million trees for the benefit of our country,' Swarts said at the campaign's Pretoria launch event. '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,' she added. Swarts also underlined the importance of planting trees that were suitable for a particular area, and said that researchers were working with the department to develop a list of suitable trees in accordance with agro-ecological zones and climatic conditions in each province. The One Million Trees campaign follows President Cyril Ramaphosa's earlier instruction that 10 million trees be planted in the country over five years. Of these 60% should comprise fruit trees and the other 40% should be indigenous. 'I forever mourn when I go to Soweto and I see how we don't have enough trees in that Soweto environment and indeed in many other townships as well. So part of beautifying our cities, part of injecting life in our cities, should be looking at our environment, making it clean, making it attractive,' the President said during an address in March. IOL News
The Citizen
04-07-2025
- The Citizen
Bridge destroyed by floods reopened at Lowveld Botanical Garden
A R5.7m infrastructure project in the Lowveld National Botanical Garden saw the refurbishment of the suspension pedestrian bridge that was destroyed by the February 2023 floods. The 110m-long bridge over the Crocodile River was officially opened by the deputy minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, Bernice Swarts, and representatives of the South African National Biodiversity Institute on Friday, July 4. The project also included a new viewing deck of the river. ALSO READ: Kruger National Park announces school holiday access rules and important regulations It was funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment's Greening and Open Space Management Programme. Swarts said the refurbishments will assist the garden to attract more tourists. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Eyewitness News
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Apartheid police may have bugged car the 'Cradock Four' travelled in, inquest hears
JOHANNESBURG - The inquest into the assassination of the "Cradock Four" has heard how apartheid police may have bugged the car that the anti-apartheid activists were travelling in. Prominent anti-apartheid activist Professor Derrick Swarts is the first witness to take the stand in the inquest. The court has spent the last two days on an in loco inspection, where significant spots related to the lives and killings of the "Cradock Four" were visited. Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sicelo Mhlauli and Sparrow Mkhonto were assassinated by the apartheid special branch police in 1985. Swarts was the general secretary of the United Democratic Front, an anti-apartheid group to which the "Cradock Four" belonged. ALSO READ: Swarts was in the same meeting as Goniwe, Calata, Mhlauli and Mkhonto in what was then Port Elizabeth. He recalls warning them as they returned to Cradock after the meeting. "He indicated that he's got to make his way back because of family pressures; they had not made the arrangements, but he agreed that he would not stop unless it would be a police car or a traffic warden stopping him." Mhlauli and his comrades would be stopped that very evening by the security branch police at the Olifantskop Pass on the N10 highway, taken back to PE and killed. When the Goniwe family lawyer, Tembeka Ncgukaitobi, pointed out how the "Cradock Four" were stopped suspiciously, matched the warning given by Swarts who said Goniwe's beige Honda Ballade could have been tapped by police. IN PICS: Gqeberha High Court Judge visits key locations linked to lives of 'Cradock Four'
IOL News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Deputy minister urges urgent action to combat desertification and land degradation
The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Bernice Swarts has welcomed the need for members of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to do more in addressing desertification, land degradation, and drought while continuing to build strong partnerships for integrated solutions. Image: Supplied The Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Bernice Swarts, has welcomed the need for members of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to do more in addressing Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD) while continuing to build strong partnerships for integrated solutions. On Tuesday, on the first day of the four-day conference, the deputy minister delivered her keynote address to various member states and dignitaries gathered at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Sandton. "In the next four days, we will deliberate on issues relating to desertification, land degradation, and drought. I am pleased to confirm that many faces here are not new to me, as I had an opportunity to meet many of you during the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties in Saudi Arabia. "As you may recall, the UNCCD COP16 underscored the need to mobilise additional and innovative resources to support Parties in accelerating actions and interventions on the ground to address desertification, land degradation, and drought, and synergies with other environmental issues." Swarts said desertification, land degradation, and drought form part of the priority focus areas for South Africa's Presidency of the G20 Environment, Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG). 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 ✕ "For the first time in the history of the G20 Presidency, South Africa has made a bold commitment by including DLDD issues among its G20 priorities. This commitment fosters global solidarity in addressing the drivers of DLDD while promoting the mainstreaming of Sustainable Land Management practices and approaches across key sectors. "The main focus under the G20 ECSWG priority on DLDD is on the implementation of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets and their deliverables," she said. Speaking on the importance of Integrated Land Use Planning (IDN – ILUP) and target setting programme of the UNCCD, Baron Jospeh from the UNCCD Secretariat stressed the need for vertical and horizontal integration strategies. "I embrace the need for vertical and horizontal integration strategies, and the key thing is that once you fully embrace this approach, you are going to be linking various data sets. You are going to be able to better position cross collaborations," he said.
