The government has set aside R400-million for a cleaning and greening project in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Thursday.
In the first phase of Project Buyisela ("give back"), 10 eco-towns modelled on sustainability would be created as a legacy project. Funds would be equally divided among the proposed pilot sites, Sonjica said.
"Buyisela seeks to supplement the municipal street cleaning efforts, clear up all hot spots, establish landfill sites where there aren't any, clean and rehabilitate dump sites and encourage recycling as part of efforts to stop the throw-away mentality," she said.
The department had also set aside R27-million for the rehabilitation of a dump site and the creation of a new waste management site in Mthatha.
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Sonjica said biodiversity was not about a few endangered species, but sustaining all ecosystems that underpinned service delivery.
She said the restoration of degraded ecosystems would increase the ability of ecosystems to withstand climate change and adapt naturally.
"South Africa must act now to combat climate change. Investing in the ecological infrastructure of this country is as important as building schools, roads, hospitals and houses," she said. - Sapa
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