17 July 2020

The Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Ms Makhotso Sotyu today handed over 250 eco-furniture school desks to Ladybrand and Manyatseng Primary Schools in Ladybrand, Free State as part of the global Nelson Mandela Day.

Former President Mandela saw himself as a servant of the people and not a Messiah. Today’s celebration also coincided with the funeral of Tata and Mrs Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s daughter, Zindzi Mandela who was an activist in her own right.

The handover also included face masks, school bags, school shoes, fleece blankets, sanitizers, hygiene packs, water tanks, garden tools, recycling waste bins and sanitary towels which were also donated to Manyatseng Old Age Home

This year’s Mandela Day comes as communities across the world are affected by the spread of Covid-19, which has hit every economy, causing new social and economic challenges while threatening to reverse the gains made by the democratic government.

“We were in Ladybrand today in response to the clarion call by the Nelson Mandela Foundation for all of us to be active citizens in our communities, individually or as part of one of the millions of groups getting together to start initiatives around delivering food parcels, making masks and protective gear, teaching online or making donations towards these efforts,” said Deputy Minister Sotyu.

Donated desks were sourced from the department’s Eco-Furniture Programme which utilises invasive alien plant biomass to make products needed by government, thereby creating work opportunities for previously unemployed people as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme. 

“Since April 2014, our Eco-Furniture Programme has successfully placed over 600 000 learners behind high-quality desks, most for the very first time in their careers,” added Deputy Minister Sotyu.

The high-quality, durable, solid-wooden desks are being manufactured through the Department’s Working for Water programme, a globally acclaimed programme which aims to remove invasive alien plants and mitigate their effects on water quantity and quality, biological diversity and the functioning of natural ecosystems.

“Removing these invasive species that threaten our water security, promotes ecosystem resilience in an area of climate change, while creating much needed jobs. With the wood from these plants, we have been able to manufacture desks,” said Deputy Minister Sotyu.

The Deputy Minister also spent some time at the Manyatseng Old Age Home where she handed-over 50 blankets, grocery, sanitizers, vegetables seeds and garden tools.

The Deputy Minister concluded by adding that the environment benefits from less invasive while creating much needed jobs for South Africans. The eco desk programme shows the value of our environment in addressing social needs and as young people you should join us in protecting our environment

The Deputy Minister was joined by Mayor of Mantsopa Local Municipality Cllr Mamsie Tsoene during the Mandela Day programme.

The Covid-19 Regulations including screening, social distancing, sanitising were observed during the Deputy Minister’s visit to Ladybrand. 

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