November 8, 2007
By George Matlala
CLIMATE change was in the spotlight when several dozen trees were planted in Meadowlands yesterday, aimed at beautifying Soweto ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™.
Scores of employees from Johannesburg City Parks and Fleet Africa swamped what used to be barren open space along Odendaal Road – one of the June 16 Routes – in Meadowlands, Zone 5, where they planted 100 indigenous trees on Wednesday, 7 November.
The planting fell under the City's ambitious Greening of Soweto Legacy Project, through which it aims to plant more than 300 000 trees in the dusty township before the World Cup. The trees will leave a lasting legacy for the city long after the final whistle has been blown.
Luther Williamson, the City Parks managing director, said that Johannesburg had to work closely with businesses to achieve its ambitious goal of turning Soweto into an urban forest. Speaking at the tree-planting, Williamson said international organisations would be approached to join the Greening Soweto campaign.
The tree planting team gets ready
"There are inadequate trees and greening disparities in the south [of Johannesburg]," he said, adding that companies had to join the fight against climate change. "If we don't protect our environment, 20 years from now we will be judged to have damaged the environment."
Through its educational campaigns, City Parks had encouraged people to take care of the trees, he said, noting that 95 percent of the trees it had planted since the launch of the project in September 2006 had survived.
"More residences are taking responsibility for the trees; we are trying to bring communities on board," he said.
Sean Barnes, the chief executive of Fleet Africa, which manages the City's fleet of vehicles, said his company was happy to work with Johannesburg on a project that gave back to its residents.
"We aim to find initiatives that are long term, sustainable and that help to improve the lives of the citizens of Joburg."
The company was helping the City to deliver on its promise of bridging the green divide between its northern and southern suburbs. "Just as we helped to transform and improve the City's ability to deliver services to its citizens, we hope that our investment will help to transform the aesthetics of Soweto."
Urging residents to take care of the trees, Barnes said he hoped to see the trees grow over the years and that the area would be a beautiful park that Sowetans would enjoy.
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