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Government highlight Integrated Greening Programme

June 18, 2012

The KZN Integrated Greening Programme (IGP) is an exciting partnership between the Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Government, the Wildlands Conservation Trust and Business SA and was recently highlighted by the Honourable Ravi Pillay (MEC) of the Department of Public Works, during his 2012/2013 Budget Speech.

The programme, led by the Office of the Premier and co-ordinated by the Department of Public Works, aims to harness the collective energy of its partners to develop and implement a wide range of community-based greening activities. These stimulate local economic development whilst nurturing the establishment of vibrant, self-motivated communities that are clean, green and driven by inspired ‘green-preneurs,’ a term piloted by Wildlands.

“This programme is an ideal Public Private Partnership (PPP) which involves the Wildlands Conservation Trust, Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, Public Works, Economic Development and Tourism, Human Settlements and Msunduzi and eThekwini Municipalities,” commented Pillay. “The programme provides for: “Tree-preneurs” – growing and planting indigenous and edible plants; “Waste-preneurs” – collecting recyclable waste; “Green-preneurs” – trading bicycles, water tanks, solar energy devices; Reforestation projects, restoring community forest assets;”

Through this programme community members are given the opportunity to barter what they have collected or grown for items they need such as food, bicycles, building materials, JoJo Tanks, school fees, etc.

“An amount of R7 513 719 was spent on stipends between April 2011 and February 2012. The programme was initially earmarked to be piloted in Msunduzi and uMngeni Municipality, however it had to be extended to other Districts due to more stakeholders coming on board,” stated Pillay.

“What a fantastic, positive outcome from a programme led by our Government,” commented Dr Andrew Venter, CEO of Wildlands Conservation Trust. “Its success has seen several stakeholders jump at the opportunity to get involved and the programme is now active in uMgungundlovu, Sisonke, Uthungulu, Umkhanyakude, Zululand and the eThekwini Metro.”