community services, TCLM), Friddah Nyimeng (executive president, TCLM), Busi
Shongwe (MEC of agriculture, rural development and land, Herns
Trower (speaker at TCLM), Cllr Dikeledi Sibanyoni and Cllr George Sangxu, Tiny Mabuza
(Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Mbombela).
Human activity and development are threatening the biodiversity of grassland ecosystems as well as wetlands.
The onslaughts of refuse that is dumped into rivers or onto riverbanks is another factor that threatens fragile ecosystems. The Thaba Chweu Local Municipality hosted a campaign to celebrate World Wetlands Day (Thursday, February 24). This was in an effort to stop this trend and clean up the Spekboom-Dorps rivers. Busi Shongwe (the MEC for agriculture and rural development) visited the municipality to highlight the importance of the day.
Officials from Ehlanzeni District Municipality joined the campaign. In Mashishing, the Air Quality Monitoring Station was also launched. It is the first station in the Ehlanzeni district to have this type of quality.
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The station will monitor the levels of gas and dust in the air and make measurements. Ezrom Seksgobela, spokesperson for TCLM, stated that polluted atmospheres are often caused by mining and other industrial activity.
World Wetlands Day is a day when the world’s attention is focused on the environment. It is used by land and environmental affairs, agriculture, rural development, land, and environmental affairs.
