Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Makhotso Sotyu, has encouraged learners of Ikgomotseng community to be environmentally conscious and ensure their community is free of litter.
The Deputy Minister was addressing learners at Kagisano Combined School on Friday, where she donated school uniforms, garden tools and planted indigenous trees, as part of government’s Back to School Campaign.
The campaign is aimed at encouraging and motivating learners, educators and parents to commit themselves to teaching and learning.
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries’ Working on Fire programme has adopted Kagisano Combined School for fire awareness and maintenance of the yard before the start of the fire season.
This will be complemented with the implementation of a waste management project and a vegetable garden provided by Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) and the department.
Implementation of the Waste Management project is a continuous action by the government and partners to ensure South Africans enjoy their constitutional right to an environment that is not harmful to their health and well-being.
“A healthy, educated population makes for a healthy, sustainable economy. The future of our country lies in the hands of our youths, hence we all ought to participate in creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning. One of the many ways of doing this is to ensure our environment is clean and free of litter,” Sotyu said.
She urged the school learners to make finishing school their foremost priority, so that they may be able to pursue careers of their choice.
“Once you finish school and have enrolled for a university qualification, some of you will qualify for bursary offered by the department. And once you successfully complete your tertiary studies, you will also qualify to participate in an internship programme in the department,” Sotyu said.
The Back to School campaign was facilitated under strict observance of COVID-19 alert level 1 regulations. – SAnews.gov.za
