19 Dec 2021

Government is committed to addressing impacts of increased production of waste and its indiscriminate disposal that has resulted in adverse environmental and health issues.

Consequently, the new Integrated Waste Management Policy seeks to, not only provide guidance on sustainable waste management practices, but to also harmonise coordination of waste management.Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism Ms Philda Kereng said this at the Jwaneng Town Council Environment Regeneration Strategy launch recently.

The three-year strategy is centred around keeping the town clean through eliminating illegal dumping of litter and intensifying litter picking, increasing public awareness and mobilising the community through campaigns as well as intensifying law enforcement to maintain an aesthetic environment.

Ms Kereng commended Jwaneng Town Council for being a pacesetter in implementing a strategy that resonated with the national policy that called for behavioural change, shared responsibility, and stakeholder participation, as well as establishing a valuable partnership with Jwaneng mine on waste management. She said waste management was a global concern which contributed to the impacts of climate change, hence the need to collaborate on sustainable ways of effective disposal of various forms of waste.

 “The strategy takes note that achieving sustainable waste management, as a performance area, cannot be accomplished by one entity without involvement and active participation of other stakeholders,” she noted.

She further applauded Jwaneng mine for being a strategic partner that will contribute towards the reset agenda that emphasised stakeholder involvement in development issues.

She was optimistic that the collaboration would create employment opportunities through innovative waste management projects as well as contribute towards restoring Jwaneng to a sparkling town that sold the diamond story to the world.
For her part, Jwaneng mayor, Ms Olga Ditsie underscored the need for all stakeholders to join hands in addressing waste management issues.

She noted that collective responsibility would ensure that the strategy was implemented effectively thereby restoring the image of Jwaneng to a sparkling town. “Let’s leverage modern technology and find ways of turning waste into cash.

The strategy is challenging our communities to benchmark from others who are into recycling waste material to produce valuable commodities,” she said.

She also noted that there was need for intensive community mobilisation and emphasis on environmental education at schools and other organisations. She said such capacity building initiatives would ensure that various stakeholders had a shared responsibility of effective waste management.

 However, Ms Ditsie called for harmonisation of waste management issues, which she said would promote proper coordination. “It is high time environment issues are put under one ministry for proper coordination and cooperation. We are currently having a challenge of overlapping duties when it comes to waste collection especially along the roads because of administrative jurisdictions. This results in litter creating an eye sore on the streets,” she noted. ENDS