Environmental programmes funded by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment are showing measurable delivery on waste management, greening, and local economic participation in the North West, following a three-day oversight visit by Deputy Minister Bernice Swarts.
The visit formed part of the department’s ongoing monitoring and evaluation programme, aimed at testing whether publicly funded environmental projects are delivering real environmental, social and economic value on the ground. The Deputy Minister inspected projects linked to waste management, greening, job creation and small enterprise participation, with a focus on accountability, operational performance and long-term impact.
Key sites included the Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot in Tlhabane and community greening initiatives in Mogwase linked to the national One Million Trees Campaign. The Deputy Minister was joined by senior departmental leadership and Waste Bureau officials, reflecting an integrated approach to oversight across environmental programmes, chemicals and waste management, and implementation partners.
At community level, the visit concluded with a clean-up campaign in Tlhabane involving residents, municipal officials and departmental staff. The initiative reinforced the department’s position that environmental programmes must extend beyond compliance and contribute directly to healthier living environments, civic participation and local economic activity.
Deputy Minister Swarts said waste management remains a key lever for inclusive economic development, particularly in communities facing high unemployment. She emphasised that waste must be treated as a resource within a circular economy, where recycling and recovery activities can support job creation, informal income streams and small business growth.
The department confirmed it will continue to expand work opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme, with a stronger focus on skills development and exit pathways under EPWP Phase V. According to the Deputy Minister, future projects will increasingly be required to demonstrate how participants are supported to transition into formal employment, entrepreneurship or sustainable livelihoods, including through partnerships with Sector Education and Training Authorities.
The greening component of the visit focused on the department’s national tree-planting drive, which forms part of South Africa’s climate mitigation and adaptation strategy. Deputy Minister Swarts reaffirmed the department’s commitment to scaling the initiative following the successful planting of one million trees in a single day last year. Planning is now underway to increase that target to five million trees in a single day, with expanded collaboration across government, civil society, faith-based organisations and local communities.
She noted that greening projects are increasingly being designed to deliver multiple outcomes, including climate resilience, biodiversity protection, community awareness and social cohesion, particularly when implemented through trusted local institutions.
At the Rustenburg Waste Tyre Depot, the Deputy Minister assessed operational improvements and engaged directly with black-owned SMMEs operating within the waste tyre value chain. Over the past two years, efficiency gains supported by the Waste Bureau have increased processing capacity at the depot, enabling greater throughput and supporting downstream processing expansion in the province and neighbouring regions.
While the primary transporter in the province is a black women-owned enterprise, the Deputy Minister called for further inclusion of women- and youth-owned businesses, particularly through extending waste services into rural areas and under-served communities.
Deputy Minister Swarts confirmed that similar monitoring and evaluation visits will continue across all provinces to ensure environmental programmes deliver accountable governance, inclusive economic participation and long-term environmental and social returns in line with national development and climate objectives.
