FAO Regional Office for Africa

FAO participates in launch of National Arbor Week

As Durban prepares to host the World Forestry Congress

Senzeni Zokwana, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Bekhi Cele, Deputy Minister & Tobias Takavarasha, FAO Representative to South Africa at the launch of Arbor Week

3 September 2015, Durban - FAO joined The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in partnership with Total South Africa, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, eThekwini Municipality and Food & Trees for Africa at the launch of the Arbor Week at the Durban Botanic Gardens.

National Arbor Week Campaign is celebrated annually from 1 to 7 September 2015.

This is a joint venture of various stakeholders and seeks to promote awareness for the need to plant and maintain indigenous trees throughout the country. This programme highlights the value of trees including those that are threatened by extinction.   This year’s theme “Forests and People: Investing in a Sustainable Future” was adopted from the World Forestry Congress, which will be hosted by South Africa on 7-11 September 2015. This launch is a platform to promote the congress and highlight the value and importance of forests. The congress is a convergence of scientists, policy-makers, government officials, technicians, civil society organisations and other role players to discuss and debate challenges, solutions and new innovations affecting the forestry sector globally. It commenced in 1926 and will be hosted for the first time on Africa soil in Durban.

The launch day kick started with a handing over of trees to the community of KwaMakhutha. This was followed by a walk-about through a rehabilitated forest and the clearing of alien invasives, where 400 indigenous trees have been planted. This rehabilitation was done as part of the legacy projects for the World Forestry Congress (WFC) in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality and Future Leaders of Change, a youth based organisation involved in environmental management initiatives within KwaMakhutha and greater eThekwini Municipality. As part of the launch, a plague was unveiled at Adams Mission to mark as one of the WFC legacy projects.

Today’s launch also saw the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mr Senzeni Zokwana accompanied by Deputy Minister General Bheki Cele, FAO Representative Dr Tobias Takavarasha  and their provincial counterparts physically plant trees and vegetables in the area of KwaMakhutha.

The Secretary General for the WFC – Trevor Abrahams opened the speeches by announcing that the congress is less than three days away, and the country is ready to host Africa’s First major forestry event.  The Associate Secretary General Tiina Vahanen emphasized the importance of Forests in our everyday lives and commended the efforts of the Agriculture department for having Arbor Week as an awareness campaign.

“Every day should be treated as a tree planting day,” Minister Zokwana said.