TSHIKOTA – The Mayor of Makhado Municipality, Cllr Brighton Tlakula and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry officially launched the Tshikota Trees for Homes Project in Tshikota on Sunday.

Tlakula said that people still depend greatly on trees and herbs for medicinal and spiritual reasons. "The planting of trees is essential in both urban and rural areas, as it improves the quality of the environment. It protects steep terrains from soil erosion, produces specialist woods, craft materials, and fuel wood and also provides valuable tourist attractions. In addition, the oxygen we breath comes from these trees and they also help in cleaning the air and keeping the environment clean," he said.

He added that without trees "we are just like people without souls."

Mr Themba Dlamini from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry indicated that community forestry is defined in the white paper on sustainable forest development in South Africa. Forestry is designed and applied to meet local, household and environmental needs and to favour local economic development. Community forestry deals with the empowerment of local communities through enterprises, to improve and conserve the environment through greening by planting trees.

Trees for Homes is a project funded by US Aid to provide trees for low income housing (RDP houses) to improve the quality of life of the poorest in South Africa. The Makhado Municipality donated R1 000 to the project.