Gqeberha, South Africa, 09 May 2024 – Following the start of the Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Fauna and Flora Rescue Programme at the R3bn Stellantis development site, the Coega Development Corporation (Coega), supported the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s (NMBM) Environmental Education team during an endemic plant handover at Enkululekweni Primary School in Motherwell, Gqeberha, last week.
Coega Environmental Manager, Ms. Andrea von Holdt, explained that the initiative is driven by various factors, including the promotion of environmental education, and to offer first-hand exposure to the benefits of indigenous plants.
The handover took place following the collection of aloes and other useful endemic plants from the Stellantis site in Zone 2 of the Coega SEZ, before planned site clearing and construction activity commences. While the plant species were rescued from the development site in the Coega SEZ, the allocation of plants to various schools across the city is managed by the NMBM’s Environmental Education Department.
NMBM Environmental Education Officer, Ms. Lisa Lotter said: “Enkululekweni Primary School is one of the schools identified by the Municipality as a beneficiary of this project. Considering that Enkululekweni Primary School is a new school, this plant handover drive will prove beneficial to the school, learners, and community at large.”
Enkululekweni Primary School Principal, Ms. Liziwe Kate, expressed appreciation on behalf of the school staff and learners when receiving the plants: “As the principal of this new school, it brings me great joy to be a part of such good project. Preserving the environment is one of my focus areas, having worked as an environmental body personnel at my previous school. This is an opportunity to start training these young ones on the importance of taking good care of the environment.”
Lotter explained that the project is also about teaching young people about the medicinal value of endemic plants, and the significance of preserving the environment for the greater good.
“As Coega, we are happy to contribute to environmental projects in any way we can. Our SEZ is rich in biodiversity, and this is something we value. We strive to conserve and manage our open space areas for the benefit of SEZ users and the environment. We work with various organisations to rescue plant species and ensure the conservation of biodiversity while promoting sustainable industrial development,” concluded von Holdt.
