JNF environmental centre and MEC join forces

Gauteng Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for the Environment Ewan Botha visited the Jewish National Fund (JNF) Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre in Mamelodi on 2 July to seek out opportunities for stronger collaboration with the organisation. 

Since 1994, the JNF has worked closely with national, provincial, and local governments to build parks, improve food security, treat waste water, and promote environmental best practice across South Africa. 

It established the Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre as a flagship example of this partnership. Officially opened by Albertina Sisulu in 2004, the centre has provided environmental education to generations of children in Mamelodi who might otherwise never have had access to these opportunities. 

Drawing on the JNF’s decades of expertise in establishing forests and restoring environments ‒ including the planting of more than 250 million trees in Israel ‒ the centre has successfully adapted this knowledge to South African conditions. Over the past decades, tens of thousands of trees have been planted throughout Mamelodi, helping to create greener, healthier communities. This work has been recognised through the inclusion of the JNF Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Billion Trees Programme. 

MEC Botha’s visit was an opportunity for the JNF to establish a relationship with him and to show its desire to collaborate further with government. The meeting shared ideas, proposals, and opportunities for environmental sustainability, strengthening partnerships, and unlocking innovative solutions for Gauteng’s environmental future. 

“The Gauteng MEC for Environment’s visit to the JNF Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre in Mamelodi was both encouraging and inspiring. His enthusiasm, practical outlook, and refreshing approach to the role of government in supporting nongovernmental organisations demonstrated a clear understanding that meaningful environmental change is best achieved through partnership,” said Michael Kransdorff, chairperson of the JNF SA. 

Botha spoke of his vision to reposition the environment from being seen as a burden or chore to being recognised as an opportunity for growth, innovation, and shared responsibility. He highlighted three priorities to achieve this: environmental education that empowers communities, stronger compliance and enforcement, and meaningful collaboration across sectors. The government, he said, cannot and should not do it alone. 

“The discussion was strategic and focused on the importance of partnerships between government and civil society and how they can benefit all players in South Africa,” said Bev Schneider, national director of the JNF SA. 

Botha said he was seeking to improve the waste management system in Gauteng and that it could be a catalyst for job creation. He wants to achieve a circular economy when it comes to waste management, and the Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre could be used to demonstrate best practices when it comes to systems and ideas. 

He explained that he would like to bring producer responsibility organisations (PROs) ‒ entities formed by manufacturers or importers to handle collection, recycling, and safe disposal of post-consumer waste like electronics, packaging, and batteries ‒ to function from the centre and work with it on future projects. 

“His innovative vision is of the environment as a catalyst for job creation, especially in the recycling and green economy sectors. This aligns perfectly with the JNF’s evolving focus through our new Warriors Green Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme, which is equipping young South Africans with the skills to create both environmental and economic impact,” said Kransdorff. 

Through Botha, the Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre will be in contact with PETCO, Polyco, MetPack, eWASA, and Fibre Circle, the PROs that will help teach about the different waste streams, including glass, plastic, aluminium, and electronic waste, and partner with the centre to deliver educational programmes. 

“We also want to establish a small waste transfer station so that people can separate their waste and learn practical recycling skills. From there, we’ll work to identify a licensed buy-back centre in the area that can collect the recyclable material and pay people for what they bring in. That way, we can demonstrate the full circular economy and show how the entire project works from start to finish,” said Botha. 

“We look forward to taking this further with the MEC and his department,” said Schneider. “It was also with great pride that we were able to showcase and introduce the MEC to our centre and the many projects and programmes it runs.” 

A volunteer at the centre, Fran Blumenthal, said, “It was a great honour for the JNF to host MEC Ewan Botha at the Walter Sisulu Environmental Centre. His visit recognised the important role the centre plays in environmental education, community development, and practical climate action in Mamelodi. For us, it was an opportunity to showcase the centre as a living example of how partnerships, education, and local action can contribute to a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future for our communities.”