At the Temvelo Media Launch, the MEC delivered a powerful keynote address highlighting the urgent need for environmental responsibility, innovation, and collective action. His speech positioned the Temvelo Environment Awards as a vital platform to recognise environmental champions, encourage sustainable development, and inspire communities, businesses, and institutions to protect our planet for future generations.
MEC’s Speech at the Temvelo Media Launch
At the official Temvelo Media Launch, the Honourable MEC delivered a compelling address on the importance of environmental stewardship, sustainable development, and collective responsibility in responding to today’s environmental challenges. The speech reflects the vision behind the Temvelo Environment Awards and their role in recognising innovation, leadership, and action across communities, government, business, and civil society.
Speech by MEC Brenda Khethiwe Moeketsi
MEC for Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs, Mpumalanga
Programme Director, Media Houses, Distinguished Guests, Esteemed Colleagues, Environmental Champions, and Fellow Guardians of our Planet,
We gather today at a moment of profound environmental reckoning. The triple planetary crisis – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – has brought humanity to a critical crossroads that demands unprecedented action and imagination.
Our province of Mpumalanga – lapho lilanga liphuma khona – the province of the rising sun – stands as a microcosm of the global environmental challenge. We are witnesses and actors in a global narrative that transcends borders, economies, and individual interests.
The recent discussions at COP 29 have underscored an urgent truth: our current trajectory is unsustainable. The global community is grappling with the imminent threat of climate change, recognizing that our economic models must fundamentally transform to ensure planetary survival. These conversations have made it crystal clear – environmental protection is not a choice, but an existential necessity.
Central to our environmental challenge is the scourge of pollution – a crisis that touches every aspect of human existence. Pollution is not merely an environmental issue; it is a comprehensive threat to human health, economic productivity, and social well-being. Recent scientific evidence reveals the devastating impact of pollution on our communities:
- Every year, environmental pollution contributes to over 9 million premature deaths globally
- Microplastics now contaminate every ecosystem, from the depths of our oceans to the air we breathe
- Economic losses from environmental degradation now outweigh the entire GDP of many developing nations
The imminent global plastics treaty represents a beacon of hope. This landmark international agreement aims to address the entire lifecycle of plastics – from production to disposal – recognizing that our current relationship with plastic is fundamentally broken. For Mpumalanga, this means reimagining our industrial practices, our waste management systems, and our approach to economic development.
The Temvelo Environment Awards are more than a ceremony. They are a strategic intervention – a powerful mechanism to drive environmental innovation, recognize groundbreaking initiatives, and inspire transformative action across every sector of our society.
We are calling on every sector – from our mining and agricultural industries to our entrepreneurs and community leaders – to reimagine their role in environmental stewardship. The false dichotomy between economic development and environmental preservation must be dismantled. They are not opposing forces, but symbiotic partners in our collective future.
Our awards will span categories that address the most pressing environmental challenges:
- Circular Economy Innovations
- Climate Change Mitigation Strategies
- Pollution Reduction and Management
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Sustainable Community Development
To our young people, our innovators, our community leaders – these awards are your platform. They are an invitation to dream boldly, to innovate courageously, and to lead decisively in our environmental journey.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are not distant aspirations. They are immediate imperatives. Through the Temvelo Awards, we are aligning our provincial strategy with global sustainability objectives – addressing climate action, protecting life on land, and building sustainable communities.
This is about more than recognition. This is about writing a new chapter in Mpumalanga’s story – a chapter where economic development and environmental preservation are seamlessly integrated, where every citizen understands their role as an environmental steward.
We are not just preparing for the future. We are actively creating it.
To every nominee, every participant, every visionary who dares to reimagine our relationship with the natural world – this is your moment. The Temvelo Awards are your megaphone, your recognition, your catalyst for change.
To incentivise the good stewardship of our environment, government is working in collaboration with private sector for in-kind and financial prizes to accompany the trophies, which will vary with each category, specifically for communities, individuals, institutions of learning and municipalities. Business and Industry shall get a recognition of trophies and certificates.
Let us move forward with courage, with innovation, and with an unwavering commitment to protecting our planet and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.
Indeed, the timing of these Temvelo Environment Awards could not be more critical. As we approach the festive season – a time traditionally marked by heightened consumption and waste – these awards serve as a powerful educational tool to reimagine our relationship with consumption.
The festive period is often characterized by excess – mountains of packaging, single-use plastics, food waste, and impulse purchases that burden our environment. But this year, we challenge every household, every business, every community to turn this tradition on its head. The Temvelo Awards will shine a spotlight on sustainable consumption practices, demonstrating that celebration need not come at the cost of our planet.
We will showcase innovators who are redesigning gift-giving, businesses creating zero-waste holiday solutions, and community leaders developing sustainable festive practices. From reusable decorations to locally sourced, environmentally friendly gifts, from minimizing food waste to responsible purchasing, we can transform the festive season into a celebration of environmental stewardship.
Our message is clear: every purchase is a vote for the kind of world we want to create. Every decision matters. Every individual has the power to make a difference.
As families gather, as communities come together, let the Temvelo Awards be a conversation starter – a catalyst for reimagining consumption, celebrating creativity, and protecting our precious environment.
Ngiyabonga. Thank you.
Event Gallery
The Temvelo Media Launch brought together key stakeholders, government representatives, environmental leaders, media partners, and invited guests in support of a shared vision for environmental stewardship and sustainable development.
The moments captured below reflect the spirit of the launch — collaboration, commitment, and the beginning of an important journey towards recognising and celebrating those who are making a meaningful impact in protecting our environment.
Photos from the Temvelo Media Launch
