nisters of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) in the Eastern Cape walked the streets of Flagstaff picking up litter to mark the opening of the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign, held on the 11th May 2011 at the Flagstaff Sports Grounds.
Thembeka Pama, the campaign coordinator, said CoGTA introduced this campaign to turn waste into wealth, by keeping spaces in South Africa clean through sustainable job creation.

The Acting Minister for CoGTA, Nathi Mthethwa, delivered the keynote address at the launch, which was further motivated by an address from the MEC for CoGTA in the Eastern Cape, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, who encouraged local people to set an example for other South Africans by focusing on keeping their own town clean. The Clean Cities and Towns Campaign is part of the Community Works Programme (CWP) and has now been launched in Elliotdale, Lusikisiki and Flagstaff, and will also be launched in other provinces as the year proceeds.
Teba Development and Lima Rural Development were appointed by CoGTA to run the Community Works Programme, which creates employment opportunities, as well as providing training, skills development and work experience. In Lusikisiki and Flagstaff, 1300 new job opportunities have been created through this programme.

The Ministers of CoGTA visited some of the thirteen nearby villages to see the progress the participants had made in certain CWP projects. These projects, including home-based care, construction and agriculture, inject R900 000 per month into the local economy.
Angela Parry, an Agricultural Manager at Lima said, “Both the Clean Cities and Towns campaign, and the Community Work Programme are benefiting the lives of local individuals, uplifting communities, and making a difference in people’s lives. These participants are grateful to CoGTA for both of these programmes.”

Ministers doing the litter march MEC M Qoboshiyane was the guest speaker     The Launch held at Flagstaff Sports Ground CWP participants at the Launch