THE three winners of South Africa's Cleanest Town Competition were announced yesterday at the World Environment Day celebrations in Qumbu, Eastern Cape. The Nelson Mandela Metro (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape walked off with the R1m cash prize after winning the title of South Africa's cleanest metro. KwaZulu-Natal's Newcastle Transitional Local Council (TLC) was named the cleanest TLC in the country, while Klein Karoo was voted the cleanest District Council. They will receive funding for environmental projects worth R1m each. Minister of Public Works Stella Sigcau praised the towns for demonstrating their commitment to the environment. "These towns should serve as a model to all other towns to follow in their footsteps and clean up South Africa for a better life." Sigcau announced the competition winners on behalf of the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa. Provincial winners of the competition included the Greater Middelburg municipality in Mpumalamga; the Potchefstroom and Makwasie municipalities of the North West; Greater Tzaneen Municipality in the Limpopo; Upington municipality in the Northern Cape; Mangaung Municipality in the Free State; Barkley East municipality in the Eastern Cape; Newcastle and Pongola municipalities of Kwa Zulu Natal; Knysna and the Garden Route Klein Karoo (Adéle Mackenzie)
