Morero urges Joburg residents to protect trees as 500 are planted in Soweto

Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero has called on residents to take ownership of the city’s green spaces, saying planting trees must be matched by efforts to ensure they survive.

Morero was speaking during a tree-planting programme in Soweto under this year’s theme, “My Tree, My Oxygen. Plant Yours Today.”

He said trees were essential to creating healthier, safer and more liveable communities by providing oxygen, cooling neighbourhoods and supporting biodiversity.

Morero reflected on Soweto’s transformation since 1994, saying greening had formed part of the township’s development into an economic, tourism, cultural and heritage hub.

He said the Greening Soweto programme, launched in 2006 to address historical inequalities in access to green spaces, resulted in more than 200 000 trees being planted, parks being improved and green corridors developed.

The programme also created jobs, transferred skills and supported small businesses through landscaping and maintenance work.

“That is why the 500 trees we plant today matter. They represent an investment in economic development, environmental sustainability and community wellbeing,” Morero said.

He linked the initiative to Johannesburg’s climate and clean-air agenda, noting that the city recorded good air quality on only 65% of days in the past financial year.

Morero said vehicle emissions accounted for more than 75% of nitrogen oxides in the city’s air.

“Planting a tree takes minutes; growing one takes years,” he said, urging communities to protect newly planted trees and public spaces.

He said Johannesburg’s ageing urban forest required constant renewal to secure a greener future for generations to come.