Latest news with #Ramabodu
IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Take action this World Environment Day: Stop littering at Mabopane Taxi Station
City of Tshwane's Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment and Agriculture Management, Obakeng Ramabodu, and taxi rank officials inspect an illegal dumping site adjacent to Mabopane Taxi Rank during a World Environment Day commemoration event. Image: Rapula Moatshe As part of the commemoration of World Environment Day, City of Tshwane's Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment and Agriculture Management, Obakeng Ramabodu, issued a stern warning to smokers to stop discarding cigarette butts indiscriminately, particularly at taxi ranks. "We want to encourage them to start taking care of the environment," Ramabodu said during the event held at Mabopane Taxi Station on Thursday. The event aimed to promote a culture of maintaining a clean environment and to encourage the public to refrain from littering and disposing of waste indiscriminately. Ramabodu's call comes as the taxi station faces environmental challenges, such as a lack of skip bins for hawkers to dispose of their rubbish. Vuyisile Jaxa, secretary of the Soshanguve Taxi Owners Association, emphasised the importance of having waste bins available to encourage people to dispose of their waste properly. However, he noted that the problems at the taxi station go beyond litter, adding that commuters and taxi drivers are also grappling with an infestation of oversized rodents, describing them as "rats that are as big as cats". "And can you imagine that these rats are being fed by our people when they throw litter around at the back of their stalls," he said. The taxi association has teamed up with Botshilu Private Hospital and other stakeholders under the banner 'Keeping Soshanguve Clean Campaign' to address these issues. "We want to roll out this thing quarterly to make sure the whole of Soshanguve is clean. It is very important to have skip bins and small dustbins next to the stalls and next to our taxis. People come with food, especially when taking long-distance taxis. If there are dustbins nearby, we can encourage them to throw leftovers inside them," Jaxa said. In response, Ramabodu acknowledged the problems at the station and pledged to prioritise the provision of waste bins and to formalise dumping sites in the area. "We are going to direct all dumping to a specific area so that the municipality can collect it consistently. What is important is that we have identified the issue of the waste bins around the station and we are going to prioritise that," he said. Despite the challenges, Ramabodu commended the taxi station for being relatively clean compared to other stations in Gauteng. "We want to encourage them to continue doing the good work," he said. [email protected]
The Citizen
7 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Watch: Escaped Rietvlei cheetah found and captured
Njozi, the female cheetah that escaped from Rietvlei Nature Reserve earlier this week, has been safely captured. This is according to Obakeng Ramabodu, MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management. Pretoria Rekord reports that Njozi was located today after she mysteriously escaped yesterday. Ramabodu confirmed the big cat was found in the Bapsfontein area, thanks to a tracking device fitted on her. 'The team, along with veterinarians, used the tracker to locate Njozi. She is safely recovered without incident,' he said. He assured the public that Njozi was not harmed during her escape and that she did not cause any injuries or fatalities to the public. Ramabodu also revealed that the cheetah most likely escaped through a section of the reserve's perimeter fence that had been vandalised. 'We believe the escape was made possible due to damage to the fence,' he said, confirming that vandalism has compromised the reserve's security. 'We are prioritising repairs to the damaged fencing and strengthening safety measures to prevent future escapes. The safety of both wildlife and the surrounding community is non-negotiable,' he said. Ramabodu added that the department will immediately begin implementing enhanced safety measures to prevent further animal escapes from Rietvlei Nature Reserve. 'We must act swiftly to prevent future incidents, particularly involving the cheetah, which is often targeted. Our greatest concern is the safety of both the animal and the public. We cannot risk losing Njozi to injury, nor can we allow the possibility of her harming someone,' he said. Njozi was relocated to Rietvlei from the Western Cape and has a history of escaping. Yesterday, Njozi escaped from the reserve. Njozi was spotted on the R50 Delmas Road in the area of Bapsfontein, a farming town in Ekurhuleni. Derek van der Merwe from the Endangered Wildlife Trust said following an extensive search yesterday, Njozi was located in Bapsfontein but couldn't be darted as she ran into dense bushes, and it got dark, so the search was called off. He added that he believed that Njozi escaped as she was on the search for a male companion. 'If we can bring her a male cheetah, she wouldn't try to run or escape anymore. I am certain she will stay in the reserve with her companion.' This is not her first stint at escaping. In 2021, she slipped out of the reserve, and after an extensive search by officials and wildlife conservationists, Njozi managed to return on her own. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
