ELB Equipment has secured the lion’s share of orders for the Green Good Deeds campaign aimed at supporting efforts to clean-up rubble within the municipalities of KwaZulu Natal.
The campaign is an initiative of the province’s Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and offers financial aid to municipalities who have been hiring equipment such as backhoe loaders (BHL), graders, rollers and trucks at great costs to clean up their areas. In addition to clean-ups, the equipment will also be used to build, maintain and renew infrastructure such as drains, pipelines, outfalls and clearing operations.
ELB Equipment divisional director, Desmond van Heerden, says the company was able to supply the majority of yellow equipment (27 machines) for the R104-million contract (US$7.041mn), with trucks, water tankers, honey-suckers and a fire engine secured by vehicle suppliers.
“The drive to clean up our municipalities is gaining traction and businesses are increasingly getting behind our municipalities to ensure a greener environment for future generations. That is why ELB Equipment is particularly excited about supplying our equipment for such a good cause,” says van Heerden.
In the meantime, the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs said the campaign is part of a greater effort to educate people not to litter and pollute, as well as being responsible and cleaning-up wherever their activities have degraded the environment.
So far, companies have even promised to make staff available, adopt a spot to clean regularly and donate equipment for the province-wide clean-up. And, it will need to be an ongoing campaign, as the problem is being compounded by people moving to towns and cities from rural areas.
van Heerden concludes that the supply of equipment for the Green Good Deeds campaign is in line with ELB Equipment’s strategy to work closely with municipalities and government to make it easier to get the equipment that is required. “That’s the reason why we have hired specialised staff to work with municipalities to streamline procurement and ensure they get the right machine for the job – every time.”
