‘South Africans are drowning’: Ramaphosa faces backlash over tree-planting campaign
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is facing public backlash over his 'One Billion Trees' campaign. Critics argue the government should prioritize urgent socioeconomic issues like unemployment and crime rather than environmental initiatives.
Why it matters
It highlights the tension between long-term environmental policy and immediate domestic economic crises in developing nations.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has faced backlash on social media after highlighting the progress of the Presidential One Billion Trees Campaign, with some South Africans questioning whether the initiative should be a priority amid the country’s socioeconomic challenges.
Ramaphosa said more than 7-million trees had been planted across the country since April as part of the campaign, which aims for more than 1-billion trees to be planted over the next five years.
“Since April this year, more than 7-million trees have been planted across all provinces under the Presidential One Billion Trees Campaign. More than 2-million trees have been planted in the Western Cape alone, with more than 1-million trees in each of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“It is particularly impressive that more than half-a-million trees have been planted in the country’s driest province, the Northern Cape,” said Ramaphosa.
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