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The theme of this year's

World Environment Day,
being staged in South
Africa for the first time, is
rooted in the struggle for
democracy and unity
Eddie Koch reports

ffiffi:t-gx
that wor;ld mend the scars that
scour this country's landscape.
'The establishment of people's
parks during the uprisings of the
early 1980s was nothingless than
the creation ofleisure areas, an
afirmation of the desire forbeauty
in this commurrity," he said.
"Prisoners on Robtren Islancl
planted flowers and grass wher-
ever they could... When we say
magtbuge AJrtca (come back
Africa), we are calling lbr the
retum of legal title but also for the
restoration of land. the forest and
the atmosphere; the greening of
counhy is basic to its healing."
or,rr
Next week, Robben Island's most
farnous prisonerwill host an event
that echoes this proposition. On
I\{onday night, President Nelson
Mandela presides over an award-
giving ceremony in Pretoria for 27
people, Ii-om 2l corintries, who
have made a major contribution to
saving the $obal environment.
The leitmotif of the occasion,
designed to celebrate World Enr.i-
ronment Day, is that while divi-
sion and conflict promote ecolo$-
cal destruction, democracy and
unity is a precondition for the
earttr's repair.
The event will take place at the
State Theake and is planned as
 \}*ii,tt**"."f"H
that that
would mend the scars
scour this counhy's landscape.
'The establishment of people's
parks during the uprisings of the
early 1980s was nothing less than
the creation ofleisure areas, an
-ffr'1 4
r
aflirmation of the desire for beauty
in this community," he said.
...:,.. "Prisoners on Robben Island
"9:_A'
planted flowers and grass wher-
't.) r.
:l ever they could... When we say
mayibuye AJrica (come back
Africa), we are calling for the
retrrm of legal tifle but irlso for the
r{ restoration of land, the forest and
the atmosphere; the greening of
our cotmtry is basic to its healing."
Next week, Robben Island s most
famous prisoner will host. an event
I that echoes this proposition. 0n .d
, \ Mort<lav rrigl-rt, l']rcsitlent Nelson
Mirrxk'lir l)r'rrsi(lcs ov(\- an award-
givirrg t'eremony in l)n'toria for 27
ptrple, liom 2l corrrrlries, who
have made a major <:ontribution lo
saving the global envircnment.
c
The leitmotif ol'1he occasion.
designed 1o celebrate World Envi-
ronmenl Dery, is that while dM-
sion and conllict promote ecolo$-
cal dcstnrction, democracy and
unity is a precondition for the
earlh's repair.
The event will take place at the
State Theake and is planned as
the central event in a range of
activities to mark the first occa-
sion on which the celeberation is
being staged in South Africa.
The United Nations Environ-
ment Programme chose South
Africa as the venue because recent
events here mark the theme of this
year's Environment Day "We,
the people, united for the- global
environment" as well as the
quest for peace- and unity that
Difi picturc: Jo Steinhobel's photograph of a landfill site near Grahamstown received an honourable mention in a photographic competition underlies any successfrrl environ-
orgiriised jointly by Open Africa and Earthlile Africa for World Environment Day. The winners are featured on PAGES 4 and 5 mental reform.