/ 24 March 2000

First lady of the Green Trust

Fiona Macleod

Graa Machel, the “first lady” of South Africa and Mozambique, has agreed to be co-patron of the Nedbank/Mail & Guardian Green Trust Awards.

She will share patronage of the country’s premier environmental awards with Anton Rupert, founder of the Rembrandt Group and long-time conservationist.

The new patrons have been asked to attend this year’s awards-giving banquet on June 1, when more than R90E000 in prizes will be awarded to some of Southern Africa’s top conservation and community-development projects.

Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Mohammed Valli Moosa will give the keynote address at the black-tie event.

The Green Trust, a mutual-benefit partnership between Nedbank and the World Wide Fund for Nature-South Africa, launched the awards in 1990. The M&G became a partner in the awards in late 1998. Last year the competition drew a record number of entries from a wide range of projects.

Entries can still be submitted for this year’s competition (see PAGE 8). The closing date is March 31.