FIVE trucks were loaded with 100 000 litres of water in Springs ahead of their journey to Cape Town on March 1.
The much-needed water will be donated to a number of charities by the Cape Town Motor Show (CTMS). Cape Town is experiencing Level 6B water restrictions and each person is restricted to the use of 50 litres of water per person per day. This puts great strain on organisations such as animal welfare and those caring for children and the elderly.
The spectacular Cape Town Motor Show is set to wow crowds at GrandWest in Cape Town this weekend, and being cognisant of the water crisis in Cape Town, the organisers along with BP Southern Africa and Orliflex, a Johannesburg based transport and logistics company, has coordinated an initiative to take 100 000 litres of water to Cape Town.
At the invitation of the Cape Town Motor Show, Orliflex arranged for five trucks to travel to Cape Town from Gauteng to form part of the show. This presented the transport company with the opportunity to assist Cape Town by bringing water to aid a number of charities such as old age homes, animal shelters and people with disabilities. Orliflex, as organiser of the annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Truck Convoy, is also using the initiative to help raise awareness for prostate cancer, an issue close to the heart of their organisation.
Sarita Gerber, managing director of Orliflex, said: “In November last year we organised a prostate cancer awareness convoy of trucks during which we have raised funds for prostate cancer research, so when we arranged to send trucks to Cape Town for the motor show, it seemed an obvious opportunity to assist Cape Town to receive much-needed water. We have been inundated with donations from schools and businesses in Pretoria and the East Rand and we are now looking forward to the safe delivery of water to the Cape Town Motor Show on Friday.”
BP Southern Africa has come on board to sponsor the R75 000 in diesel fuel and the trucks will fill up at BP Service Stations along the route.
“BP Southern Africa is pleased to partner with the Cape Town Motor Show in support of this noble initiative, which will go towards scaling emergency water assistance efforts, specifically providing safe drinking water for vulnerable groups. We believe it is important to rally together in times of trouble and challenges. We urge the business community and South Africans from all walks of life to do their bit in support of the drought relief efforts. Collectively we can do so much more,” said Tebogo Mekoa, BPSA head of marketing.
As a socially responsible organisation, BP Southern Africa has also implemented aggressive water conservation measures at its service stations in support of efforts to avoid Day Zero. This includes suspension of windscreen washing, radiator coolant water and car-washing services (unless waterless methods are used). The service stations are also being encouraged to install water tanks for rainwater collection through gutters.
“We would like to thank our customers for their cooperation and understanding. Let us stand together in avoiding Day Zero,” said Mekoa.
Garth Rhoda, marketing director for the Cape Town Motor Show said: “We have been overwhelmed at the offers of assistance to support this initiative. We as the Cape Town Motor Show are thrilled to be the catalyst for this outpouring of goodwill towards Cape Town and its residents in their time of need.
“We are grateful to BP Southern Africa for sponsoring the fuel as this would not have been possible without this and we laud Sarita and her team for what they have managed to arrange in such a short space of time. The logistics of sourcing and transporting 100 000 litres of water is a monumental task and we look forward to being a part of giving this water to the charities on Friday at the Cape Town Motor Show.”
The Cape Town Motor Show takes place from March 2 to March 4. For further information visit www.capetownmotorshow.co.za
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