The pollution in the Jukskei River will one day cease and revert the river to its past serene nature as desired by Alex’s nostalgic older residents.
This will be only if efforts to clean it up are done more regularly with similar efforts done up and downstream and combined with stringent riverine management that includes residents.
Read: City cleans Jukskei River for March’s A Re Sebetseng campaign
This was the dominant view expressed when Engen Petroleum Company employees accompanied volunteers of local community-based organisation Shomang Sebenzani Development Initiative (CBO) and Pikitup employees on their regular clean effort of the river next to Lion Cres Jukskei Park.
Said Joe Mahlo, director at Engen, “It’s a matter of intensifying educational awareness on the importance of caring for the environment which nurtures us with drinking water which shouldn’t be polluted and feeds us through food from irrigated fields and farms.
“It needs a collective effort from all of us through concerted education and awareness on the importance of sustainable management of the environment.”
His staff were at the river for a good cause also, to celebrate the company’s 25th birthday. “It’s a thousand-year-old river that we, based in Sandton, also share and should not shun as dirty when we speed past on the highway.
Mahlo added, “It’s our small step to making this an annual event we hope will also rub onto the residents partly through the visible effort of those who clean it regularly. It sustains life.”
He said the staff volunteered their time to show and inculcate awareness and belief in the right and importance of environmental management. “Education changes attitudes and will make us learn what works and is to be adapted as good and collective practice to keep the river clean.”
He said the initiative by the corporate social investment unit is part of the entire education programme which includes sponsoring study bursaries in maths and science.
Muzi Mkhwananzi of PikiTup said the task of cleaning up the environment around the city is mammoth with more than 2000 illegal dumpsites dotted all over. “We will succeed with partnerships that raise conscience against littering which costs 50 to 60 million rands to clear,” Mkwananzi said adding that inaction against plastic littering ended in the ocean killing marine life. He urged for more participation by residents in clean initiatives and protecting rehabilitated dump sites. “They should be barricaded and turned into productive spots like vegetable gardens. “Companies should assist with other creative options on their use.”
Read: Messy Jukskei River to get dirt traps
Franscina Rammabi of the CBO said the exercise includes developing 21 school vegetable gardens equipped with JoJo tanks and veggie tunnels to promote and protect biodiversity. “More positive results will arise with a change in residents’ mindset against littering which pollutes the river sometimes soon after cleaning it up. “This defeats local and international commitment on conservation to ensure we don’t run out of water supply by the projected 2020.
Ward councillor Teffo Rapadu commended the partnerships he said should be done more regularly with intensified education of residents to encourage them to play their part. “Rampant dumping should be stopped to help revert the river to a healthy condition. “A clean river and environment make for a better and healthier community,” Rapadu said adding that the initiative should be part of holistic, up and downstream work that’s sustained in the interest of future generation in a water scarce country.
