Three concerned community groups have joined forces to ensure the continued survival of fish and plant species within the ‘heavilly polluted and choking’ Jukskei River that flows through the township.
Ububele Africa, Rebuild SA, and the Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers have organised clean-ups of the river in a bid to restore its fish and plant vibrancy that has been severely affected by the wanton pollution.
On September 11, they all converged on the river bank with the determination to make the environment safe for all by putting their own health at risk to clean the heavily polluted river as they battled broken bottles, diapers, tons of plastic, and other mysteries that lie at the bottom of the river.
This collaborative effort comes after these respective organisations worked tirelessly for over a month to repair the damage caused by the violent lootings that happened in mid-July. This is their effort to lending a helping hand in keeping the environment safe for all.
“The river is very near and dear to the kids of Alex who frequently visit without adult supervision, an act which has led to catastrophes and even loss of life. It’s sad that the river is so heavily polluted and choking,” said Chloe Cardosso of the Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers.
This was the first of the three clean-up events scheduled to take place this September to clean up as much of the river as possible. They focused on cleaning up rubbish on the verges and in the water they removed tons of rubbish and many other kinds of unwanted junk that filled the wetlands and woodlands.
“It is always a great experience to see the community come out in numbers to participate in group activities such as this clean-up, it’s always commendable when people work together to help keep their environment safe and clean,” Cardosso added.
“We hope to see more people join us on the next one so we can fully clean up this entire river, now that we are done cleaning up the ransacked malls and buildings after the lootings, our focus is now on cleaning the entire community of Alexandra.”
