Morninghill resident leads clean-up initiative

Morninghill resident Ang Lloyd took a walk one day and was horrified by the plastic littering the Jukskei river bank passing through the Morninghill park.

Also read: Residents sick of Morninghill stink

This is when she decided to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty by starting the Morninghill Community Clean-up Group in December last year.

Also read: Joburg Water inspects Morninghill stream

“I approached the Cornerstone Church and asked for their involvement in the project. Glenn van Rooyen from the church was very interested in the idea and came on board,” she said.

The 35-year-old has been living in Morninghill since 2016 and believes that the Morninghill community along with people in Bedfordview, Bruma and surrounding areas need to take action and get involved in keeping the environment clean.

“It would be wonderful if the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality had a monthly volunteer clean-up programme like A Re Sebetseng, but they don’t. So we as Ekurhuleni residents need to create our own initiatives. The Morninghill Community Clean-up Group is very small, but we’re trying to make a difference.”

Lloyd pointed out that they have been struggling to get interest from the community.

“The more people who get involved, the easier it’ll become and the cleaner our green spaces will be.

“Whatever you can do, do it. I’ve seen an old guy in Morninghill wearing gloves on his morning walk and picking up litter while he’s at it. Another guy took it upon himself to fill up 18 bin bags with river bank waste, by himself and in his own time. We all need to take responsibility. It can often feel incredibly overwhelming and pointless, but we have to do something,” she urged.

Lloyd had this advice for community members wanting to play a role in cleaning up.

“You can get a street group together to clear up a designated area once a week, or put your plastic rubbish into a separate bag for the recyclers.”

Yet why don’t people want to be involved in clean-up campaigns and projects?

“I think most people don’t want to get involved because they have busy lives, and it’s not seen as a priority. To be honest, I don’t particularly enjoy picking up the plastic debris along the riverbank.”

Lloyd suggested that another reason there was no support from the community was because people felt that because they pay rates and taxes it should be the municipality’s responsibility.

However, she urged community members to take matters into their own hands, adding that the problem of litter and cleanliness was the responsibility of both the municipality and the community.

“It is the municipality’s responsibility to make sure the green spaces are clear of litter and waste; we do pay rates and taxes for this to happen, after all. But due to a combination of mismanagement and not enough resources, unfortunately it doesn’t get done.”

During their clean-up operations on the river bank, Lloyd’s group has found everything from car parts to condoms, millions of broken up polystyrene pieces, and plastic bags galore.

“This litter comes from the Joburg CBD, and is then washed down the Jukskei during heavy rains, reaching Morninghill and beyond.”

The clean-up group has partnered with communityhourssa.co.za.

“Teens can log their community service hours for life orientation through the site. They need to log in, then search for Cornerstone Church (as the organisation). As your child logs their hours online, the hours are accumulated and show a running total per year on their profile. They can then print a digital certificate in respect of each separate volunteering opportunity, or one with all hours reflected.”

If you are interested in joining the clean-up group you can visit their Facebook page, The Morninghill Community Clean-up Group, for more information.

The group meets once a month on a Saturday afternoon from around 5pm.

Volunteers are urged to bring gloves and black bags.

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