Spruit Day has come and gone for another year, and while we should be very proud of all the hard work our community members did on 17 September, we also need to remember that caring for our environment is a year-long responsibility.
The Fourways Review caught up with David Foley, councillor for Ward 94, at this year’s Spruit Day efforts. “It’s been a wonderful turnout today [Spruit Day], and we definitely need to give credit to all the residents who gave up their time to be here, to say ‘we care’,” Foley said as he picked up litter along the Jukskei River banks just off Main Road in Lonehill. “But we need more than just a clean-up campaign. There needs to be more education to stop littering in public spaces.”
Foley explained that we all need to start being responsible in our own neighbourhoods because if we don’t start caring for the environment today, we will regret it tomorrow. “People need to have respect for nature.”
He also took the time to give advice to residents on how they can care for their own area.”A huge issue in our area is the pollution of water sources, like our rivers,” he explained. “I’d like to encourage residents: if you see a sewage leak in your area, please call Johannesburg Water to report it.
“In my experience, they have been very responsive [to reports of water issues], sometimes coming out within a few hours to fix the problem.”
To report such an incident, you can call Johannesburg Water on 011 375 5555. According to Foley, another issue that needs to be addressed is the common practice of illegal dumping, which the city has battled for years.
According to Foley, the City of Joburg has recently launched a new platform for residents to report illegal dumping. You can now SMS or Whatsapp incidents that you witness to 082 779 1361. “You can send photographs of what you see – take pics of the truck doing the dumping, any company names on the vehicles, registration numbers – and also tell them where it happened, so that they can investigate.”
Do you have any advice on how we can better care for our planet? Share them with us by emailing fourwaysr@caxton.co.za
