Tired of the filth and grime in the neighbourhood, some Diepsloot Ext 1 and 2 residents took to the streets to clean up.
A resident Malesela Mathibela said, “My fellow residents’ initiative was not to protest as that will yield nothing but to do things for themselves and by themselves.”
Mathibela added that it was a constitutional right to have access to a clean environment. “Environmental pollution has a negative impact on the lives of human beings, helpless animals, and plants which are responsible for the production of oxygen which we need in order to breathe.”
He said if his fellow citizens were educated about this, their behaviour and attitude regarding how they treated the environment would change. “The challenge is that those who are mandated to take the responsibility in delivering service to the community are doing very little and people are reluctant to come up with an innovative idea which will bring change in their lives as it can be hijacked.”
When asked where they would dump the collected rubbish, Mathibela said, “It was Pikitup who assisted us in the removal of waste as we do not have the resources and enough capacity to do that work, and it was after many failed attempts that we got their assistance eventually.”
Mathibela said he believed that the solution to eradicate pollution in townships was a change in the attitude of the government. “There are those who can work and have a passion for their country and communities in government departments. Unfortunately, there are those who are deployed for self-benefit.
“These are individuals who always count how many days are left before they get paid and these are individuals who spoil the government departments. South Africa has opportunities for everyone who lives in this country, but only a few people are benefiting from these opportunities.”
Mathibela concluded that through the support of relevant government departments, more clean-ups in the area could be done in other extensions in Diepsloot.
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