NEWCASTLE KZN: DWS calls on public to keep rivers clean to honour Madiba
The Department of Water and Sanitation has urged communities to use their 67 minutes to clean up dams, rivers and more.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has urged South Africans to honour the late state President, Nelson Mandela by heeding the call to prevent the pollution of freshwater resources.
Spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau said this initiative was to honour Madiba during Mandela month and urged the public to clean up streams, wetlands, dams, canals and any freshwater source.
“DWS has kick-started its annual Clean Rivers campaign, which serves as a call to action for ordinary members of the public to play an active role in cleaning up water sources,” explained Ratau.
He added that the campaign also aims to ‘actively engage communities on the significance of protecting the health of rivers’.
“What we ultimately aim is to foster volunteerism among communities as a proactive approach to protecting our rivers, streams, wetlands and other water ecosystems.”
The campaign first began in 2016 by DWS who worked with business and civil society and coincides with Nelson Mandela month, which encourages individual acts of kindness aimed to make an imprint and change the world around them.
“It is for this reason that as a department, we are calling on everyone to dedicate their 67 minutes of goodwill activities towards cleaning up water sources.”
Ratau added that DWS is cognisant that national Covid-19 regulations may not allow people to go out in numbers to conduct such clean-ups and instead, encouraged people to ‘do the little changes’.
“Stop polluting streams by unlawfully dumping used disposable nappies. The benefits of healthy rivers are tantamount to the nation’s health and economy.”
Ratau mentioned that communities ultimately benefited from clean and healthy rivers, as the fresh water would assist with daily activities such as consumption, cooking and washing.
“Added to this, healthy rivers also assists the country’s economy as different types of plants grow in and on the banks of rivers. Some of the plants provide communities with building materials such as roofing for huts and/or houses. Communities also use reeds and other wetland vegetation to make baskets, mats, curtain blinds and handbags, thus encouraging economic activity.”
On behalf of DWS, Ratau concluded by urging the public to report pollution of rivers and freshwater ecosystems to the DWS Hotline on 0800 200 200.
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