Another successful clean-up campaign was held at the Hennops River in Centurion on Sunday.
The clean-up was organised by the Hennops River NPO and they were joined by the newly-elected Tshwane mayor.
Volunteers from Cetric foundation, homeless people, local ward councillors, Amours and residents also took part in the campaign.
The volunteers cleared among the debris, polystyrene and plastic from the river underneath the Hendrik Verwoed Drive from 09:00 to 16:00.
Hennops Revival founder Tarryn Johnston said the clean-up drive was a continuous campaign and more funds were needed to sustain and keep the river clean.
“We can clean up as far as we can go,” said Johnston.
Hennops Revival is a non-profit organisation aimed at reviving and restoring the river, in collaboration with government, other organisations, the private sector and members of the public.
“The clean-up campaign started last year around September, and so far, we have managed to collect 880 tons of waste that polluted the river.
“The clean-up campaign is held almost every two weeks, depending on the rain,” she said.
“We need to keep our river clean at all times, and to succeed, we need to stop littering.
“Water is life. Without water we cannot survive,” Johnston said.
“We are also repeatedly told to tackle the problem at the source as if it is the destination.
“Even if it was a destination and everything could be stopped at one point, there would be a mountain of issues right there – social development, waste management, rural development, housing, education, industrial pollution, sewage and sewage systems, service delivery, encroachment of wetlands, corruption, greed, poverty, inequality, overpopulation, political will, unconscious consumerism and apathy are all part of, but not limited to, the source,” she said.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said he was there to assist the residents in keeping the Hennops River clean.
“What we are doing here is to address the symptoms. We are not addressing the cause to keep the river at a certain level of cleanliness. This cleaning has to be done on a regular basis.
“Going forward, what we are going to do is to put in place sustainable solution that will require some engineering process.”
Cetric Mphofela of Cetric foundation said this was not the first time he took part in the clean-up campaign.
He said the community members needed to know, especially, those living near the river, that it was not a dumping site.
“Water is life and they must stop littering and keep our environment clean and healthy at all times,” said Mphofela.
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