Bluff pensioner does his bit to keep the community clean

DETERMINED to keep his hometown that is the Bluff, clean and beautiful, is Francois Marais.

What started out as picking up bits of litter here and there and removing illegal posters and flyers, has become a project for the pensioner who has embarked on a self-motivated clean-up mission along Foreshore Drive beachfront promenade.

“Every morning at 6am I take my dog for a walk and there are also many times when I drive throughout the Bluff and notice things that aren’t pleasing to the eye and I’ll stop to remove it and then go to the dump to dispose it. When lockdown came, I noticed that within a month the grass along Foreshore Drive had already overgrown quite a lot and there was lots of litter scattered throughout the area. The rubbish drums were overflowing and not getting emptied. It didn’t look good, it started to bug me and I knew I had to do something about it.

“After receiving the go ahead from local law enforcement, myself and two of my helpers that work for me, went down to the beach and started cutting the grass and emptied the rubbish drums regularly. It’s not a problem for me, I just want the area to look nice,” he shared. 

Although most municipal services are currently back at work, Francois has continued doing his bit, going down to the beach every third day, where he empties the drums and cleans up any litter in sight. He has also been looking after the garden area at the dunes at Anstey’s Beach, ensuring that the plants continue to grow beautifully. All the resources needed to do this comes from the nature enthusiast’s own pocket.

The father of three worked for council for 25 years as well as protection services abroad for several years. After working professionally most of his life, now at the age of 63 he has committed himself to the upkeep of his community which he has lived in since 1979.

Working tirelessly to preserve the Bluff’s natural gems, despite the persistent ‘litter bugs’ that lurk in the shadows, there is no question of Francois’ passion for nature, plants and the environment. “I love the Bluff, everything about it just feels like home and I will never leave this place,” he said and one day hopes to design and build an aesthetically pleasing welcome signage and garden to the Bluff at the traffic island at end of Edwin Swales as you enter Bluff Road.

He appeals to the community to look after their area by keeping it clean, “If you enjoy the beach and other public spaces so much, then simply do your bit to keep it clean. Use the rubbish drums provided or take your litter with you. A little consciousness goes a long way and it makes such a big difference”

To help Francois keep this worthy initiative alive, he appeals for support in the form of black refuse bags and rubbish drums donations to be placed along Foreshore Drive. For more information or to make a donation contact him on 083-777-8318.

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