Diepsloot residents scrub illegal dumping hotspots

07 March 2016

 

Illegal dumping sites in Diepsloot, which are not only an eyesore but also a serious health hazard, were singled out for a major cleanup when Pikitup’s five-month citywide Waste Minimisation Campaign entered its second week on Saturday March 5.

 

Pikitup is the City of Johannesburg’s waste management entity.

The campaign, under the “Team Up To Clean Up” banner, was launched in Joubert Park in Region F on February 27. It will run until World Environment Day on Saturday June 25. The drive – which aims to educate residents to live in a clean, safe and healthy environment and encourage them to reclaim their areas – will be rolled out to all the City's seven regions. All Pikitup’s depots will take part in cleaning up identified hot spots.

Pikitup’s landfill sites are overflowing with waste and research shows that more than 25 000 tons of it is recyclable.

On Saturday, more than 100 volunteers from Bontle ke Tlhago and Generation Earth/Lip Science and Maths School took part in the cleanup of dumping hotspots and streets in Diepsloot in Region C. Pikitup Environmental Education Awareness Manager Kelomo Smith said the entity decided to focus on the open spaces and illegal dumping sites in Diepsloot because they were creating serious health problems in communities.

“When we leave the area we want to leave behind a long lasting legacy. We would like the community to take over from there and make it their duty to keep their area clean," he said.

Gugu Ncube, Generation Earth’s co-ordinator, said her organisation took part in the campaign as it cared about the environment.

“We believe that if the community, especially the youth, can look after the environment it would make a big difference in their lives,” she said.

Launching the campaign just more than a week ago, Pikitup Managing Director Amanda Nair said the City and Pikitup acknowledged that the goal of becoming a world-class African City could only be achieved through working together.

“This requires partnership and participation of various stakeholders. Behavioural change at home, in the workplace, and in schools is key to the success of waste prevention and minimisation. The City therefore calls on corporate South Africa to rally behind the campaign,” she said.