Bennitt Bartl, Rekord Centurion, 17 January 2020
“If we all just sit back and wait for someone else to do something about it, nothing will get done.”
The damage caused by last year’s floods to the polluted Hennops River is still evident in the large amounts of garbage in and around the river banks, according to local activists.
“We have hosted various clean-ups around the river since the floods in December,” said environmental activist and Hennops Revival director Tarryn Johnston.
“The problem is we clear the weir at the Centurion lake and, by the time we are done with that, the day is over.”
“Our next clean-up will focus on clearing the weir, but also on the surrounding area where litter has accumulated on the banks.”
Johnston said the litter was a concern because every time the water levels rose, the garbage would move further downstream.
“I think what many people don’t realise is the problem is bigger than you and me or even the three metros (Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni).”
“If we all just sit back and wait for someone else to do something about it, nothing will get done.”
“It is our duties as custodians of the Earth to do something.”
READ MORE: A clean start for Hennops river in 2020
Johnston is organising a large clean-up for 25 and 26 January.
“We would like to see a few hundred people attending to help us to clean the entire area around the lake,” she said.
“We have already organised 10 ‘skip’ bins and we need just R 1 000 to hire a Bobcat to help clear some of the larger areas.”
Johnston said the metro was also providing support and officials were “getting their hands dirty”.
“We are handing out 50 T-shirts to the first 50 people who are attending the clean-up.”
For more information, contact Hennops Revival on 082-460-2899 or email info@hennopsrevival.co.za
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