In honour of Mandela Day, the Simon’s Town Civic Association, Community Policing Forum (CPF), Green Group and StadCo, together with Happy Valley shelter, Take Back Our Mountains (TBOM) and My Father’s House, joined forces on Saturday 23 July to clean up what is locally known as ‘Jurassic Park’.
Dylan James, My Father’s House board secretary, says the foot of Admirals Waterfall is an idyllic area with a rambling vlei that flows past historical buildings to False Bay. James says their aim was to clear the massive build-up of alien vegetation and to remove the plastic and other rubbish before it reaches False Bay.
“A Hope Spot is a special place that is scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean and has the potential to reverse damage from negative human impacts. They need to be protected.”
My Father’s House, a non-profit that feeds up to 2 000 people a day, assists street people with rehabilitation, reunification and job creation programmes.
“We have within us the ability to build up or break down both our environment and those who live in it. Cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead said never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
TBOM provided litter sticks, wet wipes and black bags while the Simon’s Town Civic Association made boerewors rolls to keep energy levels up.
Taahir Osman, founder of TBOM, says it was great partnering with the Simon’s Town community and the homeless community.
“We provided the sticks because we got sponsored and around 12 000 bags were donated by Clorox Africa.”
He says the area is called Jurassic Park because of its overgrown alien vegetation.
“We cleared out four bakkie loads of alien vegetation.”
The beneficiaries of My Father’s House and residents of Happy Valley provided additional hands to assist.
