A group of students from the South African Maritime School and Transport College are on a mission to keep Woodstock and surrounding areas spotless.
The college in partnership with the City of Cape Town has embarked on a weekly clean-up operation to keep the area litter free.
Qiyaam Marshall, Operations Manager at the college, says he came up with the initiative three years ago, however, the project never started.
A determined Marshall says when the new mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis stepped into office he decided to reach out to him.
He explains that he was approached by Grant Twigg, Mayco member for urban waste management, and plans were put in place to start the clean-up operations.
“I sent the City a timetable and said we are available for six months on a Wednesday. This is beside school holidays and exam time. I asked them to supply us with resources like brooms, plastic bags and gloves.”
Marshall says the aim of the project is to give back to the community and encourage students to care for the environment.
On Wednesday the group of about 30 learners and City officials started the project at the dump site in Pine Road, Woodstock.
“We went there the morning, the City arrived with bags and gloves and gave us 200 bags, in less than an hour we filled those bags.
“The City also had an informative session with the students informing them about the importance of cleaning up the environment. If we don’t clean up the inlands the plastic will end up in the sea and rivers.”
The City says littering and illegal dumping in communities remain a massive challenge.
More than 180 000 tons of waste are cleared annually from illegal dumping hotspots city-wide.
According to Twigg, illegal dumping cost the City more than R350 million annually. He says this is money that could be used on other critical service delivery programmes.
“We therefore call upon communities to assist us and our hard-working teams by reporting illegal dumping and use the facilities provided by the City to dispose of their waste. The City would like to extend appreciation and recognition to the college for their efforts to keep their area looking tidy.
On Wednesday 30 March about 30 students were joined by Twigg, Sub-council 16 chair Mathew Kempthorne and Ward 115 councillor Ian Mc Mahon picking up litter in the vicinity of Victoria Road and Searle Street, including the park below Nelson Mandela Boulevard, Woodstock.
The clean-ups are also supported by the Woodstock Improvement District (WID).
Marshall says for this month they will focus on cleaning up litter in Woodstock and Roodebloem.
In the months ahead they will cover areas including Observatory, Salt River, Walmer Estate and Vredehoek.
Twigg says although the City does provide area cleansing services throughout the city, litter is still a common problem in communities.
“Community-based clean-ups like this help set an example that we all have a part to play in keeping the environment clean and healthy and reminds us that it is communities themselves who are negatively affected by littering and dumping.”
Marshall says the response from both students and their parents has been encouraging.
“One parent called me and said ‘my son actually cleaned the driveway for the first time’, that is what we are trying to instil in the students, that it starts with you.
“If you clean up around your home, you will clean up around the area where you live as well.”
Marshall is challenging other colleges, school groups and residents to follow suit.
“If all of us put an effort in then we will all have a cleaner community. I already saw a man opposite the campus cleaning in front of his shop, which he never did before, because he saw us cleaning there.”
Marshall says he is overwhelmed by the response from everyone.
“I hope we can continue with this and start changing lives.”
Other community organisations that would like to partner with the City in similar ways can submit a request to wastewise@capetown.gov.za
