Despite the recent Mandela Day cleaning efforts from local schools, part of the Kowie stream that runs along African Street keeps accumulating litter.
Despite the recent Mandela Day cleaning efforts from local schools, part of the Kowie stream that runs along African Street keeps accumulating litter.
So much rubbish, that a Grahamstown local JA Fourie says she decided to take action. Fourie took the matter into her own hands after several attempts to get the area on the corner of Somerset and African Street cleaned.
She then approached Glen Cuthbert of Makana Glass and Bottle Recycling for some assistance in cleaning up and around the stream.
Cuthbert sent two employees, John Mpiyane and Siphiwo Masinda to help out. The area is dirty, according to Fourie, because of Rhodes University parties on the Great Field.
She said that once the parties are over, Rhodes is very diligent in cleaning its grounds, but the stream remains untouched.
Party-goers are often drinking on the way to the party and dump broken bottles about the streets which find their way into the stream.
There is also a dumping site near the electric sub station on the corner which is not cleaned up often enough. “Rhodes is a marvellous neighbour,” Fourie said, but she has a problem with their inability to keep the stream clean.
She said she has approached the university who refused to take responsibility for the problem. The manager of the Rhodes University’s Grounds and Gardens, Mark Hazell said that the university had not been approached about this particular area before.
He added that the university performs a lot of maintenance and aesthetic improvement of the stream at its own cost, adding that it is a municipal area.
When Fourie was asked if she had had contacted the municipality, she responded: “Do you know about the municipality, dear?”
The Municipality’s Technical and Infrastructural services suggested the Environment, Health and Cleansing department be contacted, who then said comment should be sought from the former.
Local schools recently cleaned the area, according to Johan Esterhuizen of the Environment, Health and Cleansing department, and is therefore surprised at the complaint. “Everyone should make litter their own responsibility,” Mpiyane said.
Both Mpiyane and Masinda said they were happy to help the cleaning effort. Cuthbert felt that there should be a joint effort by both Rhodes University and the municipality to keep the area tidy, but says they were glad to assist.