As we approach the annual exodus where most South Africans return to their homes in the rural areas, and travel to holiday destinations, to take a rest period and celebrate the Festive Season, we are confronted with the usual littering along our roads.
Travelers tend to throw garbage out of car and taxi windows, and this makes for an ugly sight, especially along our coastlines and heavily travelled routes e.g. Viedgesville to Coffee Bay/Hole in the Wall and Mthatha to Port St. John’s. Not only is this bad for our environment, but it negatively affects tourism.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) therefore call on all passengers and drivers alike to keep a container in their vehicles to dispose of rubbish inside the vehicles and then, to throw that away at the first bin marked for refuse at a rest stop.
We call on people to not dispose of rubbish and building material at random spots along the roads at the outskirts of towns, but to take such rubble and waste to sites allocated for such disposal. Please go the extra mile and do the right thing.
There is also a tendency of shop owners and businesses to dump packaging material, like cardboard boxes, on the pavements next to their premises. This must practice must come to an end.
It is imperative that municipalities step-up their cleaning and waste disposal regime and double their efforts to keep our towns and cities clean over December and January.
On 18 December, the UDM will drive a clean-up exercise in the King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) and Nyandeni municipalities and we invite all and sundry to take part.
We have been in communication with the mayors, speakers and city managers of KSD and Nyandeni and call upon them to champion this initiative. We therefore ask that the managements in these municipalities make refuse bags and trucks available to assist in the cleaning process.
Donations of bags and other cleaning materials are most welcome and shop owners and any private individuals are encouraged to contact us.
We also appeal to truck and bakkie owners to take part in this clean-up drive. We call on councillors and the local communities to avail themselves and participate actively in this cleaning exercise.
Released by:
Mr Bantu Holomisa, MP
