The Department of Water and Sanitation has urged South Africans to participate in the Clear Rivers campaign to safeguard water resources as the nation observes Mandela Month.
The annual Clear Rivers campaign is held in July to raise awareness of volunteerism and to honour the legendary statesman, former President Nelson Mandela, who was born on July 18th, as well as Mandela Month.
The Clear Rivers initiative, according to department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau, encourages everyone to spend their 67 minutes of charitable work cleaning up streams, wetlands, dams, canals, and other freshwater sources.
According to him, the campaign, which is being held under the theme “South Africa is a water source country, clean up and protect our water resources,” aims to actively involve communities as well as promote and create ongoing awareness and education about protecting water resources among communities, municipalities, government departments, and industries, including mining and agriculture, which are major sources of water pollution.
“This proactive approach is greatly encouraged to protecting rivers, streams, wetlands and other water ecosystems, given the drought that still persists in large parts of the country. Everyone is encouraged to participate in cleaning up the water ecosystems, on any day during Mandela Month,” Ratau said.
Ratau emphasised that throughout the campaign, people should demonstrate the importance of clean water, particularly for their well-being development, as rivers serve various purposes, including the capacity to clean themselves when they are in good health.
“Active and responsible citizenry is encouraged across spectrum, where people from all walks of life become participants in promoting healthy rivers. The relationship between communities and healthy rivers can never be overstated, as it is community members who must take care of our rivers to ensure that they are not [filled] with filthy litter,” Ratau said.
He reaffirmed that the department’s mandate is to ensure that the nation’s water resources are protected, managed, used, developed, conserved, and controlled by regulating and supporting the provision of efficient water supply and sanitation, as stated in the National Water Act of 1998 and the Water Services Act of 1997.
“Due to human behaviours, most rivers and streams are experiencing a vast activity of river pollution such as illegal dumping of garbage such as papers, plastics, diapers, empty cans, animal skins and even chemical dumping that contaminate our water resources.”
Ratau urged the public to take a position, establish platforms, voice concerns, respond to river pollution events by cleaning their rivers, and report any suspicious actions that result in water pollution to the department’s hotline at 0800 200 200.