No rubbishing this initiative
RECYCLING: COMMUNITY MEMBERS IDENTIFY THREAT AND TAKE ACTION TO REMOVE IT
Collaborative programme between residents, water management agency and SANParks.
Residents from a number of rural villages around the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP) have adopted better recycling habits through the Swikoxeni Waste Recycling Project following reports of “serious waste challenges”, notably along roads leading to park gates, rivers and streams.
A study from the University of the Witwatersrand, according to Swikoxeni director Bethuel Mashele, revealed that scores of children under the age of five in the village were dying from cholera, so villagers decided to tackle the problem.
“We were trying to respond to the waste lingering here in the community and also help with illegal dumping because looking back at it, waste was just all over, and it was clearly a threat to our wellbeing,” he said.
According to Mashele, the study also showed disease was a constant threat in the villages, which meant it was also a threat in the park for the animals.
He and two family members started the initiative to provide a cleaner and safer environment for the community.
A partnership between the Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency, South African National Parks (SANParks) and the local municipality has seen at least 13 schools given steel drums to use as rubbish bins.
It hasalso allowed them to educate children on environmental awareness and waste management.
“We have more than 400 bins around the schools in the community,” he added.
A volunteer, Bongi Ubisi, said the initiative has brought positive change, especially in terms of illegal dumping and environmental awareness.
“Although we have had a challenge, where people were vandalising the bins and stealing them, they are more receptive and supportive now.”
Kruger National Park social ecologist Jeremiah Machavi said after seeing the waste collection and cleaning-up initiative, SANParks had decided to support it and raise awareness among local community members about recycling and waste management.
“During our outreach programmes, we decided to go out into the community and educate them about the importance of looking after the environment.
“So in one of the events, we talked about a number of things; one of them is human-wildlife conflict, where sometimes lions are coming out of the park and killing people’s livestock.
“We also taught them about planting trees, the importance of trees, and then the third one was waste management.”
Kruger National Park’s Portia Sambo said while it started as an environmental awareness outreach, KNP had started a circular economy, where the community could benefit from this project “other than just the waste management, and actually earn a living”.
“So, we have made them aware there is a relationship between waste management or the environment and also waste economy.
“That’s still at the infancy stage, but we’re hoping to get it somewhere else. That’s why we’re assisting them with business skills training, so they can start businesses and become entrepreneurs.”
Bushbuckridge municipality’s Levy Mokoena applauded the initiative, saying it has not only helped to create a clean environment, it has also helped to create jobs.
–