Residents support Kowie River clean-up
Ski-boat club and Cunny Kla Nie organise day, transporting groups of volunteers
Port Alfred residents responded positively to the call for a Kowie River clean-up on Saturday, organised by the Port Alfred River and Skiboat Club (PARSC) together with Cunny Kla Nie river cruises.
Three other boats, including two barges and one ski-boat, were filled to capacity with participants who rolled their sleeves up for the chore.
They were divided into four groups, with all boats departing from the Ski-boat Club at 8.15am and travelling upriver towards Mansfield Game Reserve.
Boat skippers were tasked with dropping off volunteers wherever litter was seen on the edge of the river.
Determined participants braved the scorching heat for about four hours, picking up discarded alcohol and cold drink bottles, plastic bags and other litter, including a car tyre.
Bottles were the most numerous of the items picked up, especially in fishing spot areas.
More than 15 refuse bags were filled with litter.
One of the organisers, PARSC deputy chair Antony de Bruin, said: “The river is one of the most important parts of Port Alfred, and we are going to clean it every now and again.
“It brings people together. It was surprising to see how many people were on the river. There were a lot of people helping.”
He praised other stakeholders who made the initiative a success.
“Charles de Bruin assisted with getting barges involved.
“SPAR donated boerewors rolls for the volunteers.
“Talk of the Town helped us with advertising. Sotheby’s donated buffs for the volunteers,” he said.
It was the latest in a series of river clean-ups by volunteers.
Previous clean-ups have been held by the Port Alfred Lions Club, collaborating with Integrity River Cruises, or by Integrity on its own.