By Nangamso Mabindla
13 November 2006

KEEN to clean up Duncan Village for its residents, the Buffalo City municipality undertook a streams clean-up awareness campaign in the area on Friday, 10 November.

Ward councillors and City officials toured streams where residents have dumped rubbish - anything from refuse to old mattresses is thrown in the water. The campaign is funded by Buffalo City's Dutch twin city, Leiden, and the National Lottery Fund.

Speaking to residents about the campaign local councillor Mayenzeke Dinizulu said, "We are concerned about the conditions that we live under, that is why we have decided to come here and create awareness about the dangers posed by the items dumped in these streams."

Some of these dangers included an unhealthy environment that was particularly dangerous for children. "We want our children to grow up in a healthy environment, and not worry about where they play. Remember, these streams we dump items into are very close to our houses and this really is dangerous," Dinizulu said.

People were also encouraged to promote environmental education and to make sure that others stopped dumping their refuse in the streams that passed through Duncan Village.

Linda Mboya, from the City's environmental health services, also spoke about the dangers inherent in using streams as dumping grounds. "This water goes through this area into the ocean and if it is unclean, it becomes dangerous to marine life," she said.

"But we should remember that it also becomes dangerous for residents, because we can get sicknesses like hepatitis from it."

Turning her attention to concerns about refuse that was not collected by the municipality, Mboya said: "If the truck does not arrive, residents need to take their refuse bags back to their homes and wait for the next day. Don't leave them on the streets as dogs rip them open and cause the streets to be filthy."

To show their commitment to working with the municipality to keep their region clean, some residents volunteered to clean up parts of the township.