Over 400 residents from Evaton, Sebokeng, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark joined Heineken, Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Rural development and Environment and Emfuleni Municipality to clean up the Evaton stadium, clinic, and sports ground in honour of Nelson Mandela.
The campaign sought to raise public awareness regarding illegal dumping, promote zero tolerance towards littering, and inspire behavioural change in members of the community. Millicent Maroga, Corporate Affairs Director for Heineken Beverages, said the campaign aims to bring about a sense of community pride and to encourage residents to take ownership of their areas with a greater shift in their views regarding ensuring environmental cleanliness across their surroundings.
It provided an opportunity for the residents of Emfuleni Municipality to respond to this year’s Mandela Day theme of “The Legacy Lives on Through You” by participating in activities to clean up and beautify all parts of South Africa.
“The Midvaal area is part of our surrounding community near our Sedibeng Brewery, and we care about the communities in which we operate. Improving the lives of people living in those communities is entrenched in our Brewing a Better World strategy and in our identity. By working together with partners to raise awareness, we are hoping to empower people to take control of their role in reducing waste. We are inspired by the impact our efforts have made so far, and we’re eager to enable more people to join the campaign post-Mandela Day and help us keep these local communities clean and waste-free,” added Maroga.
“It gives us much joy to see community members coming out in numbers to join cleaning campaigns such as these. Efforts of this nature might look small, but they go a long way in mitigating the impact of climate change while contributing to stabilising and enriching the soil around our communities, which in turn help food gardens flourish. Climate change threatens to reverse our progress towards eradicating hunger and malnutrition. It is, therefore, in our hands; we can all play a part in changing this trajectory by adopting a more climate-friendly lifestyle and creating awareness of the impact of climate change on food security,” said Mbali Hlophe, Gauteng MEC of Social Development.
The clean-up campaign is in line with HEINEKEN Beverages’ on-going efforts to bring positive socio-economic change to communities and the Gauteng Bontle ke Botho Clean and Green Campaign that is led by the Gauteng Provincial Government. Bontle ke Botho campaign is a social mobilisation programme and provincial strategy to heighten environmental awareness and encourage sustainable environmental actions in communities to ensure that the environment is clean and protected for present and future generations.
“Through this initiative, Emfuleni Municipality and partners have showcased the importance of government and the private sector working together for the greater good of the community and honouring our icon, Nelson Mandela. Mandela Day is a lifetime reminder of dedicating our time and re-igniting the culture of volunteering and serving the communities we operate in,” says Makhosonke Sangweni, Communications Manager for Emfuleni Municipality.
“This community-led initiative is a catalyst for change and community members should be the change they want to see in their environment. It is the responsibility of every person to protect and ensure that the environment is clean,” concludes Maroga.
