Born out of the deep concern of the uncleanliness and gross neglect of Braamfontein Spruit River, Floyd Nyai, a local Morningside resident, took it upon himself to form Hlanzekile River and Ocean Cleaning, a fully self-funded non-profit organisation, dedicated to cleaning the Braamfontein Spruit River and other bodies of water at large. This concern sprouted from Floyd always seeing the same green plastic trapped under a rock in the Braamfontein Spruit River everyday on his way to work, which made him realise that if he doesn’t make efforts to clean the river, nobody will.
Floyd spent a significant amount of his career in the cleaning industry, so it is no surprise that this would be the way he chose to make a meaningful contribution to his community, and more especially his country.
“Years of working in some of the most disadvantaged areas exposed me to a grave and escalating problem - waste management, littering, and illegal dumping. It was disheartening to see how a substantial amount of this waste, often plastic, ended up in rivers, and ultimately, oceans. The realisation that this environmental crisis was affecting not only nature, but also the livelihoods of countless South Africans was impossible to ignore.” he recalls.
The mission of Hlanzekile is to tackle plastic pollution head on. However, the mission extends far beyond just cleanup efforts. The organisation is determined to educate the public about the far-reaching consequences of plastic pollution, how it disrupts ecosystems, alters natural processes, and contributes to climate change, all of which directly impacts millions of lives.
To date, the organisation has a total of 10 members dedicated to cleaning the Braamfontein Spruit River every Saturday, it has collected over 4800 kilograms of waste and has spent a total of over R250 000 since registration, as it is self-funded. The organisation is currently working with Bryanston East Forum, to assist them with waste disposal, and are also looking for ways to recycle as much waste as they can.
The organisation is extending its cleaning efforts to Kliprivier in Soweto, as it is also a victim of rife pollution. Hlanzekile’s first official cleanup in Soweto will be during Mandela Day, which will happen simultaneously with the cleanup of the Braamfontein Spruit River, where volunteers are encouraged to sign up to clean the river closest to them and become involved in this truly important initiative.
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