More than 37 tonnes of waste has been removed from Cape Town’s Soet River through a community partnership tackling pollution while creating opportunities for vulnerable residents.
Oasis “Reach for your Dreams” has completed 21 clean-up operations along the chronically polluted Boundary Road section of the river in Strand.
The organisation is one of the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate grant funding recipients and works with communities to reduce pollution and encourage greater participation in protecting rivers and urban waterways.
The clean-ups have removed 37.8 tonnes, or 37,800kg, of waste from the Soet River and filled 1,260 refuse bags.
Beyond removing waste, the initiative is designed to provide vulnerable community members with skills and practical experience while involving residents directly in improving their local environment.
City Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Councillor Zahid Badroodien said the scale of the clean-up demonstrated what partnerships between communities and local government could achieve.
“Every clean-up along the Soet River brings us one step closer to healthier waterways and cleaner neighbourhoods,” Badroodien said.
“Removing 37,8 tonnes of waste is a testament to what can be achieved when communities and the City work together.”
He said the programme was also creating opportunities for vulnerable residents through skills development, experience and community participation.
Oasis founder Clifford Martinus said community upliftment remained central to the organisation’s work, which includes sport, reintegration and empowerment programmes.
“Our foremost priority is securing partnerships with various stakeholders in the communities in which we work,” Martinus said.
“This clean-up project in partnership with the City of Cape Town and EDP has helped community members improve their current circumstances.”
The project forms part of broader efforts to address pollution in Cape Town’s waterways while strengthening community involvement in their protection.
