In the wake of the devastating floods that hit KwaZulu-Natal in April, which were declared a state of disaster, Sun International property Sibaya Casino has since worked with Adopt a River to clean up a beach that was badly affected.
Sibaya Casino donated gloves and helped clean up the Beachwood Golf Course beach that was impacted by the heavy rains and floods. In April, the golf course itself was closed indefinitely because of the floods that hit the province in April and May. As far of possible, the debris will be recycled after being sorted.
The purpose behind this clean-up was, together with the community, restore the beach as well as create public awareness of the impact of human actions on the ocean, which quietly carries the weight of those actions.
Every single beach in KwaZulu-Natal has been affected, some worse than others, and some beaches have already been attended to. Beachwood, which is open to the public and frequented by dog walkers, fishermen, and families, had not yet been cleaned extensively.
“This particular stretch of beach has not been cleaned properly since the first floods and our aim was to make a difference by highlighting how important beaches are as part of the natural ecosystem. This clean-up was done in conjunction with Oceans Alive, other corporates and NGO’s and individuals, all of whom are lending a hand,” said Solomon Khumalo, Sibaya’s Safety, Health & Environmental (SHE) Manager.
Adopt a River director, Janet Simpkins says, “We are very grateful to all stakeholders in the community who came out to lend a hand with tidying up a valuable natural resource.”
By rolling up their sleeves, all involved in the clean-up removed plastic pollution in our oceans that destroys marine life and changes the ecology of the sea itself – even fragile coral barrier reefs have been found to digest tiny fragments of plastic at the same rate as their normal food.
“We can all help to clean up our rivers and oceans and it only involves changing some of our habits at home – think before you wash chemicals down your drain, be selective in your packaging options – look to reusable coffee cups, carry your own water bottle, STAY AWAY from single use plastics. and always recycle,” said Simpkins.
“If we protect our water, we protect our future.”
We are committed to making rivers and beaches cleaner because our work never stops. We urge the community to participate in the upcoming beach clean-up on July 24, 2022. Follow us on social media to join the war on waste and working for our waterways via Facebook: @riveradopt on Facebook or email janet@adoptariversa.org
