President Cyril Ramaphosa will designate a specific day for a nationwide cleanup, with all South Africans, including Ministers, participating in community cleanup efforts, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said.
“We’ll dedicate time on the day that the President will indicate that at least on that particular day, for particular hours in the day, we work with our communities, and we clean,” the Deputy President said on Tuesday.
This as he visited the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in the Free State as part of the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign.
The Deputy President officially unveiled a comprehensive national cleaning initiative aimed at transforming community hygiene and infrastructure maintenance in the province.
The campaign is an integrated service delivery initiative that was officially launched in Kliptown, Soweto, in June of this year.
READ | Government launches community-driven campaign to keep cities clean
It aims to promote cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environments in both urban and rural areas.
The campaign encourages community involvement in cleaning their surroundings, working collaboratively with district and local municipalities.
The Mangaung leg of the campaign was held under the theme: “Bontle Ke Botho: A Free State that works for all – Building clean and sustainable communities.”
The campaign emphasises a collaborative approach across national, provincial, and local government levels, highlighting the campaign’s multifaceted strategy.
“We’re not just picking up papers. This campaign is going to be combined with repairing and modernising things, dealing with challenges of potholes, fixing roads and repairing infrastructure,” Deputy President Mashatile told the community.
According to the country’s second-in-command, the initiative also includes several critical components, including weekly dedicated cleaning days and school engagement to instill a cleanliness culture.
“We also went to visit schools to encourage our young children to inculcate this culture of clean-up. So, it’s going very well today,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy President said government plans to address municipal challenges, recognising that many local authorities struggle with limited economic resources.
“Some municipalities are not able to perform critical services because they don’t have an economic base.”
The campaign represents a “whole of government approach,” aiming to create a unified responsibility for maintaining clean, functional urban and rural environments.
The initiative is expected to roll out across provinces to transform South Africa’s approach to community maintenance and civic responsibility.
The Clean Cities and Towns Campaign seeks to revitalise urban areas, enhance service delivery, and combat environmental degradation.
READ | Mashatile takes the Clean Cities and Towns Campaign to Free State
“We used to have bins where people could throw stuff in, and then twice a week or so, a truck comes to take it because if we don’t do that, they start throwing everywhere.”
It is also part of South Africa’s commitment to climate action to preserve the environment, support social cohesion initiatives and prioritise efforts for decent work, poverty eradication, and community resilience. – SAnews.gov.za
