I recently took a walk across The Braak, a grassy park in the centre of Stellenbosch that was once used as a military-parade ground in the 1700s.
Now it is used mainly as a thoroughfare for people heading to their vehicles, a break area for employees taking lunch and, sadly, a dumping ground for plastic waste. Straws, bottle lids, lollipop sticks and cigarette butts litter the lawn as far as the eye can see. Some items have been embedded so deeply in the soil I couldn’t remove them by hand.
Two women sat on a bench outside the St Mary’s Anglican church wearing their municipal parking-guard vests, trash strewn about their feet. One of the women casually kicked a plastic cold-drink bottle lying beside her, which I then retrieved and threw into the bin (which was just 3 m away).
Further on, three workers tended to the municipal gardens. “At least the pansies match the bottle caps,” I thought, trying to keep it together while watching countless individuals cross The Braak, not a single one stopping to pick up an item of trash.
Perhaps because it’s not their job?
“It’s not my job” is precisely the mentality which has landed South Africa with the myriad of socio-economic issues it faces today. It speaks to a lack of personal and collective accountability for maintaining the quality of our surroundings.
As for those who leave the litter: I have often asked people to pick up trash they’ve thrown down. Some laugh at me and continue walking. Some acknowledge their wrongdoing in embarrassment and comply; others respond with obscenities.
I cannot quite fathom the reason for the absolute lack of care people have for the quality of their surroundings. Maybe someone could enlighten me.
But more importantly, where is the advocacy? Where is the community engagement? Where is the accountability from Stellenbosch’s powerful institutions?
Plastic waste is not limited to The Braak. You can find litter in the Coetzenberg mountain and the Ida’s Valley nature area, in the Krom and Eerste rivers, along the streets and in gardens. I clear trash from the garden outside our property daily.
But sheer amount of waste in a location so central and visible in the Stellenbosch community is indicative of widespread disregard.
Stellenbosch Municipality recently posted about a recycling bin pilot project they initiated with the luxury Newinbosch development, citing their second place in the provincial Municipal Waste Management Recognition Award in 2024 as a testament to achieving their vision of a sustainable, green valley.
If this is the standard for the province, I am deeply concerned.
As long as dumping and littering persists, we cannot claim to be a beacon for sustainability. While the municipality is mandated to enforce waste management bylaws, all stakeholders – educational institutions, businesses, local NGOs, and community members – must share responsibility.
To Stellenbosch Municipality: form public-private partnerships and develop institutional capacity to engage communities and educate civilians on the necessity of reducing waste.
To the local businesses: reduce your sale of single-use plastic packaged items and encourage responsible disposing of waste by your customers.
To civil organisations: advocate for stronger waste-management enforcement by the local authorities in the interests of promoting tourism and sustainable development.
To residents of Stellenbosch: do not underestimate your ability to influence behaviour through your words and actions. We must all take responsibility for achieving our vision of a sustainable, green, waste-free valley where we can be proud to call ourselves citizens of this beautiful town.
I am happy to volunteer my time and services to support. But I cannot do it all, and I cannot do it alone.
Anaïs Breytenbach, EMAIL
