Broken equipment and lack of resources did not deter a group of young men from fulfilling a duty to their home town, but instead the difficulties were replaced by a sense of patriotism.
Following the state of deterioration in cleanliness and lack of service delivery in the town that once was one of the cleanest in the country, Simamnkele Vanqa and a friend founded a non-profit organisation, Clean Queenstown, in July 2021, referring to the previous name of Komani.
“As someone who was born and raised in Komani, it was very devastating to see our town deteriorating and turning into a dumpsite in front of our eyes. So a friend of mine and I decided that instead of complaining about it, we could start cleaning up ourselves,” Vanqa said.
The NPO is run by a trio of young people with Vanqa as the chairperson. The organisation, funded through donations from local businesses and individuals, has a plethora of services it offers, despite the lack of support of government – whose work it is doing.
Their work, Vanqa said, includes cleaning littered areas, cleaning and painting bridges and mini substations, cleaning stormwater drains and clearing weeds on pavements.
Cleaning has a deeper meaning for these visionary young people.
“Not only would we like to tackle socioeconomic issues in our town but we also like to make our town attractive in order to draw investment.
Clean Queenstown is not funded nor do we receive a paycheck for what we do. We rely solely on the assistance of the wonderful residents and businesses around town.
“We have not received any support from the government at all, despite numerous letters, proposals and meetings. I was told (by a municipal official at Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality) that it would be unlawful and illegal for them to give us any assistance.
“The locals have been the backbone of our organisation. Their support encourages and motivates us to do the work that we do,” he said.
Those who would like to be part of the cleaning campaigns by this progressive organisation can do so by liking their Facebook page and help raise awareness about the “terrible condition our town is in”.
Besides being a part of the organisation in its campaigns, Vanqa said, by picking up a paper and throwing it in a dustbin – you are part of Clean Queenstown. For those who would like to be directly involved, they can get in touch with Vanqa through Facebook. Volunteers of Clean Queenstown formed part of locals who woke up in the middle of the night earlier in the year to dose of fire that engulfed the Komani Town Hall.
“We absolutely love the work that we do. Knowing that the difference we are making today will positively affect our grandchildren in the future is really an honour and it is the driving force behind what we do.
“We feel we are truly making a significant difference in our town, especially with the illegal abortion posters that are not posted back up as constantly as they used to be,” he said.
“We are currently facing the most difficult time as an organisation. With some of our equipment broken down and the scarcity of resources, we are truly having difficulties in completing our projects.”
Vanqa said, however, the highlight of the venture has been the people who recognise their work and the positive messages they have been receiving are inspiring.
“We would like to ask for everyone’s support in order to grow and maintain our organisation and would like to anyone who would like to contribute towards our endeavours to please send donations to our organisation’s account,” said Vanqa.
Banking details are as follows:
Capitec Bank, account number 1819188297
