Illegal dumping seems to be like a never ending obstacle to keeping our beautiful Drakenstein Valley clean.
Various clean-up initiatives, reminders that dumping unwanted goods or rubbish in open spaces is illegal and even the provision of special rubbish drop-off points in problematic areas all seem to be in vain. The constant cleaning up after residents, who should be responsible and know right from wrong is definitely not ideal in the long run. Are we not creating a mindset that “someone else will clean up your mess”?
If parents fail to, then local government, along with the Department of Basic Education, should be next in line in planting the seeds of cleanliness and taking responsibility for our environment at school level.
Learners should actively be involved in cleaning the environment they live in. The young ones are those whose minds we can shape, whose behaviour we can influence or else we are doomed to have generations indifferent to dumping. We will forever be cleaning up after people if we fail to ensure they are properly educated on the matter. So until then can we at least make sure that if they choose not to abide by the law they know there will be consequences for their illegal actions.
