Mbekweni’s famous green guru Siyabonga Stengana has made national headlines since 2021 for his inspiring touch that has transformed more than 40 illegal dump sites into arty spaces, sending ripple effects of growth into his community.
Paarl Post on Friday walked the streets of Mbekweni alongside Stengana to observe the difference he has made. Locals were all too willing to chime in with their praises of his special touch and what it means to them.
One, correctional officer at Avondale Correctional Centre, Les Zweni, pointed to Stengana’s efforts uplifting effects on local hot spots and small pop-up businesses and stalls across town, such as the Bangolo in Mohanjane Street.
“Siya is doing something new with his bare hands every day,” he pointed out.
“People are actually cleaning and more environmentally in tune thanks to the motivation he pours into public spaces with all the nice things he puts up from scratch.
“He’s here; we want him!”
Another man who was only too happy to comment on Stengana’s efforts was seasonal life guard Thabang Samson, who works for Drakenstein Municipality.
Samson regards his efforts as sheer dedication to important work critical to the development of Mbekweni’s general appearance and business environment.
“He does important work, not only for Mbekweni but the environment,” he points out. “Hy maak so mooi skoon! And other people in Mbekweni don’t take things like environmentalism seriously enough.”
Despite the pride exuded over Mbekweni’s makeover, a palpable feeling of concern about its future clings to the conversation.
“I am concerned about the future,” Stengana shared in his latest interview, “not only about Mbekweni, but South Africa in its entirety. What am I really contributing to the sustainability of the values I practice to clean, recycle and transform? What am I truly adding to benefit future generations?”
He said he tries to look at everything through a positive lens, “and that’s why my hope remains that I will make a lasting impact, and that whatever I bring to these streets will unify Mbekweni into something that truly gets embodied by our local culture. Anything is possible.”
On a governmental level the Drakenstein Municipality on many occasions boasted about their support of Stengana in his fight against illegal dumping. However, this support has not made a remarkable lasting impact on the ground level.
An enquiry was sent to the municipality to confirm any past or future resources to Stengana’s vision. In their reply, the municipality highlighted many efforts to aid Siya’s war on waste, which also includes the support of Bulelani Ndzuzo’s Keep Mbekweni Clean Facebook-page. This is a developing news story.
