Background

Annually, the Department of Water and Sanitation embarks on its noble and flagship Clear Rivers campaign, when South Africans are called to clean up rivers and water ecosystems, as part of dedicating their 67 minutes of goodwill, during Mandela Month.

This campaign was initiated in 2016 to encourage active and responsible citizenry across the spectrum where people from all walks of life become participants in promoting healthy rivers. The need for water security, particularly in the face of global climate change and a multitude of anthropogenic impacts affecting our rivers, calls for a national and unified approach to protect our rivers, wetlands and broader catchments.

The Department is aware that there are still people with no access to piped water and they use water from various natural water resources such as streams and rivers. The Clear Rivers campaign is one attempt by the Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure clean rivers and allow for poverty stricken communities near rivers to have clean and usable water. In this way, we are ensuring dignity of the poor amongst us as a nation.

This year’s Clear River campaign comes during a difficult period in our country and the world in general, with the novel coronavirus pandemic having reared its ugly head. The devastating effects of the virus have made the world to change the way things are done and a new normal is now in place.

The national lockdown announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Regulations that we have to comply with, prohibits large gatherings and encourages social distancing amongst people to avoid the spread of the virus. To this end, only gatherings of not more than 50 people are permitted.

Over the years, the Department has been mobilising all sectors of society to join hands in large numbers and go out to clean our rivers and streams; but this year it will be different as large gatherings in one place will be avoided. However, the Department still calls out communities, corporate sector and civil society organisations to go out in their respective communities to clean our rivers and streams, whilst adhering to the COVID-19 assembly regulations.

Join the action, take the initiative, clean up and protect water resources and be a volunteer in your community and make a difference.