Hammanskraal, Tshwane, Gauteng

An initiative getting Tshwane youth involved in a clean-up day during World Clean-Up day and tourism month in September 2024, planted a seed to encourage people to take care of their communities.

The project took place in the community of Hammanskraal, which is not far from the Dinokeng Game Reserve. Along with the focus to clean-up the area, the other aim was to inspire youth to be caretakers of their natural heritage and to see the bigger value of helping to look after their key tourist attractions in the province, including the game park.

What was the problem?

The township of Hammanskraal is just 6km from the perimeter of the Dinokeng nature reserve that is Gauteng’s only Big Five nature reserve. As such it is a favourite among tourists visiting the province. 

Hammanskraal however, is a township that has battled with severe illegal dumping and littering. Pollution and sanitation problems have seen raw sewage run down streets and into streams. This has led to cholera outbreaks and concerns over the environmental health in the area. 

While the Tshwane metro has not provided enough services and infrastructure to meet people’s needs, the community has had to find ongoing ways to change perceptions and behaviour about illegal dumping, littering and waste management. 

How are they fixing it?

The Dinokeng Game Reserve together with local youth groups in Hammanskraal used the occasion of World Tourism Day in September 2024 to involve young people in a day of cleaning up.

Working with the local group called Young Life, the children spent a Saturday morning helping sweep up litter in their communities. Jacob Lebelo from Young Life speaking to the Daily Sun, said litter and illegal dumping had become a major challenge for the township and it was vital for young people to become involved to be part of the solution. He added: “One of our initiatives is to involve young people in community initiatives. Since we come from areas close to Dinokeng, which is a tourist destination, we saw it fit to participate in [the event] for World Clean-Up Day.”

Combining the two things of tourism and cleaning was a way to remind young people of the value and impact of looking after their surroundings and for them to better understand that their actions are part of the positive upliftment that benefits their township and the game park. There was also the messaging that if the reserve does well for tourism it has a positive impact on the communities around the reserve. 

Dinokeng Game Reserve community liaison officer John Mabotja told Daily Sun they hoped to make the clean-ups regular initiatives. It is hoped that ongoing efforts will start changing minds and behaviours and spark ideas for more lasting solutions to the litter and pollution problems affecting the people and the natural environment. 

What made it work?

• Using the hook of events: By building the clean-up initiative around World Clean-Up Day and South Africa’s tourism month in September there was something to hook the event on that raised more interest.

• Building a partnership: The Dinokeng Game Reserve worked with local group Youth Life to highlight the mutual benefits of a cleaner environment not just to boost tourism to the park, but also for the wellbeing of Hammanskraal locals.

• Involving the youth: Targeting the youth was critical to expose young people to the idea of taking responsibility, and also of how actions have impact on everyone in communities.

• Committing to ongoing efforts: The project was a one-off event but its success has seen the reserve staff and the community group looking to find sponsors and to create more spin-off projects, including creating job opportunities from waste recycling and management.

Acknowledgements

Author: FixLocal Reporter

Additional articles/ sources: 

Kasi youth tackle illegal dumping head on  

Photograph: Daily Sun