“If we don’t, who will?” Johannesburg activists lead World Environment Day campaign
Environmental organisations, Siya’ Shova and Climate Riders, showed how small acts, like refusing to litter, can spark a movement strong enough to change Johannesburg’s streets.
Environmental activists from across Johannesburg showed that the path to a cleaner community can begin with something simple, one person picking up litter, and another choosing to refrain from littering.
These small acts, when embraced by more residents, carry the potential to steadily transform communities such as Alexandra and the whole of Johannesburg into more beautiful and cleaner spaces. That was the message environmental organisations, Siya’ Shova and Climate Riders, delivered as they commemorated World Environment Day with environmental activists and cyclists from across the city.
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The commemoration, held in Alexandra on June 5, focused on two activities. In one activity, residents took to the streets for a clean-up tour. Starting from the Heritage Centre on 7th Avenue, they went to Jabulani Material Recycling site on 2nd Street, covering a 2km distance while picking up litter and raising awareness.
“We took the initiative to start cleaning up, because if we don’t, who will?” Siya’ Shova’s Zandile Morule said.
Her words highlighted a sobering reality in Alexandra. When residents do not take the lead, public spaces are gradually left to deteriorate under persistent human activities.
Friday’s initiative demonstrated that solutions to environmental challenges can, and should, be pioneered by the people who live in affected communities.
Also read: Alexandra residents take charge in Pan Africa clean‑up drive
However, changing the already existing and long-standing culture of littering will not be easy. Dineo Sithole, the clean-up tour leader, acknowledged this. “In a community like Alexandra, some people are ignorant when it comes to the issues of waste. People just litter and they do not know the significance of their environment,” Sithole said.
That is why their initiative was also meant to educate people. “We need the community to support us by stopping littering. When you walk on the street, can people try to keep a plastic bag for the litter they have? If there are no bins around, when they get home, they can easily put it in the bin,” Morule said.
It was not a call for residents to clean up after others, but a plea for them to avoid creating a mess that others must then address.
Running alongside the clean-up was a cycling awareness activity, building on Siya’ Shova and Climate Riders’ ongoing work to promote bicycles as a practical, low-carbon mode of transport.
Sithole emphasised that these initiatives stem from a desire to protect the local environment while educating residents.
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