Alexandra has been the site of numerous clean-up initiatives over the years, ranging from council-led drives to community-organised efforts, yet maintaining cleanliness in the township has remained an enduring challenge.

Two organisations have now entered into a partnership that seeks to take a different approach; rather than expanding the scale of clean-up operations, they intend to focus first on developing the youth and securing resident buy-in.

Read more: Residents clean up the streets undettered

The Guardian Angel Wildlife and Marine Trust (GAWMT) and the Tendani Lushaka Forum formalised this partnership on September 8 in Sandton. Five days later, on September 13, members of both organisations conducted a street-by-street clean-up of Alexandra’s Ward 75 under the banner ‘Keep Kasi Clean’, marking their first joint operation.

Both organisations have a long-standing presence in the area. The Tendani Lushaka Forum, chaired by Robert Nwedo, has been active in Alexandra for more than two decades. GAWMT founder Honorary Colonel Raymond Kramer has ties to the community dating back over 40 years, originating from his early involvement with a local taxi association. Under his leadership, the GAWMT Scout movement has grown from a single member to about 1 900.

The Scout movement played a central role in the clean-up, with members joined by representatives of the Mawusa Movement Party under Nwedo’s leadership. Kramer explained the rationale for prioritising youth development, stating, “It is easier to bend a young tree than an old tree.”

Also read: City of Joburg gears up for city-wide clean up

He further noted that discipline and character account for about 80% of a young person’s eventual success. GAWMT Alexandra coordinator Mandla Khumalo said the Scouts, many of whom already receive discipline-focused mentorship, treated the clean-up as a practical application of that training.

He indicated that future initiatives would extend to additional sections of Alexandra, combining clean-up work with community education to help ensure that improvements are sustained.

Mawusa secretary Cedric Chauke said the campaign was important because an unclean environment adversely affects both mental clarity and physical health. Chauke said, “For people to think better, they must be in a clean environment. A dirty environment is not conducive for kids to play around. It is not healthy even for adults. So, we want to clean our environment and also encourage residents of Alexandra to join us.”

Nwedo emphasised that clean-up efforts alone are insufficient without a focus on raising community awareness. He noted that a cleared area can quickly become littered again in the absence of behavioural change.

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