SpruitSpritz marked the initiative’s sixth anniversary on September 26 with a four-in-one clean-up, combining World Cleanup Day, Heritage Day, World Rivers Day and the anniversary of the local environmental initiative.

What began with organiser Chantal Nativel picking up litter while walking her dog has grown into a six-year community effort to protect Paulshof’s spruits and green spaces.

Read more: Paulshof residents fight to keep Braamfontein Spruit clean

Nativel said the motivation to start the clean-ups came from seeing the amount of litter in and around the waterways.

“When we started this six years ago, what motivated me was the filth,” she said.

Nativel said she initially began picking up as much litter as she could carry during daily walks with her partner and their dog.

Her interest in the impact of pollution on waterways grew while completing a master’s degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, where part of her research explored water, pollution and the relationship between people and the environment.

During her studies, Nativel also travelled to the Caribbean on a scientific mission with researchers from around the world, where they collected plastic and tested the sea at different depths and on its surface for microplastic pollution.

After completing her master’s degree, the Covid-19 pandemic halted gatherings. Once restrictions allowed people to meet again, Nativel organised a clean-up for World Rivers Day.

Also read: Residents relieved after clean-up clears overgrown Fourways informal settlement

She later discovered that the Paulshof Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (PRRA) was organising a separate clean-up, leading the two initiatives to join forces.

What was initially an annual clean-up has since become a monthly effort.

“We have been doing it every month for six years,” Nativel said.

Community unites for monthly river care

The latest clean-up attracted regular SpruitSpritz volunteers, community members, four people completing community service, representatives from Chilli Lane Shopping Centre and Ward 93 councillor Vino Reddy.

Security company Fidelity ADT, which has supported the initiative on and off over the past six years, also joined the clean-up.

Nativel said she was grateful for the continued support.

“We love the rivers, and we love it when people come and help us clean our vital resources,” she said.

Reddy said maintaining the area’s waterways was important for both the environment and the wider community.

“This is the sixth anniversary World River Day, and I do believe we’ve been doing this every year for the last six years,” Reddy said.

“It is really important for us to maintain our river systems, to keep it clean, to make sure that it’s not polluted. We want to make it clean and safe for everyone.”

He encouraged more residents to participate in future clean-ups and make use of the area’s public open spaces.

“I encourage more people to come down to join these clean-ups, because it’s in the best interest of the communities, as well as utilise our public open spaces, because if we don’t use it, it’s going to be occupied,” he said.

The anniversary clean-up also acknowledged the contribution of regular volunteers and past and present supporters, including the PRRA, local gardeners, Chilli Lane Shopping Centre, Rivonia Riding Club, Green Thumb Hydroponics, WaterCAN and others who have helped sustain the initiative.

For Nativel, the six-year milestone is ultimately about keeping people connected to the waterways running through their neighbourhood.

Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!