Two young men from Lulekani township in Phalaborwa are on a mission to keep their surroundings clean and safe for the community. 

Wandile Bila and Musa Hlungwani are the founders of Bila & Hlugwani, an environmental company that has been volunteering its services and time to clean some areas in Ward 14 and 15.

  They have been offering various services to the community ranging from collecting refuse and clearing vegetation.

Some of their projects include park clearing and maintenance, road and streets cleaning and removing illegally dumped refuse. 

“There was a time when the apollo light was not working and Eskom had to fix it but was unable because of the vegetation in the area.

“We used our own resources and cleared the area to make it safe for Eskom personnel to work.

“We have also in the past cleaned the local park to make it safe for learners who pass through the park.

“We love what we do, but we don’t think we get the necessary acknowledgement from the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality.  

“We once approached them to assist us as a small company making a contribution to the community.

We were told that they will revert back to us, but that was the end of it,” explained Bila. 

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He added that they submitted a quote for a tender by the municipality for bush clearing at the Namakgale Plant earlier this year, but were never shortlisted. 

According to Bila the municipality should appoint someone to clean the Lulekani area as it is riddled with litter and overgrown vegetation. 

The Herald spoke to the municipality’s spokesman, Jonas Mahesu, who said that he was not aware of the work the young men are doing.

  He advised them to submit their recommendations to the youth, gender and arts department at the municipal offices where they will be assisted. 

Bila concluded by appealing to the municipality and local businesses to support their company as they are already making a difference in the area.