Hennops river activists install ‘tree trap’ in Centurion
The bridge was the site where, in November last year, an estimated four tons of litter had accumulated after trees and branches created a blockage.
Efforts to drag garbage from the Hennops River continued this week, as environmental activists installed further mechanisms to pull litter from the dirty water.
On Thursday afternoon, activists installed a tree trap on the Hennops River near the West Avenue bridge in Centurion.
The bridge was the site where, in November last year, an estimated four tons of litter had accumulated after trees and branches created a blockage.
The litter consisted of Styrofoam packaging, paper and what appeared to be charred dog carcasses floating on the water.
READ MORE: WATCH: River activists block garbage with net to save Hennops river
The purpose of the tree trap was to stop any branches and trees from once again clogging up the bridge, according to Fresh.ngo director Willem Snyman.
Snyman and a team of volunteers suspended a net over the bridge last week Friday in an attempt to catch any floating garbage.
“We worked at the site until around 22:00 to get the net installed,” he said.
“Our hope is to catch the garbage, but the net is very thin so any branches or trees caught in it will most likely tear it open.
“The tree trap will not only prevent this but might even be used by the so-called Bagerezi as firewood.”
The Bagerezi or informal waste pickers are those staying at the nearby “sorting station” next to West Avenue.
They stay on the river and many believe they are a source of some of the garbage in the water.
READ MORE: Efforts to clean Hennops intensify
On Friday, some of the people staying at the site allegedly threw stones at one of the river activists Gareth Hansen.
“I had been in the water with my waders putting up the net when a man started taunting me,” Hansen said.
“The next minute they threw stones at me and I ended up losing my glasses in the water.”
On Thursday, the activists engaged with the leaders of the waste pickers to encourage them not to hamper the cleaning of the Hennops River.
“The real problem here is plastic,” Hansen said.
“The Bagerezi want to be included in society and they would not be here if it weren’t for our litter.
“They receive a lot of hate and anger but they are doing a job we don’t value enough to do ourselves,” Hansen said.
The activists have installed various nets at various sources of the Hennops River.
They vowed to continue working to clean the river as the rain season looms.
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