100 tyres found in Hennops River
On 6 June, 65 volunteers met at the Centurion Hotel and were screened and sanitised before they tackled the area downstream from the hotel from 09:00 to 15:00.
Volunteers were surprised to find more than 100 tyres in the Hennops River during a clean-up over the weekend in Centurion.
On 6 June, 65 volunteers met at the Centurion Hotel and were screened and sanitised before they tackled the area downstream from the hotel from 09:00 to 15:00.
“Previously, we cleaned and removed about 50 tyres in March; fast forward to now, and we removed more than a hundred tyres this weekend alone,” said Hennops Revival organisation founder Tarryn Johnston.
Johnston suspected the tyres were being dumped in the river by contracting companies.
To reduce the illegal dumping of the tyres she believed contractors must present a slip where and when their tyres were dumped.
“There is illegal dumping everywhere, it is ridiculous.”
Besides the tyres, volunteers also managed to clean 394 bags of waste.
Johnston said about 7 880kg of rubbish was removed this weekend – excluding the tyres.
READ MORE: Hennops clean up a raging success
Other weird items removed from the river since the organisation started last year, included trolleys, toys, clothing, lots of shoes, cosmetics, food, condoms, hundreds of lollipop sticks, sweet wrappers, chips packets, dead fish, ducks, dogs, lots of empty washing powder packets, lots of polystyrene and Styrofoam, meat, fruit and vegetables.
“On the banks, caught in the thick vegetation, were millions of bits and pieces of chips packets, sweet wrappers, toothpaste tubes and bottle tops. We’ve even pulled out a wheelbarrow and a few dustbins,” Johnston said.
“There is dual purpose to these clean-ups. The obvious one is the removal of trash, but we also want to create awareness within the community, to involve as many entities as possible to join hands and tackle this enormous task itogether. This problem cannot be ignored for any longer.”
A familiar face to the monthly clean-ups is Siyabonga Majola, from Soshanguve, who does not miss a Hennops clean-up.
Majola said he joined one of last year’s clean-ups out of curiosity.
“I saw how our rivers had become gutters of rubbish. I realised how important the rivers are when I was shown how they are all connected and how necessary they are for us,” Majola said.
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