Not all heroes wear capes, said one resident in admiration of the joint effort of friends Simamkele Vanqa and Simon Mpela in curbing the crippling issue of waste in Komani
Many other Komani residents commended the pair.
Vanqa ‘The Waste Punisher’ and Mpela ‘The Dirt Hunter’, who claim to be taking charge in being the change they want to see said with their Clean Queenstown initiative they were trying to create a lifestyle in the community of Komani.
“Komani being an economic hub, a town that easily attracts tourists and also seeing the dysfunctionality of the municipality, we saw a need for us to intervene. We also have to take responsibility. We are currently facing a pandemic which requires us to make hygiene a priority. Clean Queenstown is not an organisation but rather a lifestyle. The same waste could be sustainable in communities,” said Mpela
The two who have committed in their goal to cleaning parts of town on a daily basis said they were prepared to get their hands grimy and were pleased with the amount of support received so far.
“We grew up in Komani, we left and recently moved back. We realised the town was in a bad state. We had to do something about it and try to assist Komani with the pollution problem. No one would want to invest in a town filled with waste,” said Vanqa, the chairperson.
They appreciated students and pupils from various schools who dedicated their time in joining the initiative whenever they spotted them in town.
Vanqa and Mpela have also created the ‘Dirt Series’ on their Clean Queenstown Facebook page where they take videos of their cleanup experience in various areas.
The duo have however experienced major setbacks when it came to disposing and transporting the refuse and have highlighted that it was a challenge they needed assistance on. “It does not help if we clean up and leave the bags full of refuse which will later be torn by waste pickers. Transport is a major issue. People who are willing to assist who have their own tools in Mlungisi are unable to get to designated areas,” said Mpela.
Vanqa appealed to the public to assist or make any form of donation to help accelerate the project.
Anyone who would like to make donations can contact them on 081-882 5271.
