On Saturday 14 May Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis attended our Community Litter Clean at Maidens Cove in Camps Bay, his presence attracting 77 adults and children, with 145 bags filled and taken for recycling by I know a Guy Recycling!

I organise a Community Litter Clean in Camps Bay once a month, usually focusing on the Camps Bay Beach area, meeting opposite The 41 Restaurant, which sponsors a beverage for each participant, and a prize of two The 41 burgers for the person collecting the most litter.

I have felt like a lone soul in cleaning up Camps Bay since I moved back here in 2018, reacting to the litter at the Tidal Pool and its nearby stream on 1 January 2019, it being filled with paper plates, cold drink bottles, paper cups, Pick n Pay bags, and KFC boxes and chicken bones in the main. I went home and vented about it on Facebook, but realised that it wouldn’t get the stream cleaned, as the City of Cape Town only clears the green bins, but does not have staff to clean up loose litter. I went back with a garbage bag and cleaned the stream, the beginning of my Cleaning journey in Camps Bay.

I have used various persons to assist me since then, with financial support from the Camps Bay Ratepayers Association, to do litter hotspot clean ups throughout the month. I currently work with Gift, a gardener working in Camps Bay and in Sea Point. More and more schools inspire their learners to do Community projects, some leading to President’s Awards, and their learners assist me on weekends to clean up litter hotspots.

I first read about the Mayor’s participation in Community Clean Ups five months ago, and was impressed that he did not mind getting involved in Cape Town’s litter problem, posting about it on Social Media, and creating the slogan ‘Let’s keep Cape Town clean, together’. He has only held the position of Mayor for six months, but is an impressive new broom sweeping our City clean.

The success of Saturday’s clean-up would not have been possible without the support of Ward 54 (Sea Point and Camps Bay) Councillor Nicola Jowell, who invited the Mayor to join us for a clean up in Camps Bay. We fitted in with the Mayor’s diary, usually hosting our clean ups on the last Saturday of the month. The Camps Bay Primary School posted about the Clean-up in its newsletter, and learners from the Camps Bay Prep School as well as St Cyprians and their parents supported us too. Councillor Ian McMahon of Green Point and the City joined us, as did seven Ignisive car guards, who filled 52 bags alone. The Atlantic Seaboard Community Facebook Group and its owner Shona Owen gave us fantastic support too, and attended to participate. Richard Bendel, Deputy Chairman of the Camps Bay Ratepayers Association, Theresa Masaglia, and I represented the Association. The beverage sponsorship of The 41 was a welcome incentive too, many participants joining us there for a coffee, tea or cold drink afterwards.

The Camps Bay Clean community clean-ups are held on the last Saturday of the month, from 11h00 – 12h00 during winter. The next clean-up will be held on Saturday 25 June. We would love to have residents of Camps Bay as well as of other areas join us. Announcements are made on my Camps Bay Clean Facebook Page, the Camps Bay Ratepayers Association Facebook Page, and all the Camps Bay What’s App, Telegram,  and Facebook Groups.

 

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein  Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide, Camps Bay Clean  Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide