David Ritchie

Contractors help clean the Liesbeeck River, one of many polluted rivers in the city. Photo: David Ritchie

Babalo Ndenze

Metro Writer

THE city council has employed 400 people to clean 14 of its most polluted rivers as part of a programme named after the late ANC stalwart Kader Asmal.

Yesterday mayor Patricia de Lille announced the river cleaning programme in honour of Asmal, who first identified the need for such an initiative to ensure a clean water supply.

The announcement was attended by Asmal’s widow, Louise.

The river cleaning is to be part of the Mayor’s Special Job Creation Project, announced by De Lille last month.

INLSA

“We aim to spend R138 million in the first phase, during which 32 000 people will benefit annually from the job opportunities created.

“The Kader Asmal Project benefits from the Extended Public Works Programme model. It will be labour-intensive and thus maximise job opportunities,” said De Lille.

The project will be implemented in phases and will include the removal of invasive plants, river clean-ups, litter disposal, the repair of leaking sewers as well as the identification and cleaning up of pollution hot spots.

“It will also include critical aspects of a river warden system and awareness and education to prevent dumping and littering by Capetonians,” said De Lille.

The areas identified are linked to the following rivers:

l Diep River;

l Salt River;

l Liesbeeck River;

l Black River;

l Elsies Kraal River;

l Keyser River;

l Prince Kasteel River;

l Westlake River;

l Zandvlei River;

l Zeekoevlei River;

l Rondevlei River;

l Eerste River;

l Kuils River

l Khayelitsha Wetlands.

“This programme will go a long way to helping us protect a valuable resource and ensuring we adhere to the principle of sustainable development, which includes safeguarding our natural resources.”

Louise Asmal thanked the city for introducing the programme

. “I’m sure my husband would’ve been in support of it,” she said.

Kasrils Hawkins of Red Hill, one of the 400 employees, said he felt very encouraged by the job-creation initiative.

“The project is very good and gives an opportunity to the unemployed. I used to be employed, but it was on and off.

“This will also equip me with skills,” said Hawkins.

Guy Preston, the national programme leader of Working for Water and a former adviser to Asmal, said the recruits would be paid an average wage of R76.50 a day.

“The city is putting its resources into this. The sooner we do it (clean the rivers) the cheaper it’s going to be for the city,” said Preston.

“The City of Cape Town is committed to building an inclusive and caring society,” said De Lille. “We will do all we can to alleviate the immediate demands of poverty, while continuing with our long-term strategy to ensure that we create the economic environment in which investment can grow and jobs can be created.”

babalo.ndenze@inl.co.za