Pretoria – Hlwekisa, a citizen responsibility campaign (CRC), is expected to mobilise a change in mind-set amongst the people of Gauteng on matters of sustainable environment, particularly cleaning of the province.
The campaign is an initiative of the Gauteng Speakers’ Forum (GSF) which was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by Speakers of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) and Gauteng municipalities in 2012 to mount joint campaigns on issues of public interest in the province.
The vision GSF is to deepen democracy, enhance good governance, improve government accountability and create laws that are just and fair for the people of Gauteng.
In this way, the people of Gauteng, especially the poor communities, are assured to receive quality services that are directly meant to improve their lives.
Hlekwisa will kick-start with cleaning activities and a workshop in commemoration of Mandela Day, on Friday, at Kameeldrift Community Hall.
The Nelson Mandela Day is an annual event that is commemorated in honour of the late South Africa’s first democratic President who gave 67 years of his life fighting for freedom and the rights of humanity.
The campaign is hosted under the following objectives:
- to encourage citizens of Gauteng to foster a positive community identity by embarking on monthly cleaning campaigns;
- to encourage citizens of Gauteng to increase community awareness of the benefits of the 3Rs (Reuse, Reduce and Recycle) of solid waste management;
- to educate citizens of Gauteng about the importance of reusing, reducing and recycling and how they can incorporate the 3Rs in their households;
- to encourage citizens of Gauteng to organise community cleaning forums;
- to encourage communities to organise outreach activities and events geared to promote the 3Rs of solid waste management; and
- to create sustainable relationships between communities, government departments, civil society organisations and the business fraternity on sustaining a clean environment.
The CRC takes cognisance of the existing initiatives by good South Africans towards building a better nation, and thus commits to working together in harnessing efforts towards a better Gauteng. – SAnews.gov.za
