March 27, 2007
By George Matlala
USE water sparingly - this is the message from Johannesburg City Parks, which is warning residents that the city faces the threat of water shortages.
It made the call for the conservation of water at a national Water Week celebration and re-launch of The Wilds on Friday, 23 March. The theme of the celebration was "Water is life – protect our scarce resource". The Wilds is a park in Houghton.
"The threat of water shortages is very real," said Geoffrey Cooke, the acting managing director of City Parks. He urged residents to look at their daily routines in a bid to conserve water, challenging them to make saving water their mission.
"I believe that in our hearts and minds we still believe that saving water is somebody else's problem." That South Africa was buying water from countries like Lesotho was a sign that water was becoming scarce, Cooke explained. "Developed countries such as the United Kingdom are currently restricting water consumption in cities like London."
Residents were also warned that if they did not use water sparingly, they would have to face the consequences. "If people don't conserve water, the City will put restrictions on [its] usage," said Justice Maluleke, the assistant director of water quality management in the Gauteng regional office of the national Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
Maluleke said his department was appealing to industries to use water sparingly and to take less water from rivers. "South Africa is a water-scarce country. We don't have enough water in our rivers." He also urged residents to report any water pollution to the department.
There were a number of activities targeting learners at the event, which was attended by children from Nkosi's Haven and St Nicholas Home for Kids in Westbury. Xolani Magengenene, the public educator at Johannesburg Water, gave the children lessons on how to save water.
"When you brush your teeth, you should pour water into a glass instead of leaving the tap running." People should report broken pipes to avoid wasting water; other ways of saving water included turning off and repairing taps to avoid leaks and using a bucket of water to wash a car instead of a hosepipe.
Tappie, the silver-grey Johannesburg Water mascot, accompanied him, and entertained the kids with his dazzling dancing moves.
Mbali Ntuli, a 12-year-old from Nkosi's Haven, recited a poem she had written titled "Water you are part of my life". She also said that people should avoid wasting water, and stressed that children should stop playing with water. "We should save water for things like cooking."
Her advice included turning off taps once you had finished using them.
Douglas Mchunu, 15, from St Nicholas Home for Kids, supported Mbali's call for water conservation. "We can't live without water because we use it for many things."
City Parks used the celebrations to re-launch The Wilds. The rejuvenated Wilds, as Cooke referred to the park, has gone through a number of changes. Today there is a 24-hour security presence and a resident environmental education specialist who will offer one-hour programmes on themes such as reptiles, fish, snails and medicinal plants, among others.
Schools are encouraged to ask for talks on nature-related themes of their choice, giving a week's notice before their visit. The Wilds has a limited subsidy for poor schools that cannot afford to visit. However, all schools must book their trips in advance.
"Let's all work together to position The Wilds as a place where every one of us - with our families - want to be over the weekends," Cooke added.
The Wilds is an 18-hectare green lung that boasts a variety of indigenous tree species, flowers, shrubs, grasses and birds. The fauna and flora is complemented by the beautiful geology of the area, which includes rock types such as shale, quartzite and Achaean granite.
Entrance is free and everyone may enjoy its tranquillity. Bookings need to be made for events at the park. For environmental education programmes, contact Hosea Mokgahla on 011 643 2313 or 076 064 9205, or on email at hmokgahla@jhbcityparks.com.
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