Creatives are leading the call for a cleaner South Africa, and in Pietermaritzburg, art recently honoured the City’s heroes: those who keep it clean!
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa (26 July, 2023) — Creatives are leading the call for a cleaner South Africa! We’ve seen it in sustainable fashion initiatives, mind-blowing creations made from the most unique kinds of waste and even from retired creatives beautifying streets. Adding to the list is a member of Pietermaritzburg’s ‘Looking for Victory on Victoria Road’ team and beloved artist, Siyabonga Sikosana Musi.
In celebration of Pietermaritzburg’s birthday and the Keep Pietermaritzburg Clean Association’s (KPCA) celebrations, Siyabonga created a painting that captures something you don’t always see in art—the process to beauty.
KPCA was gifted a painting celebrating the milestone chapter by Siyabonga, and couldn’t have been more thrilled about the inspiration it’ll spur.
“Siyabonga’s painting is an inspirational testimony of our reality in South Africa—a window into our vibrant truth. We are deeply moved by his generous heart, his love for community and our city.”—KPCA Chairperson Lara Edmonds.
KPCA is encouraging Pietermaritzburg citizens to join the changemakers in creating a cleaner city; sharing that the answers to a better city are not complicated.
“If we all took ownership of our verges and the space around our businesses and cleaned them up daily, our city would be clean. If we all recycled, we would drastically reduce the crisis at the dump.
“We need to move beyond the dysfunction and rise to reclaim our city. United, we can make an enormous impact. It is a natural win for us as it increases property value, security and community pride. Most significantly, it has an important impact on our environment,” Lara adds.
Other creatives leading the “victory charge” to quote Lara, are people like pop artist Gary Clarke who is an ex-Pietermaritzburg local. He created a commemorative piece for KPCA’s collection focused on elephants standing next to the City Hall with pride, where a huge-clean up team is gathered amid a rainbow backdrop—our nation’s title.
“We are called Umgungundlovu in isiZulu which means ‘the place of the elephants,” Lara explains, which made the art even more special; focusing on their roots, strength and community as a force to be reckoned with.
Keeping with the elephant energy, but extending it to another realm of good beyond the environment is Pietermaritzburg’s self-proclaimed Craftivist Dr Liz Thompson who has a vision to create crafted elephants to share with children in hospital.
Find out more or join KPCA’s clean future-makers here.
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