It seems that Eckhard Binding – the trash kid – has started an important conversation about keeping South Africa clean!
South Africa – Government has called on citizens to work with each other to clean up the country and contribute to solving the global and national environmental challenges.
The call came in the same week that a 21-year-old University of the Free State (UFS) student went viral for standing up against EFF members throwing trash on the ground.
Eckhard Binding created a social media frenzy after he was captured continuously picking up rubbish while EFF members repeatedly threw it back on the ground, mocking him! The persistent South African said that he started picking up the litter because he was angry, and wanted to set a better example.
The video has already garnered almost 3 million views in just 3 days and started an important conversation about keeping South Africa clean… and it seems the government is listening!!!
The new initiative started by the government is part of the “Good Green Deeds” campaign that will be officially launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday at the Sisa Dukashe stadium, in Mdantsane, East London. The Good Green Deeds campaign is a nationwide environmental programme that challenges all citizens to take a stand against littering and start initiatives to clean-up their neighbourhoods.
“The campaign seeks to change people’s behaviours towards respecting our environment and towards appreciating waste management interventions,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) acting Director General Phumla Williams said.
She said the campaign is an attempt to encourage South Africans to not dump rubbish as it harms the environment.
The campaign is aimed at changing people’s attitudes and behaviours towards responsible waste management and shift the paradigm to influence people to be environmentally conscious and make use of the available recycling bins.
“Government challenges every citizen of South Africans to continue with the spirit of ‘Thuma Mina’ and answer the call to stop littering and illegal dumping. Let us all do our part to promote the use of recycling bins and ‘Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recovery’ of waste to make South Africa a cleaner place to live in,” a statement by the GCIS said on Wednesday.
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SA Conservation Doccie 'SPOILED' Wins Top Sustainability Award at International Film Festival in SpainThe objective of the campaign is also to expand productive capacity and enhance service delivery in key green economy sectors including investment in bio-waste resources using best practices in food waste composting and urban food production initiatives that result in meaningful employment creation in green economy sectors.
Williams urged South Africans to participate in the social media challenge for the campaign. All those on social media should post a picture or video clip of themselves taking some action to clean-up the country using the hashtag. #GoodGreenDeeds.
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