AfriForum’s sustainable self-do projects are essential to Bethal.
Bethal is a town that experiences a continual failure of municipal service delivery. It is for this reason that the local AfriForum branch launched sustainable monthly and even weekly projects to support the community.
AfriForum erected an emergency water point in 2018 after many interruptions in water supply. The project was launched in cooperation with Hinterland Bethal, Eco Tanks and the AC Church, and can provide 30 000 litres of water to Bethal residents when water supply is interrupted. Local farmers fill these tanks at no cost.
The civil rights organisation also undertook a clean-up of the central business district and erected 30 garbage bins. Kaka-Lai was appointed to clear the bins once a week.
AfriForum’s Bethal branch also maintains the Nestlé triangle by clearing it regularly and mowing the grass around it.
The branch has spent more than R300 000 since 2017 on repairing potholes. The project is supported financially by various businesses and residents. Specific routes are repaired to allow residents to travel safely to important areas of Bethal.
The branch also launched a project to repaint street name blocks. The project has been completed in streets with antelope names and has since moved to the area around the Hoërskool Hoogenhout. The project is aimed at increasing the efficiency of emergency services.
The branch is also working on a sustainable vegetable farming project to support institutions such as Bethal’s soup kitchen. About 1 000 m2 of land has already been earmarked for shade netting.
“We believe that sustainable projects are imperative for the successful survival of Bethal. We cannot allow municipal inefficiency to lead to our town’s demise,” says Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Eastern Mpumalanga.
Make a real difference in your community: Join AfriForum’s Bethal branch today by sending an SMS with “Bethal” to 45350 (R1).
