Gugulethu Canal Clean Up

One of the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate’s 2026 grant funding recipients, Lokshin Pioneers, hosted Project Khuseleka, meaning ‘to be protected’. The Gugulethu-based organisation implemented a series of community initiatives aimed at addressing illegal dumping, sewer blockages and flooding in the area.

As part of the 22 community organisations in partnership with the Water and Sanitation Directorate, Lokshin Pioneers is working with residents in Gugulethu, Nyanga and the Borchard’s Quarry precinct, to develop practical solutions that reduce the impact of flooding in their areas.

The Borchard’s Quarry precinct is situated as a gateway between Nyanga and Gugulethu, and experiences frequent drain and sewer-related blockages. This contributes to flooding near informal dwellings, especially during periods of heavy rain.

Illegal dumping into the Gugulethu Canal further exacerbates these challenges by restricting water flow.

With support from the community, Lokshin Pioneers hosted these awareness-raising initiatives:

• Khuseleka Clean-up and Awareness campaign held on 29 May 2026 at the Gugulethu Canal.
  Local residents and volunteers removed 150 bags of waste from the waterway. A ‘No Dumping’ sign was also installed to further discourage illegal dumping.
• Khuseleka Career Expo held on 25 March 2026 at the J.L. Zwane Centre in Gugulethu.
  More than 160 learners from Luzuko, Ilitha and Sokhanyo Primary Schools attended, not only to learn about future career opportunities, but to also understand the role that various departments play during natural disasters. Presentations were made by the City’s Water and Sanitation, Urban Waste Management and Disaster Risk Management departments.

‘Community-driven initiatives are instrumental in increasing local participation in environmental stewardship and water conservation. Our partners, Lokshin Pioneers, are challenging the community to re-evaluate behavioural root causes of blockages, which lead to flooding in their surroundings. Through education, these efforts are helping to change mindsets and encourage multi-stakeholder collaboration for a cleaner environment,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

‘We feel that the partnership with the City was a great success and that we increased community awareness about the dangers of illegal dumping,’ said Sithembele Ntaba, founder of Lokshin Pioneers.