Indiginous Opinion on South Africa: Stop littering and peeing everywhere, it isn't our values
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Before 1994, black people did not throw trash in open municipal land in our townships, cities and towns. We didn't pee on the streets against perimeter walls and trees in public spaces. But after 1994 we became a trash nation as we started throwing all sorts of litter on open municipal lands and peeing on the streets of townships and cities.
We even threatened those who dared ask us to refrain from littering. Now we even threatened law enforcement agencies when they warn us against peeing on the streets.
What makes us litter and pee on the streets? Is it because of political freedom we never had for hundred of years? In my view, freedom does not mean neglecting self-respect.
Freedom means to be responsible, dignified and caring for our environment. Home owners who live near illegal dumpsite are subjected to insults whenever they dare to ask fellow residents not to throw trash on open spaces. Offenders even have the temerity to insult of people by demanding that those who complain must not handle themselves as if they were white people.
If rubbish was good for us as black people, we would keep it in front our gates, instead of dumping it far away from our houses.
When people advice not to illegally dump rubbish, they got sworn at and threatened them with violence. We even tell them that they should not complain because the rubbish is not dumped in their yards.
This is a stupid mentality, exposing tendencies of self-hate. Is it only white people who must understand the value of living in a clean environment? What has become of us as black people that since democracy we have seen it fit to neglect values of self-love?
It is also unfair to blame municipalities for problems that we create for ourselves in our neighbourhoods. Active citizens should organise regular clean-up in their communities, to assist the efforts of the municipalities to keep the environment clean.
We should own own up to the problems we create because in any community, the trash mounds and dirty streets are our own creation. Trash should be dumped at designated areas or put outside homes on scheduled rubbish collection days.
Let's also stop urinating in public, and worse, in front of children who would grow up thinking this undignified practice is the right way to go.
In 2001, I witnessed an incident at Park Station, Johannesburg, where a young man peed on the pavement while public toilets were within his sight.
When his intoxicated friend asked why he did that he said "we (meaning blacks) are in government."
As black people, we should discard this mentality that dignified public behaviour belongs to white people only.
• Rikhotso is a Sowetan reader
https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/opinion/columnists/2021-10-20-stop-littering-and-peeing-everywhere-it-isnt-our-values/
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