Leading by example, TCTA’s Chairman of the Board (non-executive) Precious Sibiya, alongside executives Percy Sechemane (CEO) and Pule Mothiba (Chief Strategy Officer), jumped into action for cleaner rivers. This key leadership group recently
participated in two river clean-ups, directly supporting the Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS)Clear Rivers Campaign, which kicked off in July 2025. The campaign officially began on July 4 at Kaalspruit River in Thembisa, led by Deputy Minister Sello Seitlholo. Among other colleagues at the launch were Mr. Sechemane and Mr. Mothiba.
Mr. Sechemane stressed the necessity of ongoing clean-up efforts, given the constant pollution of rivers. “As citizens and civil servants, who happen to work in the water sector, initiatives like these should be one of those key functions that we act as ambassadors for,” he stated.
TCTA’s CEO further urged employees to participate, viewing it as more than just an activity. “I, as an official who is put in charge of running this organisation, am calling upon more and more of the colleagues at the organisation to get to understand why we do this,” said Mr Sechemane. “(I) urge them to see this as more than just a river clean up, but a symbol of our patriotism, and also do it for our future generation.” Another clean-up, part of the same campaign, took place on Mandela Day, 18 July, in Mpophomeni township in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, where Ms. Sibiya joined the CEO.
Florence Ndhundhuma from TCTA’s Corporate Social Initiatives Unit, who spearheaded the internal initiative, expressed gratitude for the leadership’s involvement. “Seeing members from the executive committee as well as the Board Chair in such events goes to show that what we do when we go out to communities is being recognised,” she said, adding, “I am also hoping to see more faces in future from junior up to the executive level.”
DWS initiated the Clear Rivers Campaign, which ran throughout July and concluded today, emphasising volunteerism, especially with Mandela Day at its core. The campaign encouraged communities to maintain water resources, rivers, and streams near their homes. This year’s theme was “South Africa is a water-scarce country, clean up and protect our water
resources.”
Concluding the 2025 Clear Rivers Campaign on July 26 at Klipspruit in Lynnville, Emalahleni Local Municipality, Deputy Minister Seitlholo appealed to residents to improve their care for waterways. “The state of our rivers reflects the state of our society. We cannot wait for the government alone to intervene,”
he added.
The Deputy Minister urged community members to take responsibility for their environment and called on municipalities to enforce bylaws against illegal dumping. “Let us work together, not just in July, but throughout the year, to keep our water sources clean and our future secure,” he concluded.
