KNYSNA NEWS - Thanks to the kind hearts of several Garden Route business owners, residents do not have to drive all the way to George to support the Water Shortage SA campaign anymore.
This follows after readers asked for a drop-off point to be established in the Knysna area. Until recently, George was the nearest town where they could deliver their donations.
Arlene’s Pool Services have also started collecting as of today, Monday, January 10.
At the end of last year, Caroline van Saasen of Middelburg started a Facebook campaign called Water Shortage SA which appealed to holiday-makers going inland from the coast to take back bottles of still water to hand out.
The following areas were identified to deliver water to: Welkom, Kroonstad, Hoopstad, Bothaville, Senekal, Bloemfontein, Viljoenskroon, Parys, Villiers, Harrismith, Bethlehem, Edenburg, Aliwal North, Colesburg, De Aar, Prieska, Kimberley, Upington, Vryburg, Lichtenburg, Mahikeng, Newcastle, Vryheid and Greytown. Some of the towns such as Aliwal North and Senekal have run completely out of water since December.
According to Ray de Vries, owner of Water from Air and media spokesperson for Water Shortage SA, the water shortage has become so dire in these areas that he has seen township dwellers drinking raw sewage water and chasing cows away so that they could drink it. (Read Knysna-Plett Herald of January 7, SA water crisis: how Garden Routers can help.)
Sparks and Roberts confirmed their service stations are open 24/7 so "drought angels" can drop their bottled water at any time.
Sparks asked that Knysna and Sedgefield sponsors drop their water contributions off at the cashiers at the Shell service stations in the Main roads of the two towns. Donors in Plettenberg Bay should leave their water at the entrance of Shell Ultra City where it will be collected, said Roberts.
Collect empty bottles and fill with water. Mark the bottles clearly “DW” for drinking water for human consumption and “TW” for tap, tank or rain water that will be used for sanitation and/or animal use. The water will then be collected by volunteers and taken to distribution points where it will be handed out.
For further details:
- Shell Service station, Main roads, Knysna and Sedgefield, contact Nadia Hardnick on 044-3431760.
- Shell Ultra City, corner of the N2 highway and Marine Way, Plettenberg Bay, contact: Charles Roberts at 044-5330140.
- Arlene’s Pool Services, number 3 Greenpoint Avenue, Unit two, Plettenberg Bay, contact Antoi Forbes at 082-9279557.
