Thatchfield Newsletter | Page 4

FROM THE CHAIRPERSON Water Pollution. Charles Lloys Ellis - Chairman During this time of drought and water shortages we need to look no further than the Riet Spruit to see what we have done to nature's precious water resources. The spruit which runs past our new office building used to be a clear stream filled with fish, crabs and frogs - an ideal place where children could play and learn about nature. Today it is operating as a toxic open sewer and rubbish dump, despite the fact that our country has strict legislation protecting our water courses. Unfortunately this legislation is not policed and recently when we had the "Green Scorpions" out for a site visit we were informed by them that "rivers like this are no longer an issue as all the rivers in Gauteng are severely polluted with sewerage." The new norm! We will not accept this and we will not give up on our efforts to clean up this river! The pollution has been created by a lack of sewer maintenance and refuse removal in the Olievenhoutbosch area. We can only hope that the new Tshwane Administration will improve service delivery in Olievenhoutbosch which would in turn heal our river. SOCCER FIELD UNDER MAINTENANCE Soccer isn’t just a great sport because of the physical benefits it provides, it’s also a way to teach skills such as teamwork, sportsmanship, and hard work. While kids learn how to play a sport on the field, they will be able to further develop their social skills within a fun and enjoyable environment. The Thatchfield soccer field is currently undergoing maintenance. No sporting activities will be allowed on the field until further notice. The tennis courts are still available for use. pg 4 Thatchfield News