Celebrating Mandela Day at the Mosselbank River

Mandela Day is a reminder that small acts of service can make a lasting difference. On 18 July 2026, the Mosselbank River Conservation Team (MRCT) celebrated its ninth Mandela Day event at the Mosselbank River in Greenville, Fisantekraal, where volunteers came together to care for the environment and strengthen community connections.

Group photo with the volunteers that joined the community clean-up.

One of the highlights of the day was the continued development of the MRCT community garden, which forms part of the team's Adopt-a-Space initiative. The site was once a hotspot for illegal dumping, but instead of accepting the area as neglected, the team chose to reclaim it and transform it into a place of growth and learning.

The garden originally produced vegetables and fruit, but because it is located next to a busy soccer field, many of the crops were damaged. Rather than giving up, the team adapted their approach and converted the space into a herb and medicinal garden that is better suited to the location.

• 

  volunteers holding herbs planted in soil

• 

  volunteers holding plants and equipment with a field in the background

• 

  volunteers holding plants and equipment with a field in the background

• 

  children showing thumbs up at a garden plot with green field

• 

  volunteer holding a plant at a garden plot with grey sky

• 

  buchu plant in a garden plot

During the Mandela Day event, volunteers planted a variety of herbs and medicinal plants, including lemon balm, curry plant, mint, apple mint, spearmint, catnip, buchu, oregano, pelargoniums and marigolds. Looking ahead, the team hopes the garden will support the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Community Health Clinic, where harvested herbs could be used to make natural oils and other remedies. The garden will also remain open for community members to harvest herbs for cooking and traditional uses.

The day was about much more than planting. Around 80 volunteers, the majority of them children and young people from the local community, rolled up their sleeves to clean the Mosselbank River. Together they collected an impressive 201.5 kg of litter, bringing the total amount of waste removed from local waterways by MRCT in 2026 to 1.9 tonnes. Every bag of litter collected represents cleaner rivers, healthier ecosystems and a stronger sense of community ownership.

Volunteers cleaning one of the illegal dumping hotspots along Lords Walk Road.

After a rewarding morning of hard work, everyone gathered to enjoy a warm bowl of soup generously prepared by Lizzy's Soup Kitchen, a valued community initiative in Greenville. It was a simple but meaningful way to end the day, reminding everyone that caring for people and caring for the environment go hand in hand.