The Go Green-Go Clean project in Eldorado Park Extension 8, is a servitude owned by Joburg City Property and in the care of Eskom. This relates to the overhanging power cables running through the servitude. The area in question stretching from Turf Avenue, Edward Baatjies, Tosman Friesly, Epsom, Albert Dickenson and Dartmoor avenues were used previously as a dumpsite. The dumpsite with streaming sewage and long overgrown grass made it the perfect hiding spot for criminals where community members were regularly robbed and attacked. In 2013 Rashid Juma, a former well renowned magician turned green activist and together with a group of unemployed volunteers from the area decided to clean it up and rid the community of this unsafe environment. After removing the long grass, they planted lawn, a few plants and the crime rate dropped in the area. Over the years, as a travelling magician, he left the area to the volunteers and the community to tend to the space, but his absence left a void, and the project almost collapsed. The area was kept dump free, but there was no vision to take the project forward. In 2019 after a short illness, Rashid returned to the site with renewed vigor with an idea to create an ECO Tourism Walkway in the space, an artist haven for local painters but at the same time educate the community about a clean and green environment. With the assistance of Fundi Communications & Advertising who approached Barloworld Empowerment Foundation in 2021, the organization provided the much-needed financial injection for the project through grant funding. This empowered the team to:
• Pay stipends to the unemployed volunteers – who were working on the projects for more than 7 years without any remuneration.
• Pay for tools and implements – wheelbarrows, spades, grass cutters, lawn trimmers etc. In a nutshell that was the beginning…. With the partnership of Heineken/Greenpop, Go Green Go Clean launched the Heineken Green Zone in March 2024. We created the Khoi Heritage Site with paintings which reflect the story of Khoi and San, the first nation. The site enabled us to tell the history of the Indigenous Khoi through art. This is now a space for the community and tourists to learn more about the Khoi heritage story in vibrant color. International seasoned artist like Ma Sophie Peters and young artist from Eldorado Park/Kliptown were commissioned to narrate the Khoi story visually on the walls and to do Rock art on the boulders. Launch of the Heineken Green Zone in March 2024
