Hangberg businessman gets down to cleaning

A Hangberg businessman has had enough of the rubbish piling up outside his adventure business on the Hout Bay Harbour.

Brent Thomas runs a tour operating company from the harbour, but said the amount of mess and illicit activities close to his business prompted him to make a move.

It started two weeks ago when they started tackling the space which has been plagued with problems for the last seven months, with people urinating and using drugs in the bushes behind his business.

"I just started getting fed up of watching these scenes everyday and eventually I knew I needed to make a plane. One day my boys came to me and asked dad, can we please do something about that space myself and my buddies from Grade 11 will help and that's how it all started," Mr Thomas said.

Since starting on the clean-up project at the harbour, the cleaning crew has started receiving overwhelming support from the entire community of Hout Bay, with people reaching out to assist with some succulents for the space.

"We even had some community kids also involved and as it is where the klopse hang out and also want to create a space where people will come to take photos at the space as the klopse don't just do that, but they also have an acoustic jazz band and so we will create a safe space and area for people to come and enjoy our beautiful harbour," Mr Thomas said.

Marcelino Alberts is also from Hout Bay and regularly visits the harbour, but said he was relieved to see the community taking action.

"The harbour is a beautiful place and is unique for this community, but there were areas that were really shady and needed attention and that is why this move is so amazing," he said.

"I love that it is our own people doing and taking back the community we all love."

Mr Alberts also encouraged more people from the public to support the cause and contribute towards keeping Hout Bay "safer and cleaner".

"We have a fantastic community and fantastic community of people as well. We have proven that if we stand together, nothing can stop us, so everybody must support initiatives such as these," he said.

Mr Thomas said he now plans to start a vegetable garden and also to grow some fruit.

"If we can and turn it into a pot of food to feed whoever is in need and also we could make juice from it as we are now partnering with Chris from RAW juice to teach kids how to make juice from veggies and fruits that could even be sold and on that note I also see a future market happening for local entrepreneurs to come and do a market day at the space to showcase local artists, bakers, farmers and people crafting food and jewelry with their own two hands," he said.

If people want to get involved or support the project, contact Brent on 074 701 0921, as they are still in need of some tiles and paint to do their mural art on the wall.