So we got out to resource the problem and we found out that tourists …

• are interested in visiting the township
• are willing to overnight in the township
• would like to experience Xhosa culture, traditions and ceremonies
• would recommend visiting the township to their friends
• …but we also found many tourists said that:

1. the township is unattractive and dirty
2. household waste marred the streets and environment
3. they fear the possibility of disease
4. the township image is totally unacceptable

In order to solve the case problem, the case writers agreed that:

Township High School.

• The Tourists themselves
• Economic implications of increased tourism flow to the Kuyasa Township.

In South Africa every town or city has its own Local Authority which is responsible for the day to day running of all the matters concerning the community, its activities and its infra-structure.

Waste management would automatically fall under the lists of responsibilities of a local authority. Colesberg’s local authority has waste management programs in place, but they seem to work only in the white areas.

Household waste is disposed in black plastic refuse bags (bought at local grocery stores) and placed in black rubber refuse bins, which are the property of the home owners. The town and Kuyasa Township is divided into five sub-sections, and a waste collection truck of the municipality collects household waste once every week in each sub-section. (It operates five days a week.) Household waste is only collected if it is left in refuse bags. Approximately 0.35kg of waste per person per day is collected. The household waste is then taken to a dumping site approximately six kilometres out of town, where it is dumped without any separation of plastics, glass ,paper etc. All types of waste, including sewerage, medical, industrial, commercial and household waste is dumped here. There are growing fears that the ground water below the site is polluted by the leachate from the rotting waste. The waste is sometimes set alight to burn, resulting in air pollution in an almost pollution-free environment. Glass and cans and other forms of waste which cannot be burned are left on the dumps. When the dumping sites become full, a new site is identified and the dumping continues there. Sometimes during the wet season, the road to the dump is closed, and the rubbish is dumped elsewhere – even on the outskirts of the Kuyasa Township!

The case writers attended a general meeting of the local authority during which they were given the opportunity to explain the effect of waste in the Kuyasa Township on tourism opportunities.

The response of the local authority was:

In the most poverty-stricken area, next to the main entrance to Kuyasa Township, most of the residents are unemployed and would rather use the little money they receive from state subsidies or pensions to buy food than to buy refuse bags or drums for the disposal of household waste.

Household waste is literally dumped everywhere - even right next to the house. A heavy stench of rotting waste and urine, mixed with the smell of wood fires permeates the air. During interviews with residents from this area, it became clear that there is little or no responsibility amongst these residents towards littering or waste disposal. The general reaction was that they will clean up their waste if they get paid to do so.

In the more "affluent" areas of the township, the case writers came across signs of better waste management. Although the residents of these areas also dispose of their rubbish in the local environment, they make use of more centralised dumping areas. Animals like pigs eat most of the food waste and other organic matter rots in the ground. Some waste is burned, buried or composted. Material such as plastic bags and containers, cans, tins, bottles and car related wastes are seen in the open environment.

Residents in these areas were more willing to take responsibility for waste management, but only if the local authority supplies the refuse bins and refuse bags.

Re-cycling is totally unknown in the township. However, glass drink bottles are successfully collected and exchanged for money. Very few of these bottles end up in the waste dumps.

The case writers found no evidence of waste consciousness programmes in the township.

The following statistics are from a survey done by the case writers:

Such responses paved the way for action plans.

The three case writers realised the importance of making local residents aware of proper waste disposal practises and of the negative effects of uncontrolled waste disposal.

Looking around them at the filthy school grounds, they realised that they should start at the school to make students aware of the rubbish around them.

During an informal survey at the school, 90% of the students who were asked why they did not pick up their rubbish, replied that the school employed a full-time cleaner and that it was the ONE cleaner’s responsibility to pick up the litter and garbage of one thousand students! They decided to launch an awareness campaign at the school, hoping that in time, it would filter through to the rest of the community.

To encourage students to throw their rubbish in the right place, the Travel & Tourism Department of the school organised a competition for the students. They collected large steel drums and paint from local businesses, and asked the students to decorate them with environmental designs and messages. The brightly painted drums were placed around the school grounds. So a better, cleaner, healthier environment is possible and achievable and this stands to benefit tourists, travellers, visitors and guests.

THE TOURISTS THEMSELVES

Because of its central location, tourists travelling through Colesberg, do not only come from South Africa, but from all over the world. During peak season between November and end of January, 1 800 vehicles per hour pass Colesberg on the major national road (N1) en route to a holiday destination. Approximately 600 vehicles per day turn off into Colesberg for refreshments or overnight accommodation. A large portion of Colesberg’s economy depends on money generated through tourism. Until recently most of this money went into the pockets of white-owned businesses. By looking at the figures in the table below, one can see the urgent need for the development of tourism related businesses in Kuyasa Township.

We went out to meet our tourists. They are part of the solution too. One hundred tourists from all population groups were approached in town and were asked questions to establish how much they knew about the tourist facilities and services available and what entertainment was offered in Kuyasa Township in Colesberg.

illegally selling alcoholic beverages

Taking into account all the above facts and statistics, one can safely assume that a clean environment and an acceptable township image will lead to a dramatic increase in culture-based tourism in Kuyasa Township.

The following graph represents an estimated 30% increase in bed occupancy in the first year.

By looking at the survey results of "Questions asked to tourists", 60 % of tourists interviewed by the case writers, indicated that they would be interested in spending a night in the Kuyasa Township. To make a conservative projection, the case writers felt that, until tourism is firmly established, a 30% increase in occupancy could be more realistic projection.

A 30% increase in bed occupancy could possibly result in a related increase in tourism expenditure in Kuyasa Township. A tourist who is interested in spending the night in a guest house in a traditional township, will possibly be interested in the total cultural experience i.e. traditional cuisine, taverns, entertainment etc.

From the conservative projections above, it is clear that not only the guest houses and other formal businesses will benefit financially from an increase in tourism, but the informal businesses and entrepreneurs stand to benefit as well.

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