Ivory Park residents declare war on litter

12 April 2017

 

More than 100 residents of Ivory Park, north of Johannesburg, on Tuesday April 11 rolled up their sleeves to rid vast swathes of the township of litter threatening their environment and making their neighbourhood an eyesore.

 

With Ward 133 Councillor Julia Gololo at the forefront, the massive clean-up drive cut across three wards – 77, 111 and 133 – mainly focusing on Freedom Drive between Riverside Road and Dlamini Drive.

The Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM) in Region A always encourages residents to keep their environment clean and not allow it to become a breeding ground for rodents and diseases.

The residents were assisted by a number of City of Johannesburg entities – including the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Johannesburg City Parks & Zoo (JCPZ), Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and Pikitup – as well as members of the Community Workers' Programme (CWP) and the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP).

Cllr Gololo praised Regional Director Abigail Ndlovu for leading the initiative from the front. “This is the reason I decided to actively participate in the campaign instead of just telling residents to keep their environment clean,” said Cllr Gololo.

She said the best way to get community participation was to get personally involved and lead by example.

This is the third clean-up campaign undertaken in the area over the past eight months.

“We want residents to abandon the culture of littering and learn to take care of their environment and infrastructure. All the infrastructure the City puts up is for the residents and it is their responsibility to look after it at all times,” said Cllr Gololo.

She said she was happy the community was actively taking part in the clean-up campaign and understood the implications of dumping rubbish on street corners.

“We need to create a clean, healthy and safe environment for our children to live and play in,” said Cllr Gololo.

“Residents now know that they can ask for extra garbage bags should they have excess waste,” she said.

Street vendor Sana Ndlovu said she was impressed with the clean-up drive. “I sell food and it is important for me to ensure I do that in a clean environment and that my business doesn’t impact negatively on the environment,” said Ndlovu.

She said the road markings by JRA employees would help control traffic and ensure that children crossed the road safely.