Volunteers spruce up Midrand
09 November 2015
More than 50 volunteers at the weekend rolled up their sleeves, put on their gloves and got down to the business of clearing grime along Lever and New roads in Midrand, in the City of Johannesburg's Region A, as part of the Letscleanmidrand Initiative.
From 9am until midday on Saturday, 55 residents filled up hundreds of bags with litter, rubble and illegal items that had accumulated along two of Midrand's main arteries. Letscleanmidrand is the brainchild of businesswoman Esme Bense, who - with the help of fellow business owners, residents and activists - wants to see Midrand turned into a “sparkling jewel in Gauteng’s crown”.
“Midrand used to be the most beautiful, clean area to live and work in. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Grass verges are overgrown, litter is discarded with reckless abandon and people have lost respect for the place they live and work in. The Letscleanmidrand Initiative will change that. We all know government needs help and we, as residents, business owners and concerned citizens, need to play our part to ensure that our home is attractive and inviting, offering all of us a return on our investment.
“When surrounding areas see the success we achieve in Midrand, the ripple effect can be dramatic. If it works in Midrand, it can spread across the entire country,” said Bense.
Joburg City Parks & Zoo workers cut grass from Wednesday to Friday to reduce the workload for the Letcleanmidrand team. “This is a noble initiative. We want to get more people involved. Our next cleanup campaign will be staged in the first week of December and we hope to have more than double the number of people who came on Saturday,” said Blitz-Clean Coordinator Lerato Mphefo.
City of Johannesburg's Region A Director, Abigail Ndlovu, commended the volunteers for supporting the City’s plans to transform the region and return it to its former glory. “It’s only when residents of the City take ownership of their environment that plans by local government can gain traction. The Letscleanmidrand Initiative needs to be lauded and supported by everyone who is passionate about the development of our area,” said Ndlovu.