Community cleanup gets under way

[caption id="attachment_95392" align="aligncenter" width="597"] TIDYING UP: Community members, from left, Nombulelo Koloza, Lindiwe Myeki, Nodame Ndongeni and Unathi Maluilwana keep busy during the first stage of the cleanup near Njoli Square, Kwazakhele. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN[/caption]

A GROUP of 60 volunteers from Kwazakhele have rolled up their sleeves to clean up illegal dumping sites in their community in a bid to reduce pollution.

The group of mostly unemployed residents as well as ward committee members began a cleanup campaign on Friday in the hope it will inspire others to keep their streets clean.

Illegal dumping and lack of proper waste management are major headaches for the municipality and a health hazard for residents in many parts of the city.

Noziphiwo Fiani, 20, said: “I noticed that my area is dirty; therefore I should take the initiative to clean it up.

“This is especially because I am a young person and the onus of keeping my community clean should be on me instead of the elderly,” she said.

In blue overalls and carrying trash bags, rakes and spades, the group not only removed the rubbish at Daku and Mavuso roads, but laid soil and planted aloes at the former illegal dumping sites. They fenced the areas with used tyres. Phindile Mavela, 27, said: “I want to improve the state of my ward.

“The filth in the area is affecting the health of the children. I hope that, because of what we are doing, pollution in the area will decrease,” Mavela said.

Nodami Ndogam, 54, said: “I participated so that people may understand that illegal dumping is not right and they should change their ways.”

Ward 21 councillor Sizwe Jodwana said he was baffled by residents who dumped their waste anywhere they pleased.

“We are experiencing a problem of people who keep dumping their old beds and waste [on street corners and empty areas], yet the municipal truck comes every week to collect waste from their houses,” he said.

Once cleaning up at the sites had been completed, Jodwana said a community meeting would be held.

After that, the onus would be on the residents to keep an eye on each other, so that the sites were not polluted again, he said. -Melitta Ngalonkulu