More than 100 student volunteers from the University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein Campus, braved the rain and cold to participate in the #KleenaJoburg campaign.
The clean-up took place on Saturday, 08 May 2021, in the inner city and is aimed at transforming the City into a clean and safe environment for residents.
Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Environment and Infrastructure Services Cllr Mpho Moerane was accompanied by the MD of Pikitup, Bulelwa Njingolo and other senior managers of the City.
Cllr Moerane led from the front, going from street to street and leaving them cleaner. Officials and volunteers from local communities spruced up identified hotspots on King George, Wanderers and De Villiers streets in the inner city of Johannesburg.
The rain did not deter MMC Moerane and City employees who were equipped with brooms, litter pickers, gloves and refuse bags. Pikitup came prepared with heavy artillery, including compactors, street rucks, tipper trucks and mechanical sweepers.
“The problem in this area is congestion and high-rise buildings where people do not have 240 litre bins to dispose their waste anywhere. Pikitup schedule waste collection in this area occurs three times a day, 8am, 1pm and 8pm, however, there are no visible changes,” said MMC Moerane.
“We are with JMPD today to enforce by-laws, issue fines on people who are littering and illegally dumping waste and causing havoc in the CBD. As the City we want to make sure that the inner city is clean,” he concluded.
The City was joined by some external partners including the Windsor Community Cleaning Association (WCCA), University of Johannesburg students’ volunteers and the I Love Hillbrow an EPWP group.
Andy Balaram, a community engagement specialist representing the student volunteers, said: “We have been part of the city clean up for the past five years where we have between 200 and 300 students who have joined the project. Every second weekend the students clean the whole of Doorfontein, Bertrams and parts of Hillbrow to ensure that we keep the environment clean.”
Representing the WCCA, Patrick Kule said: “Our mission is to clean and transform the surrounding of Johannesburg trying to restore the cleanliness of our community and trying to change the mind set of residents.”
A lot of education and awareness has to be done as the mindset is the problem, our people need to be taught the importance of keeping the environment clean, Kule said.
Written by Dudu Lushaba