A clean up of the land belonging to the Gauteng Department of Education is underway and residents could not be happier.
The project involved tree trimming, cutting of the grass as well as removing rubble allegedly brought in by vagrants living in the space.
Ms Innocentia Skhumbuzo Sibiya of Mphotian and Mapholisa Security Services, the company contracted to perform the clean up, said there were people living on the land.
“I can confirm that we have come across five men who live on the land. They leave when we arrive in the morning to start the day and then return when we leave at the end of the day. We are unable to get rid of them as we are not law enforcement, but we will be removing all the rubble we have found on the land, including parts of televisions, old suitcases, plastic bottles, mattresses and knives to name but a few,” she said.
Ms Sibiya said although she had fixed the parts of the palisade fence broken and used to access the land, the men always break it upon return in the evening.
“I will include the observation in my report to the department so they can take it up with law enforcement,” said Ms Sibiya.
The ward 20 councillor, Clr Jill Humphreys, said she was happy that action had finally been taken to clear the space.
“The goal is to keep it clean. As much as this is great, it needs to be a constant exercise if we are going to keep the space clear. I will further engage the department to ensure the cleanup is done regularly, on a monthly basis at least,” she said.
Residents living in complexes bordering the land expressed relief.
“I hope this was not just a once-off action. Also, I think the department should sell the land to those who can put it to good use. As much as it is a wetland, there are professionals out there who can turn this into a beautiful space. This land is better off sold than being left in the state it is currently in,” said the father of two did not want to be named.
Ms Sibiya said together with her team, she removed rocks that were on the fences of residential complexes.
“We will also removed the dead tree that was near the rocks. This is to make sure the fences are as clear as possible and that the rocks cannot be used to climb onto properties,” said Ms Sibiya.
She advised residents to regularly check that their fences are not tempered with.
“One of the fences had a cloth placed between the electric fence and barbed wire. This could have been from criminals wanting to gain access without the risk of getting electrocuted,” said Ms Sibiya.
She said after removing the rubble, as well as the dead trees, they will also cut the grass so that it takes longer to grow back.
