Operation #PickItUp aims to clean up Glenwood
Councillor Mmabatho Tembe approached the KGYS to discuss initiating a pilot project over three months.
IN a bid to improve the look of the Glenwood and Umbilo area, ward councillor Mmabatho Tembe has joined forces with the Kenneth Gardens Youth Society (KGYS) to create the #PickItUp or #Cosha (IsiZulu for ‘pick it up’) initiative.
Councillor Tembe said there had been an outcry in ward 33 regarding the increase in littering and illegal dumping, and agreed that the general aesthetics of the area was ‘not great’.
“Heather Rorick has done a great job in cleaning up Helen Joseph Road with her team of Bulwer Ambassadors who are managing cars and doing litter pick-ups in the road, but I feel this needs to be done on a bigger scale in the area. We needed a bigger intervention in our ward,” she said.
Tembe said she had approached the KGYS to discuss initiating a pilot project over three months. The three main objectives would be to create a noticeable change regarding litter in the ward, to erect more ‘no dumping’ signs and to implement monitors to keep an eye on littering in the area.
“KGYS has joined this project as I can’t do this by myself. They will play a big part while I am on maternity leave and I will be liaising with them via email and phone during this time. I will get physically involved in the process when I am back at work,” she said.
She said the monitors will wear T-shirts identifying themselves and people will know they are in the area to pick up litter.
“I encourage people to join the initiative and become a monitor for littering and dumping in the ward. We will start the project at the beginning of February and have identified hotspots where dumping and littering is prevalent. I encourage residents to email me with problem areas that we can also look at,” said Tembe.
Her hope was that the Parks Department would join the initiative. If residents would like to get involved, email Mmabatho on ward33@ethekwini.org.
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