Entities clean up pool area

Residents living adjacent to the Benoni Central Swimming Pool on Kemston Avenue lined up in the streets, and others folded their arms and watched from their balconies as members of Heart of Benoni, Homestead Helpers and Avenues Residents’ Association and volunteers cleaned up the outside perimeter of the facility on February 17.

Piles of garbage, overgrown grass, and thick vegetation with a stream of water from a leaking pipe running down Kimbolton Avenue surrounded the facility, making it inaccessible to the community for many months due to maintenance issues.

The residents seemed unbothered when men, women and children dressed in green and orange reflectors rolled up their sleeves and removed mountains of litter. Others trimmed the trees and cut the grass on the pavement surrounding the swimming pool, Walmsley Park tennis club and Benoni Central Bowling Club.

The once stately facility, now derelict, had been an eyesore to the community for many years because of vandalism.

But, after the clean-up of the Benoni Town Hall in the vicinity of the pool in January, three concerned residents started an initiative to give the swimming pool a facelift.

“When Natasha Zaayman, Les Godwin and I peeped over the wall, we expected to see a derelict drug den. Instead, we saw a sparkling blue pool. It inspired us into action,” said Jacqui Keel of Homestead Helpers.

With help from the CoE’s aquatics manager, Billy Pornalis, and his team, they restored the pool to its majestic beauty and opened it to the public during the clean-up event.

“My vision has always been to have people unite and come into action. Joining hands with Natasha has made it possible. She’s working tirelessly to ensure there is a maintenance programme in place for this facility,” Keel said.

Zaayman, whose mission is to see a cleaner, safer and crime-free Benoni CBD, said the initiative aimed to inspire the community around the CBD and Western Ext to take the initiative.

“We want to inspire people and ensure the moaning and groaning stops. We want people to take action to achieve what they would like to see in their suburbs and stop pointing fingers. It is easy to point fingers at many institutions, but we must be part of the change,” she said.

She said her main objective was to see the CBD free of the stigma attached to it, with all the “druglords” gone, adding she wants Benonians to take back the ownership of the town.

Nina Visser from the Homestead Helpers pleaded with the community to help Heart of Benoni because their mission and vision for a clean and safe CBD will benefit the entire town.

“If we assist organisations like Heart of Benoni with a kickstart, it may encourage others to help. We want to help conserve our Benoni. It’s our town and belongs to all of us,” said Visser.

She commended individuals and corporates for their continued support but appealed for more community assistance.

“We need more help and funds. The community must help the organisations already doing the work to keep our town clean so we don’t become victims of the political and economic situation.”

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