Future City Fourways launches first clean-up programme
WITKOPPEN - Future City Fourways (FCF), a community-funded, registered non-profit company created to uplift the Fourways area, officially launched its street cleaning programme on 12 December outside Fourways Crossing Shopping Centre.
This followed days of picking up litter on William Nicol Drive between Leslie Avenue and Broadacres Drive, and on Witkoppen Road between Douglas Drive and Main Road in Lonehill, which resulted in vast amounts of backlogged pollution being removed.
“This is our Christmas present to the community of Fourways,” the FCF team said.
According to Douglasdale Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson, Jean Berdou, who is a founding member of FCF, the roads are already visibly cleaner and will become significantly healthier as the programme is sustained on a weekly basis.
He added that the grime-fighting journey saw 700 bags of rubbish removed during the week and another 800 bags filled within two hours on the morning of 12 December when FCF directors and administrators joined the cleaning team outside Fourways Crossing Shopping Centre.
“Employees from Fidelity Security Services and teenagers from Urban Warriors, a youth mentoring programme conducted by Life Explosion, pitched in with enthusiasm,” Berdou said.
Berdou said the cleaning is just the start of FCF’s journey with and for Fourways. It is FCF’s vision to add security services as more funding becomes available. In the meantime, members of the public will see Future City Fourways’ service providers picking up litter, street sweeping, removing illegal dumping and illegal signage, clearing the openings to storm water drains, cutting grass and removing weeds.
“Our street cleaning programme has come about as the result of monthly donations by corporate sponsors, but also residents who have committed to funding FCF’s street cleaning,” FCF’s Susan Mottram said.
Berdou expressed that the talking is over and that the dream of a cleaner Fourways is now becoming a reality. Phase one of FCF’s extensive, greater Fourways, anti-grime and anti-crime programme has begun. In addition to area maintenance, through their connections with the Douglasdale CPF, security on the streets was expanded over the festive season.
“We are excited to see the benefits to the greater Fourways area. Future City Fourways has, through this launch, created eight permanent and many more temporary jobs for people from Fourways and Diepsloot,” Berdou said.
“FCF will be able to expand its service both in terms of frequency and additional benefits including the provision of increased security services dedicated to the main traffic routes, as additional funding and additional phases are launched this year.
“Some of FCF’s add-ons are a Points Men Project to address traffic congestion issues and to increase enforcement of the law on our roads.”
FCF is in discussions with other groups and is hopeful that many others will join this journey of transforming Fourways.
Details: 074 252 8877; info@futurecityfourways.co.za
