Unemployed KwaNdengezi residents begin drain clean-up
Young adults in KwaNdengezi have started an initiative to clean the storm-water drains in the community, and residents show their appreciation.
A GROUP of unemployed youth in KwaNdengezi have taken the initiative to step up and be the change they needed to see in their community.
About 25 youth, aged between 16 and 35, have taken it upon themselves to clean drains and the remains of sewage around the drains.
Speaking to the Highway Mail, Siphamandla Msimang said their work was prompted by a sewage spill that was becoming hazardous to the community.
“We sat with that spill for about two weeks. Then a group of boys and I in my street decided to clean it ourselves as we were waiting for the municipality to come fix it. We were asked by another street to do the same for them. We then proceeded to clean the drains which we believe were overflowing because of the recent floods,” he said.
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Msimang said this has kept them busy as they are currently unemployed. “We usually meet once or twice a week in the area we have identified, with our own gardening tools to clean. We get requested by residents to clean drains, and we have cleaned six drains in the two weeks since we started. We are happy to be donating to the community with our free time, and we believe our neighbourhood is our responsibility as people who live in it,” he said.
Msimang said it is rewarding to see their community clean and for the residents to be in a clean area. “Some community members help us with lunch while we are cleaning, and we would be happy to have more people come on board and help us with more tools to work. We are also working with our ward councillor who promised to get the municipality to help us,” he said.
Ward 12 councillor, Dumisani Nsindeni, said he is proud to see the youth being this proactive. “They have been a great help to the community, and I am trying to get the municipality on board to help them. This is the unemployed youth, and their availability to do this work shows that they can be employed by the municipality for their community,” he said.
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