GALLERY: Officials and workers keep Melville Koppies clean
Melville Koppies get clean looks
Sixty-six Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers from Conservation Management and 30 workers from Ecosystem Enhancement and Open Space Management joined the Joburg City Parks and Zoo in cleaning the Melville Koppies west, east and central on 20 August.
They cleaned the local parks, protected areas and the public spaces, also making sure that all the plastic bags of litter collected were dumped in one area during the three-day cleaning campaign.
The whole perimeter fence surrounding the Koppie was painted green while the trails were also re-painted.
Trees and thatched grass were cut short while other workers swept streets.
Noeleen Mattera, stakeholder, PR and media relations at Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo said the huge three-day blitz programme was initiated to keep Melville Koppies and the surroundings clean and also changing the image into one of the cleanest places in the area.
As part of the campaign, vagrants were also removed.
Phillip Mkhombo, the nature conservator for the Protected Areas Unit said, “We are really facing a huge challenge because some of these places need to be well taken care of, but with vagrants invading these spaces, it has become impossible.
“Melville Koppies central has ecological things, including stone aged evidence, not even a pet is allowed to walk in there, and people come by appointments only.
“The site is also used for study purposes by the Wits’ Geology Department. We are saying it is important to keep places like this safe, protected and clean,” concluded Mkhombo.
Related stories links:
Members of the Brixton and Auckland Park communities will be collaborating in a clean-up campaign
Melville residents clean up the streets
