Market Street Park cared for by community
Private and public stakeholders came together to clean the park with donations coming in to fence it off.
The Market Street Park in Fairland has been an eye sore and problem area for years according to Ward 98 councillor Beverly Jacobs.
“It has been a sore point for many stakeholders and residents in terms of the criminal element within the park. Numerous IVSD (Integrated Visible Service Delivery) have been conducted in this park to no avail. The people who live in the park have been given the option to go to the Windsor Shelter but this has been ignored.”
“I had a meeting with the new Fairland police station commander Lieutenant Colonel Mvalase to discuss this matter. Others had contacted me too to arrange a massive clean-up.”
Jacobs says Mvalase had participated in a massive raid of the park just before the clean up where they found numerous illegal operations, including the illegal sale of alcohol.
The men living in the park threatened Mvalase which Jacobs says is par for the course when trying to maintain law and order with those individuals. “I am regularly called derogatory names and threatened. I have been spat on, have had things thrown at me.”
Pikitup, JMPD, Fairland Saps, Fairland CPF, Community Cleaners, Beagle Watch, SCP Security, Augmented Field Services personnel, and others were all in attendance for the large clean-up.
“We cleared the park, removed rubbish, and did this undisturbed as there was nobody in the park except for those of us participating. Some people, during the day, were taken to the police station to be profiled by verifying their details like checking if they are South African and looking for any criminal records. Of those profiled, all were South African.”
She says the Windsor Shelter has plenty of space for those who would like to use it. “There is no reason for people not to use the facility.”
The final resolution on what will happen to the defunct Pikitup refuse site which borders a section of the park is the only obstacle left to securing the park.
The community has been raising funds to fence off the park in a bid to keep it not only tidy but safe and usable for all in the community. During the day it will be open to all but will be locked and secured overnight.
Donations have been made to Beagle Watch who are managing the process with large donations coming from local companies or organisations. The Fairland CPF, Pa’s in Aksie and Zoto’s to name a few including Beagle Watch have gone a long way to helping sections of the fence that are already being installed.
If you would like to donate contact Beagle Watch on 011 678 1972.
