The City cleans up Keith Flemming Park
The park, which is found in Victory Park, is described a forgotten with many not knowing its name.
According to Ward 117 Councillor Tim Truluck, few residents in our communities know of Keith Flemming Park. Though it is regularly used by avid mountain bikers and its riverbank serves as a home to about 70 waste pickers and displaced people.
The forgotten park recently received a much-needed clean-up of its riverbank which is strewn with litter. There to clean up the mess were various stakeholders such as Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (Crum), Park Rangers, Augmented Field Services, PikTup, the Ombudsman of the City and the Environmental and Infrastructure Department.
Truluck described it as great to have had all these various entities come together, as more often than not, the city tends to work in silos. “In such instances, they can communicate and work together at resolving a problem together to hopefully get a solution.”
When it pertains to the displaced people found along the riverbank, the councillor said at the moment they are hamstrung by a whole host of laws, from environmental to human rights legislation and the city’s laws themselves.
What makes this park somewhat of a bygone, is that it is difficult to get to, is quite informal in setting, and has no place to park cars. Its rugged exterior is a great terrain for cyclists who whizz through the park daily. These trails were not utilised for some years, but, with the rise of mountain biking, it has been revitalised, through work done by Jozi Trails, who maintain these trails through sponsorships and working with the community.
Environmentally, Truluck this park’s river performs an important role as it absorbs water, when it rains the banks ensure there is no flooding and it is crucial to have these absorption areas.
Such days help put in perspective how our rivers and open spaces are being invaded by various different kinds of people who are living rough. “The problem is spreading, and we need to at least make an attempt to clean up.
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