Fontainebleau Park cleaned up by MMC and team
"This park has unfortunately been abused by displaced persons who are living in the park. We know that drug dealers are making use of the park for their illegal activities, and just in this clean-up today, we have discovered bags of marijuana and illegal cigarettes hidden in holes dotted around the park."
After a call by numerous residents for action to be taken on numerous issues affecting Fontainebleau Park, the MMC for Community Development Margaret Arnolds and her team visited the park on 22 July.
The issues involved litter, the removal of displaced persons and the removal of a potential criminal element.The team of representatives consisting of Metro police, Joburg City Parks and Zoo, and City officials, picked up litter, took down old signs, and removed displaced people from the park.
Ward 101 councillor Mike Wood said many residents and nearby businesses were fed up with the state of the park and its deteriorating safety. “I got hold of MMC Arnolds who responded very quickly to this issue. The MMC and her team from City Parks and the Metro police have done an amazing job in helping to clean the area up and assessing issues with displaced persons,” added Wood.
Arnolds was startled to find bags of marijuana hidden in the park. “This park has unfortunately been abused by displaced persons who are living in the park. We know that drug dealers are making use of the park for their illegal activities, and just in this clean-up today, we have discovered bags of marijuana and illegal cigarettes hidden in holes dotted around the park,” said Arnolds.
Various displaced persons were offered alternative accommodation in homeless shelters specifically set up to help those in need during the Covid-19 crisis, but many refused to accept the offer.
“We were told explicitly by the homeless persons who we offered shelter to, that they do not want to move to a shelter as they are making a living in the park. I will also be speaking to the MMC of Social Development about this situation so that something can be done about it from their side,” added Arnolds.
Wood said what was important for this park and various other parks in his ward was community involvement in the upkeep of these parks. “What we would like to do is start an initiative, like it is with many other of our parks, called ‘the friends of Fontainebleau Park’, which will drive community involvement in the park to engage with clean-ups and increasing safety for all of its users in a sustained way,” added Wood.
Arnolds concluded, “We want our parks to be parks. In other words, our parks need to be a place where people can be safe and comfortable in at all times.”
