Mandela Park in Mohlakeng Extension 3 was a once beautiful place where families could go and enjoy a picnic or an outing, but not any more.
It is now a dumping site that reeks of urine, old nappies, and sewage, and it’s become a hot spot for crime.
Sixty-four-year-old Dikeledi Pharumele has been living in Mohlakeng since 1979, and said the area was destroyed when people started dumping there.
“This was a very nice place, especially in the 80s, but now it has been destroyed and it is all smelly,” she said.
She said unless the people of Mohlakeng stand up against this problem, it will not be resolved.
“We want the people of Mohlakeng to stand up, we want them to know that every area that is vacant does not mean that it can be turned into dumping site.”
Dikeledi said one of the contributing factors to the problem is that some of the area’s councillors are not even from Mohlakeng, therefore they are not pro-active when it comes to resolving this issue. “They do not care, but as residents, we need to take a serious stance against this and make Mohlakeng a better place to live in,” she added.
Lerato Mancha said not only does the environment pose a health hazard, but it is also danger to the community.
“Just the other day, someone who had been left for dead after being seriously attacked was found here,” she said.
Dikeledi said: “We need to unite against all this and restore the park to its former glory. We are raising kids here and we need to make sure that we set a good example for the coming generations”.
