Waterkloof residents clean up their streets
The group of people aged between three and 75 tackled graffiti and illegal signage removal, an issue they have been opposing over the past 18 months.
The Old East has the vibe – and that was proved a week ago in a stunning community clean-up effort in Waterkloof and its surroundings.
Supported by community association BEACA, the CPF, local patrollers, the Voortrekker scouts from Laerskool Anton van Wouw as well as one Tshwane flatbed team, the residents made difference to the ‘streets where they live’.
The group of residents aged between three and 75 tackled graffiti and illegal signage removal, an issue they have been opposing over the past 18 months.
This was in an effort to maintain this historic area in keeping with its international reputation as one of the most beautiful tree-lined suburbs in the world.
“We used a theme to help bolster resident recruitment for Saturday’s event, a famous musical ditty – ‘On the Street Where You Live’, taken from the film ‘My Fair Lady’,” said event coordinator Dr Paul Mellor.
“Frankly, it’s a disastrous setting if people can’t be bothered to look after the street on which they live – you’re trapped in a downward spiral.
“Using this type of theme helps with perception. It keeps things local and makes goals obvious and achievable.”
Mellor said the key to success was the widespread involvement of volunteers before many of whom also helped maintain a strong local patrol group presence as part of the CPF.
As a result of this approach, the initiative now has over 200 active volunteers in their community, covering parks, environmental improvements, recycling, support of disadvantaged individuals and security.
“Key community organisers were contacted from Brooklyn through to Menlo Park, Lynnwood, Muckleneuk and Waterkloof,” he said.
“Their environmental improvement effort culminated in a massive tidy-up operation conducted by over 150 residents on Saturday morning.”
The areas covered included Brooklyn, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Bailey’s Muckleneuk, Waterkloof and Lynnwood.
He said they said they recognised the wish for businesses to advertise, but that could be done through legal channels.
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