To create a safer and more beautiful environment, residents of Jan Niemand Park in East Lynne came together to launch a cleaning initiative on April 12 at the corner of Suikerbekkie and Angelo streets.
The cleaning process involved a collaborative effort from community members, local businesses and councillors.
The main objective was to reduce the risks of criminal activities and create a more secure space for residents by clearing the bushes and overgrown vegetation.
Resident and founder of the cleaning campaign, Susan Frazenberg, strongly believes the initiative will contribute to a reduction in crime.
“By clearing the bushes and overgrown vegetation, we are removing hiding spots for potential criminals and creating a more visible and secure environment,” she said.
The campaign welcomed donations from community members, including refreshments for the participants and cleaning equipment such as brooms, rakes, hand lashers, trash bags and gloves.
“It is worth noting that the municipality has not yet been proactive in addressing these concerns, focusing primarily on cleaning main streets while neglecting the community areas where criminal activities are more prevalent,” Frazenberg said.
She detailed some of the crime incidents that made them stand up as a community and take action to clean up their environment.
“My brother-in-law and his son were robbed at gunpoint right in front of our yard as the criminals are not visible in the overgrown vegetation and bushes. They just jumped out of the bushes and robbed them of all their belongings and cash,” she said.
She said another incident happened two weeks later when her son-in-law heard someone at their gate. When he went to investigate, the perpetrator jumped into the bushes.
In addition, she relayed the challenges they came across but said they have managed to overcome them as the initiative gained momentum.
“We faced several challenges, including funding and resource constraints. To overcome these challenges, we relied on donations from local businesses and community members.”
Frazenberg said they plan to sustain the initiative by establishing a permanent community cleaning team that will rotate on project dates.
These efforts have not gone unnoticed, with local councillor Freddie Pienaar of Ward 87 offering support, including equipment.
Pienaar emphasised the measures they are taking to ensure the municipality complies with the cleaning initiative.
“At the moment, we are trying to get the waste department to assist us. Hopefully, we’ll have a truck and some yellow bags so the community can put all of the rubbish or waste in and then the truck can remove that immediately.”
He said the initiative has sparked a sense of ownership and solidarity among community members.
“We are trying to get the metro police to act more strictly on illegal dumping,” said Pienaar.
Nadia du Toit, a resident who contributed financially to the clean-up effort, emphasised the importance of collective action.
“This clean-up initiative was just a small step, and I urge everyone in East Lynne and surrounding areas to get involved. We can’t rely on a handful of people to make a difference, we need a collective effort to create lasting change,” said Du Toit.
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