Residents of Maraisburg Ward 86 are frustrated over a park near Cecil Payne Stadium that has turned into an illegal dumping site and is invaded by recyclers who are allegedly burning cable and wires.
The Roodepoort Record recently visited the park and was met with fed-up residents who are tired of living in such horrific conditions.
They are not only worried about the bad smell of the park but there’s also a river stream that is filled with sewage and the overly tall trees that pose danger to residents living in Plessis Avenue and 12th Street.
One resident shared a photograph of the park with Record journalist Nkosephayo Vilakazi, showing a significant difference between now and when the park was still the pride of the community.
During the walk in the park, the residents, alongside Vilakazi, stumbled upon an alleged recycler burning cable wires near the gas depot on Plessis Avenue.
“The recyclers always burn wheel tyres and wires here next to the gas depot. If something wrong happens, the whole of Maraisbrug will be set alight,” shared Robin Haslam, who has been living in the community for the past 18 years.
“We used to do a lot of activities here like fishing, camping, braais, picnics and other relaxation activities, and there used to be a bridge that helped us cross from here to the other side of Cecil Payne,” Haslam said.
Haslam also stated that they are unaware that they may not be able to reclaim their park due to vandalism, which has turned it into a forest, but they want it taken care of so that it can look respectable again.
Errol Botha, who is a patroller in the area, shared that he’s been living in Maraisburg for the past 29 years, and in the last 10 to 15 years they never had this problem.
“That whole area used to be fenced off with a nice fence, but none of that is here today,” said Botha.
Botha says the lower end of Maraisburg hasn’t been given attention, and there’s no control over that area.
The Record sent a query to Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo for comment on this issue, and once received, a follow-up article will be done.
