Tshepo Themba goes over and above to ensure that the streets of Parkview are clean.
Themba is originally from Vosloorus where he grew up. He moved to Rosebank in 2009 where he started living in parks in and around the area. He joined the Do Something clean-up initiative last year when lockdown started. Founder Donne Duffy gave him and a group of others an opportunity to do some volunteering work.
“I started doing this so that I can have something to do during the day unlike sitting around and doing nothing,” he said.
Themba usually cleans the bins in the Parkview neighbourhood and his own, once or twice a week. He cleans the bins on Tyrone Avenue, Westcliff Drive, Kildare Avenue, Lower Park Drive (Parkview side) and the Emmarentia Avenue/Donegal circle just to name a few. He empties the bins, puts the rubbish in the proper rubbish bags and picks up some litter.
Donne Duffy told the Rosebank Killarney Gazette that Themba was the only one left to clean the bins after the rest of the group quit, during lockdown without even getting paid for it.
“Tshepo is the most willing, kind and generous person you will ever meet. He is always eager to work and the fact that he was able to work without getting paid during lockdown is a testament to his character,” said Duffy.
“It would be so encouraging if he could find more work because I believe that he is a man who is capable of doing much more than what he is doing currently.”
Through his efforts, Tshepo told the Gazette that he hopes that his family sees that he is trying his best to make ends meet.
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