The City of Johannesburg embarked on a clean-up operation in 6th Avenue Park in Parkhurst.
Ward 117 urban inspector Moipone Malaka said the clean-up was prompted by complaints from residents.
“Our goal today not only included picking up litter but we also planned to remove illegal structures which were erected by displaced people living in the park. Other objectives of us being here included sustainability of services and encouraging a pleasant environment and improving the community quality of life,” said Malaka.
Malaka added the clean-up operation would continue on September 9.
“We couldn’t remove the erected structures due to lack of resources on the ground but we have another operation this week to demolish illegal structures and other things that don’t belong in the park.”
Parkview police’s Captain Tintswalo Sibeko said the visibility of police was important during such operations.
“The role of the police is to mainly protect the City of Johannesburg personnel during site visits, especially during park clean-ups and when illegal structures are removed,” he said.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla added their role in the operation was to ensure that everyone involved was safe.
“In today’s campaign, there were no homeless people found and it continued without any disruptions. JMPD will continue to be part of more joint multidisciplinary operations to ensure that the city of Johannesburg is safe for all who visit, work and live in it.”
