Zola residents take charge
"I went to Pikitup offices and they had the guts to give me these refuse bags and let me do what they are paid for."
After weeks of consulting and meetings with officials, the immediate community near Zola Clinic have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Out in their shorts and gloves, residents gathered themselves and conducted a cleaning campaign at hotspot areas around Zola Clinic.
These hotspots had turned into dumping sites and a hiding place for criminals who were suspected to be breaking into the houses facing the clinic.
A group of residents from Emndeni and Zola felt they had enough and sourced some cleaning material to do what they had been pleading the government for some time.
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“I went to Pikitup offices and they had the guts to give me these refuse bags and let me do what they are paid for.
“Nonetheless, we have done what we had set out to do and we are hopeful that us cleaning this place will reduce the crime and all sorts of activities that have been taking place here.
“The other day we found school children from Isulihle having sex in the bushes behind the clinic and today when we were cleaning, we came across an adult’s underwear and you would wonder what has been happening here,” said Zanele Sigasa.
In response to the infrastructure issue at the clinic, the Provincial Health Department said: “The department is planning to replace the prefab structure with brick and mortar structure.
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“Consultants have been appointed and currently busy with the designs. According to the plan, the tender phase is anticipated to take place in June 2018.
“Then the construction will commence in October 2018. The duration of the project is expected to take 18 months. Since this clinic will be a new structure, all infrastructure related problems will be addressed,” said Sandile Gwayi.
