AfriForum’s Nelspruit neighbourhood team tackles city’s rubbish and decay

Within just three weeks, AfriForum’s Nelspruit neighbourhood team tackled part of the city’s rubbish problems by cleaning up approximately 60 bags of rubbish and 24 loads of garden waste that marred this Lowveld city. These clean-up projects, which were undertaken in the past three weeks in various neighbourhoods in the city, form part of this civil rights organisation’s ongoing campaign to ensure – amidst poor service delivery in the Mbombela Local Municipality – renovation, maintenance and improvement of public spaces here.

This month’s clean-up operations focused on the removal of garden waste in Steiltes and along Enos Mabuza Drive, where 24 loads were cleared. In addition, a large-scale litter clearance operation was undertaken in Nelacres Park, Steiltes and Kaapschehoop Road, where a total of 57 bags of litter were removed.

On top of this important clean-up work, the neighbourhood team also stepped in and cut the size of approximately one and a half rugby fields of grass in Skylab Crescent Park and Melkweg and Enterprise Streets. Approximately 1,5 km of sidewalks along Enos Mabuza Drive were also cleared.

The neighbourhood team also ensured that their renovation work also benefit the city’s little ones by repainting jungle gyms in the Enterprises Crescent Park. In addition, Skylab Crescent and the Enterprises Crescent and Melkweg Street parks were also thoroughly cleaned as part of the Nelspruit branch’s overall strategy to make parks, green spaces and public spaces functional and attractive to the community again.

“This work is not easy – it is physical labour that requires hours of hard work,” says Hugo de Beer, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Nelspruit branch. “However, our team is proud to be the hands that really make a difference. We believe that every park that is cleaned, every sidewalk that looks neat, and every metre of grass that is cut contributes to a community where people feel proud to live again.”

De Beer emphasises that it is concerning that communities themselves have to take on basic maintenance tasks, for which the municipality is responsible. Issues such as a lack of political will, budget shortfalls and a shortage of equipment, according to De Beer, contribute to the municipality’s reluctance to keep the city tidy.

“We would like to express our sincere gratitude to every member who contributes to the branch’s projects. Without our members’ contributions, this type of work simply would not be possible. It is because ordinary residents have decided to get involved that we can make a tangible difference in our city.”

“Our vision is simple – we want to build a city where residents can be proud of their neighbourhoods and where they can live and work freely, safely and prosperously,” concludes De Beer.