Fed up with mountains of illegal dumping choking their streets, residents of Alexandra joined forces with Junior Chamber International (JCI) Sandton in a determined stand for cleanliness.

They are among those who refuse to see Alexandra merely as a community drowning under waste. Instead, they see it for what it could become and are willing to get their hands dirty to turn that vision into reality.

On July 11, they gathered to clean the waste on the intersection of 17th Avenue and Josias Madzunya Street. The already decaying waste, which residents had attempted to burn to prevent it from being further scattered across the place, had not only started blocking one lane of the road, but was also exuding a foul stench which some residents said was unbearable.

Read more: Do not litter!

Resident Jerry Ndlovu, who is among those who have been working to keep the community clean, said the root cause of such pollution is overcrowding. “Some people who move to Alexandra come with their own rules and they dump everywhere, even where they are not supposed to dump.”

He expressed concerns that the waste accumulation in the area is unhealthy and could make children fall sick. He said that is why they are trying by all means to keep the area clean.

Resident Natasha Skhosana, who has been keeping Alexandra clean for almost eight years, said their main objective has always been to clean the scattered litter, pack it in refuse bags, and put it where municipal workers would be able to collect it.

Most community members in the area complained about recyclers who often tear through properly packed refuse bags looking for recyclables. The main concern is that, after tearing through the plastics, they leave the bags in disarray and litter scattered everywhere.

Also read: ‘We clean and the residents litter again’

JCI Sandton’s local president Chris Malanda said dealing with the recurring issue of littering and illegal dumping requires more than just clean‑up campaigns; it requires raising awareness. Malanda and his team were not only working together with community members to clean the areas; they were also putting up posters on street poles, emphasising that a clean Alexandra is a safe Alexandra.

“This is a responsibility of every citizen to ensure that our environment is clean. Everyone has a right, but we also have a duty to ensure that we are actually contributing to a healthy and safe community.”

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