The Tshwane metro plans to revamp and restore Church Square in the Pretoria CBD by August.

“We are planning a beautification project with Arcadia CID and City Property – if all goes according to plan, it is hoped that it will be realised around August 2023,” said metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.

Pretoria Rekord recently received a complaint from a concerned resident over the deteriorating conditions of the historical landmark.

Among the main issues raised were the grass not being maintained, flower containers being overgrown with weeds and even human faeces lying openly on the pavement.

The Tshwane metro, however, said it had been performing the necessary maintenance and that the square is cleaned by metro staff once a day from Monday to Friday.

“The grass is cut monthly. The last time it was cut was on Friday, March 31; we finished yesterday, April 3.

“The de-weeding and cleaning of paved areas are done monthly,” Mashigo continued.

As for the reports of a bad smell in the area, the metro claims to also be attending to that.

“Waste management is using a truck to wash the area twice a week to try and deal with the urine smell.

“We remove any human waste when we clean.”