#AReSebetseng: Westpark gets a clean sweep
WATERVAL – From 9am, community members started at the bottom of the cemetery and worked their way through the roads and graves, picking up plastic, bottles and even removing garden waste.
Groups of volunteers once again got their hands dirty during an A Re Sebetseng clean-up campaign at Westpark Cemetery on 21 April.
The cemetery is Ward 88’s designated A Re Sebetseng clean-up spot.
From 9am, community members started at the bottom of the cemetery and worked their way through the roads and graves, picking up plastic, bottles and even removing garden waste.
Felicity Lawlor, an active community member, said residents who could not make it but still wanted to contribute paid a worker from her Let’s Work initiative to work for the day. On the clean-up day, 12 workers were sponsored.
Annekie Zeiler cleaned at the bottom of the cemetery along with Northcliff Residents Associaton chairperson Oscar Plange.
Zeiler said she was there to help make the cemetery safer and build a sense of community and unity.
“I want to be able to come here and put op flowers for my mom and dad without fear,” she said.
Linda Verwey, an active community member of Albertville, said, “People like to complain but they sit with tyrannosaurus hands, it is a case of get up and do it. The world is our backyard and we need to start taking care of it,” she said.
Lawlor said the cemetery was a lot cleaner than it was late last year. “I think City Parks has been given a shakeup,” she said.
David Hensman, Ward 88 candidate councillor was also helping with a team of the Democratic Alliance, including neighbouring ward councillors. He said this was just the start of his visibility in terms of community engagement.
A Re Sebetseng is a monthly volunteer clean-up campaign focused on certain parks or open spaces in each of the 135 wards in the City of Johannesburg. Residents can join in every third Saturday of the month.
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