Community Cleaners clean another park in their fight against alien plants and crime

The Community Cleaners were at it again. Armed with their cleaning supplies, they headed to King and Wilson Park where they held a cleanup. Their aim for the day was a simple one, to clear out rubbish and plant some trees.

Read more: Community takes action to clean up illegal dumping in Sophiatown

The organisation’s founder, Andre Swanepoel, said the cleanup, which took place on October 19, saw 20 volunteers get their hands dirty in aid of their community. They split up into two teams and did a litter sweep as well as Spanish Reed maintenance at the park.

Also read: SCP security and JMPD lead successful cleanup operation

They also managed to plant nine indigenous trees in Donga Park which were gifted to them by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo. Swanepoel said they removed alien and invasive trees from the various parks and replaced them with indigenous trees. “Also, many of the trees in the park are old, and we replace them as and when they fall over or die off. We have a working relationship with City Parks who donate the trees.”

He thinks it’s important for community members to take ownership of the greenspaces, like our parks, for two reasons: firstly, City of Johannesburg does not have the budget, or resources, and they can’t get to all the parks, “We have around 20 parks and greenbelts in our area alone, and all need regular maintenance and cleaning.” The second of these reasons is crime. In his opinion, criminals do not like clean and orderly parks, as they give no hiding places. As he sees it, they are not only cleaning and maintaining their area but also indirectly fighting crime.

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Related article: Meet the visionary behind the Community Cleaners