Community Cleaners help keep communities safe
André Swanepoel's story is one of determination, teamwork, and the belief that every resident can make a difference.
When André Swanepoel first set foot on the Fairland Koppie in late 2021, he saw more than litter.
He saw a warning, noting that the koppie had become a crime hotspot. Recyclers were using it as a sorting site, leaving behind heaps of unsalvageable waste. Fires burned, trees toppled, and the area was quickly spiralling. “If the community didn’t step in, it would only get worse.”
Read more: Community Cleaners help keep Berario’s green spaces thriving
What began as a small, hopeful clean-up has become a four-year neighbourhood transformation. The first session drew just 20 volunteers, yet within two months they had removed four metric tons of waste. Today, Community Cleaners – a non-profit volunteer group that cleans up litter in parks, maintains 14 parks, including King & Wilson Park, which Swanepoel calls their most dramatic success story.
Once choked with Spanish Reeds and invasive plants, it is now a thriving green space with a restored wetland humming with birdlife, but despite the visible wins, Swanepoel said the biggest breakthrough isn’t physical; it’s social. “People who would never have met are now friends. Business owners, homemakers, professors, engineers, all united in caring for our area.” Even children and teens are joining, often through school community-service programmes.
Also read: Community Cleaners get their gloves dirty in clean-up at Fairland Koppie
The challenges, however, are real. Daily littering, public drinking, fires from vagrancy, and the constant battle against invasive species require relentless work. Financial support remains the toughest to secure, yet Swanepoel insists the biggest hurdle is mindset: “Everyone can do something, whether that be to pick up litter on your walk, clean your pavement, or report illegal dumping. It’s the small actions that create an unstoppable movement.”
Looking ahead, he dreams of pathways and viewing benches on the koppie, erosion rehabilitation in Donga Park, and even a bridge across the river at King & Wilson Park. His hope for his legacy? “That people feel safe in their parks, proud of their neighbourhood, and inspired to take ownership. This is our home. We should look after it together.”
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