Residents of Ferndale and nearby areas have sighed with relief, as city entities successfully conducted a massive five-day clean-up at the Ferndale Arboretum Bird Sanctuary.

The sanctuary has seen a sharp influx of vagrants and recyclers in recent years, who have constructed makeshift dwellings inside. What was once a safe space for residents to enjoy and for birds to flourish turned into an unsafe space full of waste.

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After putting pressure on the city and escalating the matter, residents and Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer are hoping the area will be back to what it used to be. The five-day clean up begun on May 18. The constructed dwellings were taken down and waste was collected and burnt. The sanctuary looks better than it was before.

Waste pickers took over the space after Johannesburg Water broke a fence on Rocky Street, designed to protect the bird sanctuary and greenbelt by reducing human impact, to do a sewage repair, and left the sanctuary open and exposed.

Beaming with excitement, Koekemoer thanked the community members for not giving up on their green belt and for constantly reporting to the city. “What a five days it has been. We have driven out truckloads of rubbish. We have broken down every single remnant of a shack inside.

The community has really been so crucial in getting this all off the ground and everybody has just been so generous and so kind and so helpful.”

She added that they are going to keep an eye on the greenbelt, to make sure pickers do not return. “Beagle Watch has kindly offered to print no trespassing signs, so that if it does get invaded again, arrests can be made.”

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Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) confirmed that they have conducted several clean-up operations at the sanctuary over an extended period. However, the persistent challenge has been that displaced persons and illegal occupiers would quickly return due to the inadequate fencing and limited visible policing. Jenny Moodley, spokesperson of JCPZ, explained that, as custodians of the city’s public conservation spaces, they’re required to follow due legal and operational processes, before undertaking enforcement-related interventions.

“The recent operation therefore required co-ordinated planning and support from multiple stakeholders, particularly law enforcement agencies. The scale of the operation also reflected the extent of the illegal dumping, environmental degradation, and unlawful occupation that had developed over time.

The five-day clean-up process demonstrates the city’s commitment to restoring the integrity of this important conservation area, rather than applying temporary or superficial interventions.”

JCPZ, however, remains dependent on law enforcement agencies, including SAPS and other security stakeholders, to assist with enforcement and visible policing where illegal occupation and opportunistic criminal activity occur. “We are appealing to neighbourhood watch structures and community safety organisations to assist, on a voluntary basis, by extending visible patrols and monitoring under-utilised public spaces.

Resident associations, with available resources, have already demonstrated commendable support, protecting public conservation spaces which require collective responsibility, shared between government, communities, and civil society.”

She added that JCPZ will continue monitoring and maintenance interventions, environmental management, and periodic clean-up operations at the sanctuary. “Rehabilitation of a degraded conservation space is not an overnight process. It requires ongoing environmental management, improved security measures, responsible community usage, and continued collaboration with residents and stakeholders to ensure sustainability.

We are hopeful that, with the improved fencing, enhanced co-operation from residents, and support from law enforcement and neighbourhood safety structures, the sanctuary can now move toward long-term rehabilitation and protection.”

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