Recycling at the Spruit infuriates residents
FERNDALE – Residents need intervention from the authorities before the plight of vagrants spirals out of control.
Recycling at the Ferndale Spruit inside the park on the Corner of Vale Avenue and Bond Street is an ongoing plight.
Vagrants have over the past three years occupied the park and continue with their daily recycling activities. They often leave rubbish behind and even threatened residents who tried to rebuke them.
Residents are now fed up and plead serious intervention from the City of Joburg. The state of the park is now on the verge of dilapidation.
Since a vehicle crashed through a fence in the park, this plight has escalated with illegal dumping and a continuous influx of vagrants.
“The number of displaced people living in the area has escalated. There is no fence now and the City has not maintained here for some time,” said Ward 104 Councillor Mike Wood.
He complained that Joburg City Parks and Zoo insisted there was no money to put up the fence. “Now people who are developing their properties are dumping rubble in here,” he said.
He explained that the solution would be to fence off the park, City to apply bylaws and provide space for trolley pushers to do their recycling.
“JMPD should regularly monitor this area. We cannot allow this park to deteriorate. Now residents are scared to use the park and the value of their properties is compromised,” he concluded.
Joburg City Parks and Zoo spokesperson, Jenny Moodley, said the City regularly cleans the park. “We cannot go there alone. Some of those homeless people are aggressive and threaten our employees,” she said.
She concluded that there were a large number of displaced people and they could not work in the area without JMPD present.
Infuriated resident George Veltchev complained that the City should offer homeless people a place to stay. “Obviously, the authorities should provide shelter for these people. If these people don’t want to stay there, then that will be a transgression of bylaws,” he said.
He complained that he confronted those people and they told him it was their property and he should worry about his own property. “I’m telling you the value of these properties is deteriorating,” he said.
Details: Ward 104 Councillor Mike Wood, 082 853 2174. Joburg City Parks and Zoo, 011 646 2000.
Vagrants sleep in electricity substations in Randburg
