Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer and various City of Johannesburg entities held a site inspection at the Ferndale Arboretum Bird Sanctuary.

The purpose of the inspection was to ascertain the extent of the damage to the arboretum due to waste pickers taking over the green space.

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The sanctuary has seen a sharp influx of vagrants and recyclers who have constructed makeshift dwellings.

What was once a safe space for residents to enjoy, and for birds to flourish, is now unsafe and full of waste. The waste pickers use the green belt for their collections and leave the area filthy, with the waste also going into the river.

Koekemoer explained the waste pickers moved in after a hole was left in the fence by Johannesburg Water when they were clearing a sewer main line.

“There are also concerns of two overflowing sewer manholes leaking raw sewerage into the river, rats, cutting down of trees, and fires the waste pickers make. The current state of the bird sanctuary is beyond concerning. It is an environmental disaster in the strongest terms.”

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She added that, after the inspection, city entities agreed to begin clean-up operation within the next month to try to restore the sanctuary.

“My hope is that a large-scale clean-up operation will be carried out as committed to by the citizen relationship and urban management (Crum) department today, starting within the next month.

This will be followed, as soon as the clean-up is complete, by installation of improved palisade fencing, as committed to by Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, so that rehabilitation of the green space can start.

“This was a space once widely used by the community for nature walks due to its richness in fauna and flora. I hope that it will be restored to a usable, enjoyable space for the community.”

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