East community join hands to clean local park
"The plan of action entailed cleaning up the sidewalk on Alexander Street, cutting the long grass, removing building rubble and picking up rubbish."
The long-awaited clean-up of a local park in Brooklyn kicked off on Saturday.
The park is bordered by Murray, Alexander, Anderson and Pienaar streets. The Brooklyn and Eastern Areas Citizens’ Association and Brooklyn CPF sector 1 joined hands for a plan of action that saw the park being cleaned.
It is made up of the Brooklyn Primary School sports field, the Brooklyn Tennis Club and the park area behind the tennis club.
Community member Martin Heyneke said talks in this respect started in 2018, but had not borne any fruit.
“The plan of action entailed cleaning up the sidewalk on Alexander Street, cutting the long grass, removing building rubble and picking up rubbish,” he said.
ALSO READ: Centurion clean-up operation successes
“On Murray Street the overgrown plants were trimmed back and rubble was collected. Inside the neglected park area heaps of rubble, bricks, concrete, glass bottles, bedding of vagrants and years’ accumulated rubbish were removed.”
About 38 volunteers of all ages arrived with trailers and gardening tools. Heyneke said residents wished for the park to be restored to its former glory so it could be enjoyed by all and not serve as a ‘hideout for criminal element’.
The sports field at the nearby Brooklyn Primary School was cleared of previously cut grass and dead branches by CPF members and workers from the Tshwane metro.
“This was necessary as the school has very limited resources aggravated by the financial strains of Covid-19,” Heyneke said.
“Three-and-a-half hours later the waste removal truck was filled to the brim, and the excess grass and rubble were placed in bags that will be collected during the week.”
The local residents’ association donated funds to the hire brush cutting equipment as well as the refreshments while the Tshwane metro’s waste disposal department supplied a truck and workers, arranged by ward councillor Kate Prinsloo.
Refuse bags were donated by community member Gerrit Odendaal. Adriaan Odendaal, of Bean Biking Coffee, set up his mobile stand and provided cappuccinos to the volunteers.
ALSO READ: Tshwane taxi ranks gets Covid-19 clean-up
“Despite all the hard work, it was a fun day. It is wonderful to see the community come together and take responsibility for their own environment.”
He said it was exciting to see volunteers of all ages take part and displaying a positive attitude.
“As one volunteer commented: “It is no use just complaining, rather do something”.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
