Moot residents on a mission to keep their area in top condition

The Moot community has gone into overdrive to remain ahead of everything that needs to be fixed, cleaned, and refurbished since the start of the municipal strike.

Daily cleaning sessions have become the norm due to the increase of littering, presumably a result of the strike in progress.

The latest plan in the Moot is to appoint fulltime street cleaners in every suburb, with funds raised by the community or businesses.

The first to jump on the bandwagon is Queenswood, employing Hendri Botha to clean the streets three times a week, sponsored by old age home Huis Herfsblaar.

Major cleaning events have been taking place, with each suburb doing what it can to keep their environment habitable.

Precious Tlomotsane, on the Kilner Park team, has been working every day along with Chris Bosman, filling skips with rubbish found on the streets and disposing of it properly.

On weekends, the Kilner Park community, which is passionate about the area and the Moot, cleans the streets of litter and garbage.

“Unfortunately, the Queens Corner bus and taxi stop area is very dirty. We cleaned up there three weeks ago and collected 71 bags of rubbish that we removed. However, we are working on plans to keep it clean on a more regular basis,” said Hennie Mostert.

In Rietfontein between 23rd and 25th avenues a local businessman has been kept the spruit clean with the help of his company.

Mostert said these efforts align with the broken windows theory, which shows that visible signs of disorder and misbehaviour in a neighbourhood can lead to an increase in serious crime.

In Queenswood and Rietondale, Dewald Burger and his team have been hard at work picking up rubbish on and beside the road. It took three truckloads to get rid of it all.

“We would like to plead with the public not to do any illegal dumping,” said Mostert.

Several projects to repaint the park playsets, traffic light poles, bus stops, and permanent signs in the neighbourhood have also been successful.

Moving from one project to the next, it is clear that Moot residents are determined to fix and beautify their suburbs.

“We are in a unique position as a community to make a difference with the help of all the willing businesses and individuals that take part in all the projects,” said Villieria resident Emma Visser.

“Even with all the negativity surrounding the current strike, it has one big positive effect on our community as a whole. It strengthened us and highlighted the importance of being active in keeping our neighbourhoods safe and clean and not expecting ‘someone else’ to take care of it,” said active community project member Johan Bothma, a Riviera resident.

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