Sinoville community takes cleanliness into their own hands
The initiative was spearheaded by residents, who recognised that keeping their parks clean and well-maintained would not only benefit the environment but also strengthen their community spirit.
The Sinoville community has decided to turn the tide and clean up their area.
Frustrated by overgrown grass, litter, and deteriorating infrastructure, residents decided to band together to launch a community-driven initiative to ensure their public spaces are clean, safe, and accessible.
Poor maintenance of parks, open spaces, and communal areas in Sinoville reached breaking point this year, with residents actioning cleanups to show that they have had enough of the lack of maintenance.
They complained that parks were once places of recreation and community gatherings, but had become overrun with weeds, making them not only unsightly but also unsafe for children and families to use.
With complaints piling up and little action from the municipality, the community took a stand to reclaim their public spaces.
The initiative was spearheaded by residents who recognised that keeping their parks clean and well-maintained would not only benefit the environment but also strengthen their community spirit.
Local businesses were also quick to get involved, offering equipment and supplies.
Residents emphasised that this initiative is more than just aesthetics.
Esta Quirk said well-maintained parks promote safety by discouraging criminal activity in poorly-lit, overgrown areas.
She said these also foster a sense of ownership and pride in the community, reducing the likelihood of vandalism and littering in the future.
“It’s a lot nicer to come here [park] when everything is cut. My daughter was tired of being in the house, and coming to the park has helped her to sort of have a fresh mind set,” said Quirk.
Piet Mazibuko, whose house is in front of a park, said he and his children don’t feel safe when the grass is not cut.
“We can’t see people that are hanging around the park when the grass is long.
“We now feel much safer, we appreciate everyone who has contributed to making our parks clean and safe.”
Another resident, Phemelo Matsheka, who has a 7-year-old daughter, mentioned that the long grass at parks has a very negative impact on his child.
“Children need to go out and play; we can’t keep them in our houses for a long time because it affects them mentally.
“It is nice to see the parks cleaned because now, we can spot suspicious activity,” said Matsheka.
Ward councillor Lenise Breytenbach, who had previously voiced concerns about the metro’s inability to maintain public spaces, praised the community for taking these proactive steps.
“The response from the residents has been nothing short of inspiring. While it is disheartening that the municipality has fallen short, the people of Sinoville have shown that when a community pulls together, they can make a real difference,” said Breytenbach.
She said some parks are still not maintained, which attracts illegal squatters.
“Residents are taxpayers, and they have the right to be angry when service is not rendered in their area.
“The metro needs to take accountability of this and provide service to residents.”
Breytenbach said it’s important for residents to continue to contribute to the initiative.
“It’s really important because when parks are cleanly cut, people will be able to go out of their houses and enjoy the fresh environment outside.”
One of the contributors, Ernest Myburgh of Magalies Pools, said one of the challenges they encounter is the lack of resources when cleaning the parks.
“Remember, this is based on contributions made by the community and we have over three parks here and the work is very demanding.
“People come here and park their cars here and start drinking and make noise, which becomes difficult for me and my neighbours since we stay near this park,” said Myburgh.
He said the dustbins in the parks are also not emptied.
“Two weeks ago, we discovered copper cables at this park, it seems like they were stolen and hidden at the park.
“This is not acceptable because people also use this park, and the problem is that those squatters threaten residents who jog and go to work in the morning who pass this park.”
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said Region 2 has a total of 135 parks and facilities which are divided into developed, semi-developed and public open spaces.
He said all these facilities are maintained by Tshwane employees.
“The regional office develops monthly maintenance plans indicating facilities that will be maintained within a specific month.
“At the end of the month, an adherence to maintenance schedule report for each month is drafted indicating the work that has been completed.”
He said the report is shared with the respective ward councillors to keep them abreast of the service delivery developments within their respective wards.
“It is worth noting that on monthly basis, the office ensures compliance to the approved service delivery maintenance plans and responds to service delivery complaints that are submitted by both councillors and members of the public.
“Due to limited internal capacity, it has been challenging for the municipality to comply with the approved norms and standards,” said Mashigo.
He said all submitted complaints are registered and responded to as the resources become available.
“Members of the public are advised to submit service delivery complaints to the customer care centre which will be directed to relevant office.”
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