Residents in Meyerspark plan to expand community-driven clean-up efforts in public spaces following a recent clean-up of a neglected park at the corner of Margaritha and Watermeyer streets.

The initiative, spearheaded by resident Kevin Steyn, saw community members gather early on Saturday morning (March 7) to tackle litter, overgrown grass and safety concerns in the park.

Steyn said the clean-up effort was inspired by local WhatsApp community groups that have become an important platform for residents to discuss neighbourhood problems and organise solutions.

“The WhatsApp groups created and inspired this initiative. They gave members a platform to interact and propose ways to tackle problems in the community,” he said.

The clean-up, which ran from 07:00 until about 14:30, brought together seven active volunteers on the ground, while other residents supported the effort by donating refuse bags, refreshments and assisting with refuse removal.

According to Steyn, the park had fallen into serious disrepair, with long grass, litter and neglected vegetation becoming a growing concern for residents.

“I drive past the park every day on my way to work and back, and for more than two months, nothing meaningful had been done. When the municipality does come out, it’s often only a half job, and the area still looks terrible,” he said.

He added that the overgrown grass had become particularly worrying from a safety perspective.

“In some parts, the grass was so long that criminals could easily hide there. It becomes a real safety risk for residents.”

He said during the clean-up, volunteers focused on removing litter and cutting back grass and thick vegetation throughout the park.

Steyn said the initiative was entirely community-driven, with residents stepping in where they believe municipal maintenance has been lacking.

“This was completely organised by the community. The city council is unreliable and often does a terrible job maintaining these spaces,” he said.

He said seeing the park in its neglected state had been disheartening for many residents.

“It’s demoralising and upsetting for anyone living here to see a public space deteriorate like that.”

Steyn pointed to other areas of Pretoria where residents have taken a more active role in maintaining shared spaces.

“In places like the Moot, communities work together to keep public areas maintained and it looks good most of the time. The message is clear: if we don’t climb in and do it ourselves, it will always look terrible.”

Following the success of the clean-up, he said residents now hope to build momentum and expand similar initiatives in Meyerspark.

“Our plan is to grow this and make it an ongoing effort. There’s still so much that needs to be done,” he said.

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