Residents take curb clean-up into their own hands in Menlo Park
Fed up with overflowing rubbish and illegal dumping, a Menlo Park resident has rallied neighbours to clean up a problem corner, but says lasting change depends on municipal action.
Menlo Park resident Anel Enslin has taken matters into her own hands after watching litter pile up at a busy corner near the well-known Menlo Park Centre.
She said over the past year, the situation has worsened, with overflowing bins, scattered debris, drug baggies, polystyrene containers, and glass bottles becoming a daily eyesore.
“This corner has gone downhill dramatically over the last year,” she said.
“It’s not just litter but waste linked to illegal vendors and drug dealing. It takes just one person to start, and it grows.”
According to Enslin, despite raising concerns in community groups, the Tshwane Metro failed to act.
“I’ve been involved in a clean-up in Centurion before, and I thought I should do the same for my community too. If no one puts up their hands, I will.”
With her business staff and a handful of volunteers, she organised a clean-up.
They collected 20 refuse bags and 18 boxes of waste, using their own vehicles to dispose of them.
She explained that Menlo Park SuperSpar sponsored refuse bags, while she supplied gloves and equipment.
However, according to Enslin, the problem persists.
“We haven’t planned another clean-up yet, but I monitor the area,” she said.
“The mess flares up again, especially near the post office, where street vendors leave behind large amounts of waste. It’s a constant battle.”
She believes the litter issue reflects deeper challenges, saying illegal vendors, drug runners, and taxi commuters often discard waste rather than use bins.
“You can’t teach some people not to litter because they either understand it or they don’t,” she said.
She stated that some residents started helping them with the cleaning.
“You can either complain about the problem every day or dedicate a few hours over the weekend and take action.
“If three people can clear all this waste in a single morning, imagine what a team of 10 could achieve.”
She urged the metro to provide at least rubbish bins as part of a permanent solution.
“There needs to be permanent cleaning of Tshwane’s rubbish bins. Unfortunately, service delivery is falling short.”
Rekord contacted the metro for comment, but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.
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