Two soccer sports grounds in the far east of Mamelodi that had turned into illegal dumping sites have been cleared and are now ready for use.

The sports grounds were cleaned during an ongoing clean-up campaign organised by volunteers from Ward 93 on March 18.

Organiser Dan Mbiza said the clean-up campaign was all about reviving the sports facilities and taking care of their health and the environment.

Mbiza added that the sports grounds, especially the one close to Mamelody Ext 17, were becoming a danger to the whole community.

“We once had an incident where there was mob justice [and] community members took the law into their hands, and the victim was set alight.

“We also found newborn babies dumped at the same sports ground,” said Mbiza.

He said reviving the sports grounds will assist in identifying talent within different communities and keep people healthy, as they won’t have to inhale the stench coming from illegal dumping sites.

Mbiza said the clean-up campaign is also part of an educational programme that aims to encourage locals to take care of their environment.

The illegal dumping sites have been discouraging local children from partaking in sports, and if not kept busy with activities, they will end up on the streets.

“We have engaged with the locals to find out about illegal dumping at the sports ground, and we found out that the lack of service delivery was the main cause.

“We are going to engage with everyone, including the authorities, to tackle the issue of illegal dumping and come up with a plan to collect dirt in Ward 93,” said Mbiza.

“The sports facilities belong to the community, and it is everyone’s duty to take care of these facilities, including the local soccer teams.”

Mbiza said the sports grounds will benefit everyone with weekend soccer matches and sports tournaments during school holidays.

Sam Manala, a resident, said the clean-up campaign made a huge difference, but he pleaded with authorities to at least bring waste skip bins for people to use for disposing of rubbish.

“The relevant authorities must also provide the locals with waste plastic bags, to avoid littering everywhere,” said Manala. He added that rubbish bags should also be supplied to local schools.

Another resident, Caroline Mankuke, said: “We are happy with the clean-up campaign, and that as the sports ground is now cleared, children will have a safe place to play soccer and other sports.”

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