Members of Ontdekkers Park South Block Watch (OPSB) took to the streets on Saturday morning, August 23, with a mission: To tackle the various identified hot spots in their area and rid them of refuse.

OPSB is one of the longest-running organisations of its kind in the area, having served the local community for more than 30 years.

It is also one of the most active, conducting regular patrols and having recently updated its visibility and warning signage throughout the area. They also conducted a thorough clean-up of the open space at Kliprand and Juliana streets recently.

According to chairperson Rob Stevens, about 20 members showed up armed with gloves, rakes, shovels, and more.

“We hired a skip bin which we left at a central point, and set off to the various identified points.

“While our area generally is quite well kept, we still managed to fill the entire skip bin by 11:00.”

Rob adds that Ontdekkers Park South is an example of what a neighbourhood can be if residents stand together.

“It’s not a large area, but we are blessed with residents who care about their environment.

“Unlike other areas, there are only a few troublesome spots where illegal dumping of everything from building rubble to garden refuse takes place.

“We were able to make short work of this.”

Block watch members held a small get-together at the open area at the corners of Kliprand and Juliana Street after the clean-up operation, where they were treated to delicious boerie rolls and refreshing beverages.