Zoo Lake receives much needed clean up
155 bags filled with litter and trash were removed from the Zoo Lake in Parkview following a clean up by community members.
A successful clean up was conducted at Zoo Lake thanks to the collaborative efforts of the community. Community member Stuart Norman shared that just eight weeks ago, a small number of concerned residents had a meeting to talk about the ongoing, awful mess at Zoo Lake. He said a WhatsApp group was created for those who wanted to get involved and that has grown to 34 in a very short time.
The group has since engaged with the Zoo Lake Users Committee (ZLUC), Parkview Residents Association, and a number of City of Johannesburg departments. The first organised clean up was held on November 4 with four Parkview residents and 10 men from the Parkview and Saxonwold and Parkwood Residents Association Greening teams.
Friends of Zoo Lake posted on their Facebook page on November 8 that with the assistance of the police, seven displaced people were removed, and plans are in place to close off storm water drains.
They stated, “The ZLUC would like to give a big heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated to ensure we continue to have a clean, safe, and green park for everyone to enjoy and appreciate. Thank you, Stuart, for your leadership, determination, and passion for making a huge difference!”
Norman said this would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of Parkview residents and businesses. “We raised over R10 000 in two weeks prior to the clean-up to pay our hard workers and give them tea and lunch. We still have money in the kitty to pay for another day,” he said.
The group achieved the following:
- 155 bags of litter, waste, bottles, and plastic removed.
- Cleaned Lower Park Drive gutters and both pavements.
- Cleaned the area between Lower Park Drive and the walkway around the lake.
- Cleaned the litter and bottles from the lake and the water’s edge.
- Cleaned around the benches.
- Cleaned around the bus shelters.
Norman said Zoo Lake is a heritage area that we need to protect. It is a space to be proud of and to be enjoyed by all the residents of Parkview, Parkwood, Saxonwold, Forest Town and Westcliff as well as visitors both locally and abroad. “Next year we will commemorate 120 years since this green lung was given to the people of Johannesburg in 1904 for the specific use as a public park. Since Covid-19, the area has degraded rapidly and while Fran Haslam and her ZLUC team have done an incredible job of quelling the erosion on the banks and providing us with beautiful plants and trees to admire, there is a lot more that needs to be done to make this a safe, clean and beautiful space for us all to enjoy.”
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