Shovels, garden forks and spades were the order of the day on the corner of Grenville and Louis Botha avenues in Savoy on the morning of February 25 during a clean-up organised by the City of Johannesburg.

Speaking during the clean-up, Ward 74 councillor, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, said the clean-up was long overdue as there were major concerns about cleanliness and overgrown grass in the area.

“We have requested several integrated operations, last week we saw that SAPS and JMPD in Highlands North. Today, Pikitup, Johannesburg Water and the City of Johannesburg’s Group Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (CRUM) came out in numbers.”

Read more: Zoo Lake’s last 2025 clean-up

Kayser-Echeozonjoku was not impressed by JMPD’s absence, as she noted that their presence was important to deal with the many informal traders in the area.

She highlighted, “We have also reported streetlights on Louis Botha which are not working, but are prone to vandalism when they are on, so I have made a proposal to City Power to install solar lights instead and will follow up on this.”

She concluded that Illegal mechanics were also a growing problem in Savoy, because not only did they loiter, but spilled oil, which seeped into the underground drains and led to blocked drains.

The publication reached out to the City of Johannesburg for comment and will update the article with their response.

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