Sandton CPF Mandela Day clean-up initiative leaves Sandton Police Station spotless
The volunteers who help keep Sandton's neighbourhoods safe traded their usual duties for cleaning supplies as they honoured Mandela Day at the Sandton Police Station.
No stain was left behind as members of the Sandton Community Policing Forum (CPF) and their families rolled up their sleeves to give the Sandton Police Station a thorough clean during their 67 minutes of service for Mandela Day on July 18.
Armed with mops, brooms, buckets and cleaning supplies, the volunteers worked alongside members of the Sandton SAPS.
Volunteers spent the morning scrubbing floors, washing windows, wiping down surfaces and tidying public areas to create a cleaner, more welcoming environment for both police officers and the residents they serve.
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Sandton CPF chairperson Nehson Pillay said the annual Mandela Day initiative reflects the forum’s ongoing commitment to serving both the police and the community.
“We are focusing quite a bit here on the community service centre. This is where we have public interaction, so we want it to be clean and be a friendly environment,” Pillay said.
“But also, as part of our role, besides helping the station clean up, we also have an oversight role. So we’re also using this opportunity to do some oversight duties and monitor how the members engage with the public.”
Reflecting on the importance of Mandela Day, Pillay said it’s about selfless service, and that’s why they relate to it as a CPF because they are volunteers.
“It’s about selfless service to the community. Our role as CPF is to be the voice of the community, to bridge the partnership between the police and the community,” he said.
“So today is just one of the many activities that we perform as part of our community service. We all subscribe to Madiba’s values, and we subscribe to giving without expecting anything in return in the broader interest of building our communities.”
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Community member Cameron Jones said he was proud to spend Mandela Day giving back.
“Our CPF and police really do help us. They keep our streets safe. And it’s only a pleasure to give back a little bit. That’s what Mandela Day is all about; it’s just giving back to the community.
“It’s important for everyone to do. Because, I mean, we go about our lives every day and we need to give back sometimes. It’s just one day, it’s a couple of hours, and it’s some nice work.”
Another community member and a property practitioner at Leisure and Wildlife Properties, Sylvie Tabala, provided refreshments for the volunteers cleaning the police station.
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