Fathima Moosa (53) is putting Marburg on the map.
Moosa is the chairperson of the Marburg Crime Prevention Forum (CPF) and heads up the Marburg Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, among many other community involvements.
Three years ago, she moved back to her home town after 17 years in Gauteng, working in real estate. She returned to take care of her mother after her father, idol and mentor, Moosa Moosa died.
It was then that she saw that her community desperately needed guidance and help.
“I believe in ‘action’ – everything is about action. Marburg is ‘my baby’ and I want to leave behind a legacy for my family and community,” she said.
Passionate and committed to her community, this inspiring woman is doing her utmost best to make a difference; not only to curb crime and assist with social issues (alcohol and drug abuse and teenage pregnancy) but to clean-up Marburg and its business and industrial area.
“Marburg, for once, has a voice that is being heard and not pushed under the carpet. The next step is to implement the Urban Improvement Project which is hoped will instill pride whereby the streets are kept clean and the area is not used as an illegal dumping ground.”
As recently as last Thursday, she rallied support from businesses, private security companies, police, volunteers and Ray Nkonyeni Municipality to clean-up Quality Street.
“The vision is to beautify Quality Street which is the entrance to the Marburg industrial area. We are grateful to the businesses in the area which sent out their employees to assist in the clean-up,” she said.
This section of road was a notorious eyesore as vagrants burn copper and hawkers sell alcohol and drugs from informal metal structures erected on the roadside.
Working together a large truck load of rubbish was collected from outside the scrap metal yard.
The suburb of Marburg consists of 52 streets and 3000 registered voters. She is hoping Lions Grove will join their jurisdiction.
“There is much I want to do. I am so grateful for the unwavering support I get from the security companies, businesses, committee members and individuals for my dreams and vision for my community. We work together as a team and in harmony.”
The CPF also has a wonderful reliable group of 12 patrollers who volunteer their time and resources to keep Marburg safe. She urged others to join.
Moosa began the ratepayers association about eight months ago, and has an ambitious vision to make it as strong as the CPF.
She knows there is still a long journey ahead of her, but feels blessed to be able to make a change and lead the way so her community can strive to uplift themselves.
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