Residents take matters into their own hands to clean park

Petersfield residents have taken cleaning their neighbourhood into their own hands.
After months of pleading with the municipality to clean Petersfield, residents realised their pleas were falling on deaf ears and had to do the work themselves.
Residents cleaned up refuse in the parks and streets and also cut the grass, which has allegedly not been cut once this year.
The community put together funds to purchase a tractor to help with the clean-up.

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“The grass had become so long that it was impossible to use a weed eater or a lawnmower,” said resident Patsy van der Merwe.
TLB dredgers were also donated by a company to help remove the large bundles of cut grass.
“We are tired of the metro not doing their job. We pay taxes every month only for nothing to be done.
“Every time we call to lodge a complaint they say there’s no money, they don’t have the equipment or there’s a backlog.
“We are tired and decided enough is enough,” said van der Merwe.

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Ward councillor Dean Stone had the community sign a petition, which he will deliver to the petition committee.
Stone said he wants 200 to 300 people to sign the petition.
“It’s good to see the community take matters into their own hands, it shows they care, but this is not sustainable at all. The metro needs to be held accountable,” said Stone.
The City of Ekurhuleni failed to respond to the Advertiser’s inquires at the time of publication.

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