MBIZA LEADS CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN IN WARD 93

Community members of Ward 93 in the Far East of Mamelodi embarked on a clean-up campaign to get rid of illegal dumping sites in their area, especially at sporting facilities like local soccer grounds on Wednesday.

Led by ANC member Dan Mbiza, the enthusiastic community members volunteered their services for the sake of the local children who are the ones who get negatively affected as they can’t use the grounds which have been turned into illegal dumping sites.

Mbiza was joined in the campaign by ANC ward secretary Gloria Tsiane as well as ANC members, SANCO members and ordinary residents.

Mamelodi local and long distance taxi association (MALLDTA) fund the clean up campaign.

“Today we are on a mission to clean up all sporting facilities in our ward because our community has turned them into illegal dumping sites,” said Dan Mbiza.

“We have serious challenges regarding sporting facilities in our ward because recently a suspected criminal was beaten up, burnt to death and his corpse was left inside the playground of Extension 17 where kids usually play football, thus making it impossible for them to use the facility,” lamented Mbiza.

“It is my belief that sports can keep kids away from things like Nyaope and drug abuse in general and if we as a community take care of our sporting facilities we can produce professional footballers like Teko Modise and Tiyane Mabunda, for example,” enthused Mbiza.

“We also want to take care of all sporting clubs in our ward so that we can showcase the talent they have and this will put an end to a situation whereby in the afternoons school kids don’t engage in any sporting activities but go and loiter at spaza shops where they indulge in smoking Nyaope and drinking alcohol,” he said.

“The soccer grounds that need more work are the ones in Extension 17 and Extension 10 and we tackled them first and we will attend to other grounds as time goes on,” he said.

Regarding the issue of dumping litter at sporting facilities, Mbiza said members of the community told him that they dump filth at sports grounds as they don’t have any places to dump whatever items they want to get rid of, and as a result he will engage with the Municipality to create legal dumping sites.

He pointed out that in some cases Ward Councillors don’t convey the message of residents to the Municipal Council and he therefore urged Ward Councillors to consult with the residents and hear their concerns, which include the need to take care of the available sporting facilities including football grounds, even though such facilities are not of the highest standards.

Local resident Sam Manala told Tshwane Talks that the Municipality must bring large rubbish collection containers which can be taken away each time they are full.

Community member Caroline Mankuke thanked community leaders and residents as a whole for cleaning up the filthy football grounds in Ward 93 as this will allow kids to play their favourite sporting activity.

ANC members and SANCO members on a clean up campaign in ward 93 Mamelodi east, Tshwane photos by Dimakatso Modipa

She also encouraged residents to clean up all other areas which are infested with illegal dumping sites.

She said providing each household with rubbish collection plastic bags will go a long way to reducing illegal dumping as there won’t be an excuse for anyone to dump rubbish at an illegal dumping site because they can throw rubbish into the provided plastic bags.

Another resident Sabelo Henry Shongwe expressed joy that now residents will be able to watch local youngsters showcasing their soccer talents as the grounds have been cleaned up.

“It is difficult to monitor residents and stop them from dumping rubbish at places like soccer grounds, but seeing that the grounds have now been cleaned up, they themselves will realise on their own that they must not dump rubbish at the soccer grounds,” he said.