HUNDREDS of residents from across Nelson Mandela Bay took ownership of their residential spaces on Monday, 22 March when they got their hands dirty in a metro-wide clean-up campaign.
This comes after Public Health Portfolio Head, Cllr Lance Grootboom challenged the 1.3 million residents of the metropole to spare a few hours on their public holiday for a good deed and take part in the “Can A City be Cleaned in One Day” challenge.
Cllr Grootboom said he was inspired by the responsible and concerned residents who took part in the challenge to fight against illegal dumping.
“As the metropole we have a schedule for refuse collection but we still battle with illegal dumping. The rubbish doesn’t just get to where we see it scattered around. The residents dump it there illegally. It is time we teach our children how things should really be done and ensure that we all live in a healthy environment.”
“We want to thank all the residents who heeded our call, across the metropole and said they wanted to be part of good change. Let us plant trees, let us refrain from dumping illegally and let us take ownership of our spaces and take pride in them. If we work together, we can create a cleaner metropole where investors can come and create sustainable jobs for our youth,” he said.
Uitenhage resident Denver Meintjies said, “I came off night shift and took part in the challenge. It was a very successful initiative and we are happy we took part in it. We mostly did clean-ups and planted two trees. It is definitely something we could take part in again.”
MMC Grootboom encouraged residents constantly to keep their spaces clean.
“They must call one another out when they see one of them dumping illegally. They must also stick to the municipal schedule for refuse collection. In the event that there is a delay from the City’s side, that will always be communicated to them and they can keep the rubbish away from the streets or use alternative means,” said Grootboom.
Issued: Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
