IN A drive for a cleaner environment, Buffalo City residents have taken matters into their own hands by conducting community clean ups in and around the city.
A concerned citizen said he had hired someone to clear the gutters in Pearce Street for five days now.
“I started a little initiative in January to try and make a difference. I have had another young guy cleaning Amalinda Main Road since mid-January and he works on average three days a week. There has been a marked improvement in the section of the road that he has cleared, he is now working towards the hospital,” said the citizen.
Cleaner, Nkosikhona Khandiyeza, 21, from Duncan Village said he dropped out of high school after failing Grade 11 to find a job to take care of his family. “I take odd jobs like cleaning outside which helps a lot in putting food on the table,” he said.
The concerned citizen said the plan was to roll out the clean-up on as many of the main roads to secure funding to pay for the cleaners.
“I have met with a local registered non-profit organisation that has been going for some years and do great work for the EL community. They are very excited about what I started to do and we are going to work together. I am happy to say that this should help grow the initiative to get maximum reach and make a larger, wider impact. I run a business which is my full time job and I juggle the initiative in between things.
“There is so much work to do but at the end of each week one can see a difference which is rewarding. We live in a beautiful part of South Africa and the aim is to try and do our bit keeping our city clean and making us proud of our city again.” Another citizen said there were parts of the city that had been neglected. One resident said there were some filthy “dumpsites” in some areas of Southernwood.
Buffalo City Metro Municipality failed to respond at the time of going to print.
