eThekwini’s week long cleanup

In the spirit of the late former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s legacy, eThekwini Municipality will go beyond ’67 Minutes’ when the City leadership and officials launch into full swing for a week-long clean-up.

The Public Service Volunteer Week countdown which began yesterday, will be led by MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube and the Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo, when nearly 100 senior officials from the Province and the Municipality visit Operation Sukuma Sakhe War Rooms where they will interact and engage on pressing issues in their areas and develop solutions to implement moving forward.

The massive clean-up programmes will be conducted across all wards including homes for the vulnerable and other areas that require intervention.

The week will culminate in area specific clean-ups, be it painting, waste removal and litter collection on Mandela Day, 18 July 2014, to remember Madiba as well as honour President Jacob Zuma’s call to dedicate this day to clean South Africa.

Nxumalo encourages citizens to continue in their efforts of reclaiming our City through working with the Municipality to keep our streets and neighbourhoods clean.

“I urge Councillors to begin a massive clean-up in their wards, informal traders to pick up litter and clean around their stalls and taxi associations to clean-up around their taxi ranks,” he said.

Nxumalo calls on all employees, residents and business operators to dedicate 67 minutes towards a good cause by cleaning their living and working spaces between 12h00 -13h07 on Friday, 18 July 2014.

The planned activities by the Municipality include clean-ups in areas where illegal dumping has been reported.

The clean-ups will also be an opportunity for the Municipality to raise awareness about the negative impacts of illegal electricity and water connections.

A multi-faceted team comprising of Metro Police, Durban Solid Waste, Parks, Leisure and Cemeteries Unit and Safer Cities will conduct operations in areas occupied by vagrants to demonstrate that the City is committed to assisting the homeless by helping them rebuild their lives. This will also allow business and the surrounding community to reclaim their space which was previously occupied by the homeless.

The Municipality has also partnered with various stakeholders, including the Pavilion Shopping Centre, who will assist in providing social assistance and support to 20 non-government organisations and education institutions.

Support to be provided includes:

• Establishing or maintaining a food garden;
• Proving feeding scheme / meal for the day;
• Building maintenance and renovations such as landscaping, painting, fixing roof, windows and floors;
• Donations of food stuff, blankets, shawls, uniforms and clothing;
• Providing Mentorship and coaching services.