Reservoir Hills residents and businesses in partnership with eThekwini Municipality Parks Department have started a project of cleaning up intersections. The project started with the planting of trees and flowers on the M19 off-ramp inter-leading to Quarry Road on Monday, 26 March.
Before the planting took place, the intersection was a bush which contributed to criminal activities especially on motorists who were waiting to cross the intersection robots. Residents said there have been incidents where unsuspecting motorists were robbed by criminals who hid in the bush and long grass, before breaking car windows and fleeing with valuables. Ron Naidoo, a community activist and an overseer of the project said the project has been a success with the support from the Parks Department and a local sponsor, Junaid Randree.
To clean up the bush, Phindile Mazibuko, a horticulturist from eThekwini Reservoir Hills Parks Department and eThekwini’s Stormwater Department sponsored the project with a TLB to clear out the land before planting began. “The aim of the project is to keep our roadsides and intersections clean, to create awareness and teach residents, formal and informal, on how to keep our spaces and land within our community clean at all times. This will help do away with the garbage problems our communities are faced with and illegal dumping,” said Naidoo.
She added that illegal dumping has become a norm in the community. “We need to now rid ourselves of all unsightly heaps of garbage laying in every corner. We hope and pray our initiative spreads like wildfire so that all the communities do the same,” Naidoo added. The one side of the intersection has been cleared however, Naidoo said that they are still hoping to get another sponsor who will donate towards beautifying the intersection roadsides. “We have beautiful plants on the one side so to make it even more beautiful we should revamp the other side. We are, however, having an issue of people stealing our plants and we would like to ask them not to take our plants. Only one type of plant is being stolen which is the Crouton plant. We are appealing to those who have taken our plants to stop. Let us work together in keeping the community beautiful. Always remember that cleanliness is next to Godliness, together, let us take care of Mother Earth,” concluded Naidoo. For more information on the project or sponsorships, contact Ron Naidoo on 065-840-3609.
