May 18, 2006
By Thabang Mokoka
OVER the next three months Jozi's inner city is to undergo a radical clean-up. The City plans to have the streets swept continuously, pavements and alleyways hosed down and stormwater drains cleared.
The comprehensive Inner City Clean and Green Campaign, to cost R7-million, was launched on Wednesday, 17 May at Region 8's offices. It is part of the Inner City Revival Campaign, which is aimed at boosting investment, supporting the city's various economic sectors, maintaining and upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring effective, intensive urban management.
Speaking at the launch, Ruby Mathang, the member of the mayoral committee for development planning and urban management, said that the inner city was a vital region for economic growth and social stability in Johannesburg.
If the inner city was revitalised, it would continue to attract more investment, business and tourism opportunities, acting as a vehicle for growth and development.
"We are determined to make the inner city a better place to live and work … We want to provide residents and visitors with a safe, clean and healthy environment."
The clean-up campaign is specifically targeted at the central business district and the suburbs of Hillbrow, Joubert Park, Yeoville, Berea, Braamfontein and Doornfontein.
Mathang said the City was systematically moving through these areas cleaning; removing rubbish and rubble; inspecting all buildings and vacant stands; looking into industrial premises with insufficient or no waste management systems; and focusing on waste water on the roads and pavements from blocked drains and the practice of washing taxis in the streets.
Nthatisi Modingoane, the City's media liaison officer, said Joburg needed to come up with sustainable solutions.
The campaign is a combined effort by a number of the City's utilities, agencies and corporatised entities, including Pikitup, Johannesburg Roads Agency, City Power, Johannesburg Water, City Parks, environmental health, Johannesburg metropolitan police department and emergency management services, as well as the South African Police Service. It is co-ordinated by Region 8 and the Inner City Task Force.
During the clean-up, identified problem areas will attended to by Corrie Bezuidenhout, the manager of Region 8's environmental health department, and various assistant directors will oversee and evaluate the progress of the project.
The City plans to have streets swept continuously, with day shifts working overtime on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be high-pressure spraying down of pavements and alleyways and cleaning up of stormwater catchment pits and illegal dumping sites on vacant stands. The City will also provide enough bins.
One of the initiatives, which has been implemented in the inner city already, is the Block Owner programme. Under this initiative, Pikitup, the City's waste management company has allocated 10 staff members to a number of city blocks around Jeppe, Plein, Sauer and Delvers streets. Every two hours, flat-bed trucks visit the area and collect rubbish and illegally dumped waste.
Launching the Clean and Green Campaign: Region 8 director Yakoob Makda; mayoral committee member for development planning and urban management Ruby Mathang; Pikitup operations executive Dennis Mathibe; and Region 8 communications, marketing and tourism promotion manager Shaun O’Shea
The programme is an additional tool introduced by Pikitup to keep Joburg's streets clean, and it runs in tandem with the company's regular daily street cleaning services.
The joint effort by the different utilities is expected to ensure that the challenges regarding waste generation and collection are dealt with holistically, while the educational component is expected to investigate the cause of the problems and to find sustainable solutions.
Mathang said the clean-up campaign would target a number of key problem areas, namely:
- Overcrowded buildings that are poorly maintained. In recent months there have been a number of fires in such buildings, leading to loss of life and destruction of property.
- Industrial stands where there is insufficient or no waste management system.
- Rubbish being dumped on the pavements.
- Vacant stands that used for dumping.
- Waste water on roads and pavements, which is often caused by illegally washing taxis on the streets.
- Blocked drains that overflow and pose severe health risks.
Mathang said the operation showed that Johannesburg was serious about enforcing its by-laws. "We are aware of the concerns of residents and are acting now to prevent any further urban decay and deterioration in living conditions.
"The City will not hesitate to act decisively against wilful polluters, slumlords and people who profiteer out of the misery of others. They will experience the brunt of our enforcement actions."
A systematic survey of each building in the areas mentioned will be conducted to determine the size of the problem. Owners of residential or business premises that pose health and safety risks will be instructed to clean up their environment. Follow-up inspections will take place and repeat offenders will be issued with spot fines or summonses.
Region 8's director, Yakoob Makda, said the City already had issued an official litter fine. These fines are about R300.
Mathang said that while the campaign would run for three months, it would not be a once-off exercise. Joburg planned to continuously clean its city to prevent the build up of grime and decay.
"We call on residents of the CBD to support our efforts and to make a greater contribution to keeping their own environment clean and safe. In this way we can jointly instil a sense of pride in our city among all Joburgers," Mathang concluded.
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