Hugo’s Panel Shop helps clean CBD
“If we can’t take care of our town, no one else will”. These were the words of the owner of Hugo’s Panel Shop, Melvyn Odayan, as his team took up the initiative to help clean the city on Saturday.
The joint clean-up operation between Msunduzi Community Services and Hugo’s Panel Shop focused on Commercial Road, Chapel Street, Long Market Street, Loop Street and Pietermaritz Street.
Odayan said he was in town one day and the state of the CBD horrified him. He then got hold of Msunduzi Community Services general manager Mbongeni Mathe and they arranged to do a clean-up.
“It is also our responsibility as businesses of this town to make sure that we keep it clean. If you want this town to be what it was before, we need to encourage people to come to our city and the way of doing it is to participate in projects like these. All we want is to make a difference in our town,” he said.
Msunduzi Community Services general manager Mbongeni Mathe said they initiated these clean-up campaigns to engage the private sector.
“To retain investments in the CBD, our main priority is the issue of cleanliness and law enforcement. If you have a clean city, you are able to attract more investors to the CBD. Our approach is to make sure that the city is clean. Lets us rally behind making sure that we turn the city around in terms of cleanliness,” said Mathe, adding that a clean city will improve the confidence of investors, who will then contribute to job creation in the city.
He said people will also take pride in their city more once it is clean. Mathe also urged community members to help them to keep the CBD clean.