Principal initiates CBD clean-up
The message of the Keep Pietermaritzburg Clean Association (KPCA) for active citizens to rise to reclaim our once beautiful city has resonated with all ages and all sectors of the community.
Kay Baker, principal of Rangrage Pre-Primary School and a member of the KPCA for more than 15 years, recently initiated a clean-up campaign around the school which is situated in the bustling lower end of the CBD.
In total, 21 bags of rubbish were collected.
Situated on a busy taxi route, Baker said that her daily challenges include litter from commuters and pedestrians as well as members of the public who urinate in close proximity to the school.
Despite these challenges, Baker established a team of volunteers to help clean up the area which included the drivers who transport the children to the school.
The drivers who helped in the clean-up have committed to maintain the area by warning people not to litter and not to turn the walkway near the school into a public toilet.
Baker said the volunteers were supplied with disinfectant and had to use spades and brooms to clear the dirt and scrub the pavement to get rid of the unbearable stench.
“They first swept the area and then used disinfectant to clean it up and then hosed it down,” said Baker.
Both Baker and a former member of the KPCA, Pandora Long, have been maintaining the front area of the school. Long boarded off the plant area, which were subsequently stolen. She also used bricks but those too, were stolen. Everything that was used to beautify the spot was either stolen or damaged.
Baker told Maritzburg Sun that she previously walked around the block encouraging each shop owner to keep their front areas clean by sweeping daily and picking up the litter .
“We used to have a beautiful street. Every year KPCA would reward those who managed to keep their areas clean. We won awards and that encouraged the shop owners to keep maintaining their areas,” said Baker.
She said even street vendors were supplied with plastic bags on a daily basis to encourage them to keep their spaces litter-free.
“Yesterday, municipal workers were on the scene, but they didn’t even make an effort to check if there was anything to clean. They just clean what is in their paths and they continue,” said Baker..
Vagrants have also become a huge problem in the CBD.
They empty the bins and take out the black plastic bags to sleep on.
“I have personally seen it. They take what they need from the bin and then they empty out the contents and take the black bags with them. For this reason I only take my refuse out in the afternoon on bin day,” said Baker.
Baker said that the people who shop in the area often urinate in the street, sometimes next to their vehicles. This includes women.
“I once went outside to the front of the school and I saw a woman trying to urinate near our garden. I had to chase her away,” said Baker.
Baker encouraged everyone to keep the city clean by starting with their own workplaces.
“Dirt spreads germs. A clean city is a healthy city. We all need to take responsibility. Together we can achieve it,” said Baker.