Parra beautification plants uprooted

ON June 26, I noticed that four, assumingly, municipal workers were busy removing the plants on the traffic island at KFC.

I was not able to stop to enquire what led to the removal of these plants.

The following morning, June 27, I notice that the uprooted plants were just left there.

What is most distressing about this is the fact that the beautification of that specific section was a Parra [Port Alfred Residents and Ratepayer Association] initiative a number of years back, with plants obtained Nursery, Standerwick Nursery and Woodbine Nursery.

Labour was supplied free of charge, as was most of the plants including compost and fertiliser.

The understanding was that the municipality would “maintain” it.

As goes with most of the initiatives in this town, it starts with a great idea by residents and no follow-up or support from the municipality.

This turned out to be a great idea in theory and over the years this section deteriorated, as with most things in town.

A few times some deadbeat on the weeds that grew there. After a day, he would throw in the spade and call it a day, leaving half of the section cleaned and the rest full of weeds.

So, imagine my surprise when not one, but four municipal employees were working in the area where over the past nearly six years they could not afford to spare one measly employee once a month to maintain it.

My question though is, what is the reason for removing the plants and will those plants be planted elsewhere or thrown away at that municipal dump that they can also not properly maintain?