The community of ward 14, Bloemfontein, in the Mangaung Metro Municipality has rallied round to bring change in their immediate area, which has developed various eyesores. This includes uncollected waste rotting next to the streets, as well as dangerous potholes.
Gravely concerned about the deteriorating conditions, residents got their hands dirty by repairing some potholes in Modise Street in Rocklands on Sunday (27/02).
This marked the start of phase one of the mission to restore the image of the area and human dignity by making the surroundings safe for the community.
Residents were all hands on deck and utilised their skills for this good cause. Armed with their own tools, such as spades and steel stampers, they repaired potholes that motorists had tried to avoid by driving on the roadside.
Buti Maruping and Mosimane Diseko, coordinators of the community restoration project, says the plan is to roll it out in phases, depending on the availability of funds and support.
They used tar to repair multiple potholes on the day.
“The tar was purchased with cash donated by residents. Everyone volunteered to participate, in order to ensure the success of this initiative – which is run by the community for its benefit,” says Maruping.
Each household contributed R5.
Diseko says common problems that negatively affect the community urge them to unite.
“This is the result of a meeting actually held over a spate of crime,” Diseko says.
“We have the challenges of common robbery, youth drug abuse and house burglaries. Added to this is the lack of service delivery by the municipality in terms of waste collection.
“From numerous suggestions, the decision taken was to focus on potholes and the haphazard disposal of waste. This tendency directly increases environmental problems, which in turn negatively affect our health status.”
Maruping says part of the project is to ensure active participation and residents playing a watchdog role.
