“Let’s work!” says Mayor Mashaba
Mayor launches monthly clean-up campaign
“We cannot rely solely on Pikitup to keep our city clean. We all have a responsibility to keep our environment clean,” said Mayor Herman Mashaba.
On 14 August he officially launched the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) monthly clean-up campaign called A Re Sebetseng, which means ‘let’s work’. “The launch of this campaign signified all the CoJ stakeholders pledging their support for this project,” said Mashaba.
I was signing the pledge to give my word that this isn't a campaign but rather a way of life. That is my pledge. #AReSebetseng🗑️ pic.twitter.com/4oRiRBmD6V
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) August 14, 2017
The monthly campaign will be a ward based cleaning initiative that will take place on the last Saturday of every month. “The project will also enhance he CoJ’s R50 million investment into Pikitup for a third cleaning shift within the city,” he said.
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The monthly campaign will be a ward-based cleaning initiative to be embarked on every last Saturday of the month. “The project will also enhance he CoJ’s R50 million investment in Pikitup for a third cleaning shift within the city,” he said.
Participation in the campaign is voluntary, aimed at uniting CoJ residents to work together with government and skilled stakeholders to ensure the city becomes a cleaner place to live in. It will also strive towards encouraging residents to take better care of the environment by promoting a culture of reducing, re-using and recycling of waste, in an attempt to make it one of the cleanest cities in Africa.
To ensure the success of the campaign, there will be stricter enforcement of by-laws pertaining to illegal dumping and advertising. “We have recruited an additional 1 500 Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers, and I have requested the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) of Public Safety, councillor Michael Sun, to ensure these additional officers enforce the by-laws,” Mashaba said.
He urged residents to work with the CoJ and take a stand against illegal practices to ensure a city everyone could be proud of.
“On 30 September, the first city-wide clean-up will be hosted. It will be supported by councillors and ward committee members, as well as businesses across the city. Plastic bags and gloves will be distributed at walk-in centres, clinics, libraries as well as participating businesses,” he said.
Plastic bags and gloves will be distributed at walk-in centres, clinics, libraries as well as participating businesses,” he said.
The campaign will also see Pikitup starting a programme to engage schools and private stakeholders to get learners more involved in preserving the environment for the sake of their future.
He concluded by saying, “We are looking forward to seeing residents come out in their numbers to take ownership of their city and support this campaign to clean our environment.”
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