By Lwazi Raul-Shongwe
The Ehlanzeni District Municipality, in partnership with the City of Mbombela, has launched a comprehensive clean-up initiative aimed at beautifying the city, towns, and villages within the district.
This effort is part of the District Development Model initiative introduced by the President of South Africa.
According to the Executive Mayor of Ehlanzeni District Municipality, Terra Shabangu, the clean-up campaign is a commitment to support local municipalities in maintaining a clean environment.
The initiative has gained momentum, with significant progress visible in the City of Mbombela. Partnerships with private sector stakeholders have been instrumental in providing resources and human capital to drive the project forward.
According to Shabangu, the key focus area of the campaign is education, as the municipality seeks to raise awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal and environmental conservation.
He said the streets of Mbombela, particularly notorious areas like Anderson and Brown streets, are being targeted for special attention.
Collaborations with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and private sector stakeholders are reportedly underway to develop a comprehensive plan to address security concerns and restore order in these areas.
“ When I took office we made a commitment that we need to support our municipalities by cleaning the city, towns and villages. What we have observed in all our municipalities is that there’s a lot of littering and we came up with a campaign to educate our people to keep wherever they stay clean. This is an initiative to encourage our people to live in a clean environment,” said Shabangu.
Shabangu stated that an urgent intervention to be introduced within the City Of Mbombela to deal with challenges including:
• Hawker control: The municipality aims to designate specific areas for hawkers to operate, in an effort to restore order and attract investors to the city.
• Parking management: A new parking system will be implemented to regulate parking times and enforce fines for non-compliance.
• CCTV installation: Cameras will be installed throughout the city to enhance security and monitor compliance with municipal regulations.
