Mistake leads to positive outcome
A massive clean-up, planned in Alberton, was an epic fail, but led to something positive as a result.
A MASSIVE clean-up, planned in Alberton, was an epic fail, but led to something positive as a result.
On the morning of Friday, July 29, the Ekurhuleni Mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele and members of the mayoral committee were meant to assemble for a clean-up of the Alberton Home for the Aged, as part of the Clean Neighbourhood initiative.
Around 200 cleaners showed up, but hours later, the mayor was still nowhere to be seen.
The other problem seemed to be that the home turned out to be spotless and was in no need of any cleaning, so DA Councillor Bruna Haipel decided to step in and do something about it. “This whole thing was very badly organised, ill-conceived, and a massive waste of the council’s time and money. I recently saw an article in the RECORD on the terrible state of Alberton North, so I gathered ‘the troops’ and started cleaning it up,” says Haipel.
Salomie Nieman, matron at the home, was very confused about why they were there in the first place. “I don’t know anything about this and have no idea why they would want to clean up here when it is so clean already. They would have nothing to do,” says Nieman.
Another councillor, Estelle Visser says SMSes were sent everywhere, telling of these clean-ups and they used the names of various old age homes in different areas of the metro. “The ruling party is canvassing with rate-payers’ money. It’s a disgrace,” says Visser.
The RECORD arrived on the seen as Van Riebeeck Road, where Alberton Police Station, which is a big problem area in Alberton North, is situated, and witnessed that it got some well-needed TLC as a result of the intervention.
Hopefully this will not be just another scurry for political gain before elections, but a continued, concerted effort to clean the fast-deteriorating town of Alberton and keep it that way.
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality did not respond to the RECORD’s requests for comment by the time of going to print.
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