Durban - Dressed in a navy blue and neon green overall with gloves and a face mask, Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda set about picking up dirt in Verulam as the City's Mother of All Clean-Up project continued on Thursday.
Kaunda led the team through the streets, clearing blocked drains, cutting overgrown grass and trees, fixing street lights, water and sewer leaks, marking roads, and enforcing by-laws.
Kaunda said the project which was launched in January, will see major clean-up operations across the region.
Speaking at the launch, Kaunda said it will cover 13 precincts, including CBD, City Hall, ICC, Albert Park, Warwick, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Point, South Beach, North Beach, Umgeni, Musgrave, Greyville and Dalton Hostel.
The mayor said teams are on the ground identifying challenges in other precincts, particularly in the secondary CBDs which include Pinetown, Isipingo, Verulam and oThongathi.
Effectively, Kaunda has put a comprehensive operational plan in place focusing on blocked drains, overgrown grass and trees, street lighting, unauthorised building works, water and sewer leaks, enforcement of by-laws, bad buildings, traffic congestion, open trenches on side-walks, potholes, damaged manhole covers, homelessness and illegal dumping.
"We are pleased to report that our cleaning campaign is beginning to yield positive results as the levels of cleanliness have improved in some parts of the CBD. The campaign we have launched will be complemented by an intensive education drive to encourage residents to keep their environment clean," the mayor said.
IOL