Msunduzi Municipality and Maritzburg United join hands in Pietermaritzburg clean-up campaign
|Published
Durban - Msunduzi Municipality partnered with football club Maritzburg United, along with other organisations, for a clean-up operation in the provincial capital on Wednesday.
The football club’s brand manager, Ranjin Bharath described the clean-up as a success.
Edendale Mall, Umgeni Water and Rise Up Group were also part of the clean-up which took place from Chapel Street to Chief Albert Luthuli Street in the CBD.
Pietermaritzburg is regarded as one of the dirtiest cities in South Africa, and in recent times there have been a number of efforts to keep the KwaZulu-Natal capital clean.
Bharath said that as the local football club they were pleased to see the event attended by hundreds of the club’s fans who wanted to be part of it.
“We started early in the morning and the rain was pouring down, but people really came in numbers to support this great initiative. This really was the first of many initiatives, today was just a start,” he said.
Bharath expressed optimism about more people joining the initiative.
“Unfortunately our senior players did not come because we have an important match next week against TS Galaxy, and the coach already had plans for them. We as a club are committing ourselves to continuing these kinds of initiatives,” said Bharath.
Msunduzi Municipality spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize said they were hoping for more partnerships with different stakeholders in order to spread the message of cleanliness in the city.
“The purpose of this clean-up campaign is to aid in keeping the city clean and to encourage residents to do the same. Plans for more clean-up campaigns are in motion and the public is encouraged to participate,” Mkhize said.
Maritzburg United supporter Lindokuhle Gumede said he was happy to be part of an effort aimed at promoting cleanliness in the city.
“These campaigns are important because this is our city and we have to take good care of it. If the city is not clean then it means no investors for it,” he said.
He added that he was convinced that the involvement of prominent personalities like the mayor and the football club’s chairman would send a strong message to residents that they needed to clean their city.