The AfriForum branch in Centurion has already made a significant difference in several communities in this city since the beginning of its #VegEnBou project. The project, running from 8 to 16 March, targets several issues in the community to prevent progress in this city being hampered.
On 8 March, the Centurion branch and several volunteers started cutting the grass at the Voortrekker Monument. This mammoth task took almost three days. The Voortrekker Monument asked for assistance following recent rains that caused the grass on the site to become long and dense. The Voortrekker Monument is experiencing financial problems owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and it also has a shortage of garden workers. The steps of the popular amphitheatre on the monument site had become completely overgrown and almost invisible. Following the intervention by the branch, the grass on the site is now neat again. The branch also used the brand-new tractor it had purchased to serve the community, to tackle this task.
On 10 March the branch donated recycle cages to Laerskool Swartkop. There are separate cages for glass, plastic and metal. Learners, teachers and parents of the school are encouraged to use these cages for recycling.
“We realise that we have a backlog in recycling in Centurion. We hope to install more similar recycling cages, or to improve those that are in use already,” says André de Bruyn, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Centurion branch.
On 11 and 12 March the branch repaired a number of potholes in the city, mostly in the Wierda Park area. According to Jp Nel, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for Greater Pretoria South, a total of 12 potholes were repaired. “There is an increase in potholes in Centurion, posing a serious danger to motorists. The potholes also can cause considerable damage to vehicles. The branch decided to act after several residents had reported the potholes to the municipality, who had failed to do anything about it. AfriForum therefore decided to intervene and repair the potholes,” Nel says.
On 15 March, the branch will be making a donation of R10 000 to Huis Jubilee, a home for the aged who receive government pensions and cannot afford spending a lot of money on housing. The home wants to erect new apartments, and the branch will also be donating material to assist with this project.
To conclude the #VegEnBou project, the branch will fly a drone over an illegal landfill site to determine the size of the site, and it will conduct a safety patrol at the Centurion cemetery in an attempt to combat crime.
“In Centurion we often see that the local municipality neglects its duties to provide essential services to residents. By initiating and successfully completing all these projects, we take part in the fight against state decay,” De Bruyn says.
The branch intends tackling several major projects this year and invites the community to become more involved. Feel free to visit the Facebook page of AfriForum’s Centurion branch and also to join the Telegram groups. Download the Telegram app free of charge and look for @AfriForumBuurtBot.
Get involved with AfriForum’s Centurion branch today to make a real difference in your community: SMS “Centurion” to 45341 (R1).
