By MZWAMADODA MAKALIMA
On Tuesday 19 January Siyabulela ‘Ivy’ Madyo, a local businessman and founder of Lutifusion Ltd Pty with assistance from Ward Councillor Mr Ramie Xonxa, took an initiative to clean an illegal dumpsite in Joza, outside Joza Bottle Store opposite CM Vellem and Ntlebi Primary Schools in Makhanda.
Madyo, popular for his Sondela and Ndlambe Music Festivals, dug into his own pocket to hire heavy artillery that cleaned the dumpsite. He thanked Mr Gqamana for meeting him halfway with the machinery quotation, as he had initiated the cleanup out of his good will.
The dumpsite outside the bottle store in Daniels Street took up almost half the street, making it difficult for vehicles to get past. This is the second initiative in the area: a major cleanup took place in 2017 after a young man was brutally murdered and left at the dump behind Joza Bottle Store.
Madyo told Grocott’s Mail that he drives along that street almost every day and that he can imagine how harmful it is to the pupils at the nearby primary schools to have a pile of rubbish close by.
Madyo said the fact that Makana Municipality was using local businesses to provide goods and services was an incentive for those businesses to plough back into the community.
“I would like the other business in communities to take a stand and make a difference,” he said.
Madyo is determined to make a difference in the community and on Christmas Eve, he organised a dinner and gifts for residents of the Covid-19 Lockdown temporary homeless shelter in the ALbany Road Recreation Hall.
Residents Ludwe Khetshana was digging a trench to build a fence in THursday’s scorching heat and stopped to tell Grocott’s Mail to say that people would come from other areas to drop their refuse bags.
“The problem with that dumpsite wa that the rubbish blows into our yards when there’s wind,” he said. “Cars were struggling to drive past it in the narrow road, and kids might get sick from playing there with their friends after school,” said Ludwe.
Elderly residents, Miriam Lukwe and Zibangele Mcuba emphasised the importance of hygiene in these trying times of Covid-19.
“How do we protect ourselves under such conditions?” said Lukwe.
“I would like to thank Siyabulela Madyo for this initiative,” Mcuba said. “He might not be aware of how grateful we are, but he helped us a lot. There were rats here, and rats can be accompanied by snakes. This was very dangerous, the community highly appreciates his efforts.”
Zodwa Lukwe complained that the people who dump their rubbish there often behave thuggishly.
“One of our neighbours was turning a couple of young men away from dropping their refuse bags and they were exchanging hurtful words,” said Zodwa. “I was afraid they might even hurt us.”
Makana councillor Ramie Xonxa pleaded with the community to work with each other and refrain from littering in the area.
In a texted message to Madyo, Ntlebi Primary School principal Dudu Myemana thanked Madyo for his initiative. She said the timing – before the reopening of schools in February – was perfect.
Xonxa appealed to other businesses to follow Madyo’s lead and support their communities.
A follow-up meeting with community members is planned to discuss how to clean up illegal dumpsites – and then keep them clean.
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https://www.grocotts.co.za/2021/01/25/makanas-kop-gets-a-green-facelift/
