Illegal dumping, drug use, vagrancy and prostitution remain common in Bellville’s Kingsmead Avenue Park despite many calls to the municipality over the years to take action, say residents.
The municipal park off Kingsmead Avenue was previously known as Vlei Park, according to mayoral committee member for community service and health Patricia van der Ross.
The site – a servitude due to a railway line – was zoned public open space under the old Bellville municipality.
The park has been in a poor state for several years despite residents’ efforts to keep it clean (“Community shows pride in Vlei Park,” Northern News, October 11, 2019).
“This has been coming for years now,” said Oakdale Neighbourhood Watch member Yolanda Fritz, adding that many official complaints had been logged with the City. “We also did clean-ups as the neighbourhood watch along with the residents. We asked them a long time ago to fence off the area but they said no.
“We’ve chased people away sometimes and noticed ladies of the night doing their business in the park during the day.”
The City, however, said it would need a reference number for one of the logged complaints, or C3s, before it could investigate.
“It’s weird that they didn’t receive any complaints as I’ve got many C3s,” said Ms Fritz. “Everything that was logged and emails sent through regarding the problems we have. So far we’ve had three C3s issued for this year.”
City Law Enforcement spokesman Wayne Dayson said: “The relevant by-laws will apply with the dumping complaint once it has been received from the control room.”