A young environmental enthusiast from Zakariyya Park Extension 4 has mobilised residents to clean up a playground affected by illegal dumping, with plans underway to transform the area into a cleaner and safer recreational space. Kgaretsi Precius Moloto, a final-year BA Environmental Management student at the University of South Africa (UNISA), told Globe Post that she decided to take action after observing illegal dumping at the playground for about two months.
The clean-up, which began on 1 October, brought together community members and children who wanted to help improve the shared space. The initiative has since progressed to the next stage, with municipal assistance requested to rehabilitate the affected ground.
“I kept thinking about how the space could look if it was clean, safe and properly maintained, and eventually I decided that I needed to do something rather than simply continue observing the problem,” Moloto told GLOBE POST.
Moloto holds a Higher Certificate in Life and Environmental Sciences. Her interest in the environment started when she was in primary school, driven by a curiosity about geography, the Earth and natural disasters. She recalled conducting her own research at the age of eight, using geography books because she did not have access to a computer or cellphone.
Those early experiences influenced her decision to pursue environmental management, a field she hopes to use to address challenges affecting communities.
“However, I believe that environmental knowledge should not only remain in a classroom or in textbooks. It should be used to make a positive difference in the communities where we live,” she said.
The clean-up received support from residents, local leadership and other stakeholders. Community members volunteered their time to remove waste, including rubbish from the section between the braai area and the public toilet block. Musa Baloyi provided a bakkie to help with the clean-up, while another resident helped Moloto connect with residents by adding her to the community WhatsApp group. Face masks were also donated to support the initiative.
Moloto acknowledged the contributions of Musa Baloyi, Mapulane Kolobe, Erica Jafta, Lerato Ledwaba, Bongani Ndiki, Nthabiseng Porota, Councillor Zungu, Thabo, Shaun, Junior and Thapelo.
Following the clean-up, the community requested assistance from the City of Johannesburg’s relevant municipal stakeholders to rehabilitate the site. A request was made to City Parks for a TLB to level the ground affected by illegal dumping. The machine arrived on 14 October, marking another step towards restoring the playground. A report outlining the concerns and rehabilitation efforts was also prepared for the municipality and signed by Moloto, Councillor Zungu and other community representatives.
Moloto said one encouraging development was that residents had not continued dumping waste in the section that had been cleaned since the initiative began. She is now exploring ways to secure assistance with landscaping and planting trees in the affected area, with the aim of creating a greener and more welcoming recreational space.
“For me, this initiative is about much more than removing waste. It is about restoring a sense of pride in our community and encouraging people to understand that public spaces belong to all of us,” she told Globe Post.
Beyond the clean-up, Moloto is developing an entrepreneurial idea called Kgaretsi Waste Collection & Recreational Facility Cleaning. The proposed business aims to provide waste collection and cleaning services for recreational facilities and public spaces, while creating potential employment opportunities and contributing to cleaner communities.
“For me, being a light in a community can mean choosing to act when something is wrong, inspiring someone else to care, or simply making a place better than you found it,” she said.
She hopes her journey will encourage other young people to take initiative rather than wait for someone else to address problems in their communities.
“My journey started with an eight-year-old girl reading geography books because she wanted to understand the world around her. Today, that same curiosity has grown into a passion for environmental management and a commitment to making a difference in the community I call home,” Moloto told Globe Post.
“I hope my story can encourage other young people to recognise that they do not have to wait for someone else to create change. Sometimes, we can be the ones who take the first step.” she said.
