Residents invited to play an active role in their communities

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“The message we hope to send is that we don’t need to wait for government or local government to help, we should take it into our own hands,” says organiser and private lifelong citizen of Pretoria, Nicki Russel.

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Local stakeholders are launching the “active-citizen” project in April aiming to encourage residents to participate in cleaning up their environments.

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Under the name OKUSHA.AFRICA, the active-citizen project aims to clean up Magnolia Dell Park in Muckleneuk this April 1.

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Organiser and private lifelong citizen of Pretoria, Nicki Russel said that through the campaign they hope to inspire residents to take pride in their communities once more.

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“These days people finish eating something and just throw the wrapper on the floor, see litter and don’t pick it up. We are hoping to make people realise that this is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and we as citizens must play an active part in taking care of it,” said Russel.

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“The message we hope to send is that we don’t need to wait for government or local government to help, we should take it into our own hands.”

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One of the stakeholders, ward 59 councillor Shaun Wilkinson said, “The idea is to encourage a shift in behaviour, a change of the entitled mindset, and do our best to make sure that citizens take hands to make our communities better places to live in”.

Many areas around the precinct have fallen victim to illegal dumping and a lack of maintenance.

 

Wilkinson said he hopes that the effort will encourage residents to consider volunteering in the clean-up. “Active citizenry is when members of society take charge of their present, and their futures, and are the agents of what they want to happen in their communities. It requires inspirational effort at all levels and in every aspect of life,” Wilkinson continued.

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According to the stakeholders involved, residents must possess the following qualities to be considered an active citizen:

– Be empowered: Residents must not only understand their rights and responsibilities but also not be afraid to assert them. Be kept up to date with the happenings of local government and its activities. “Thus, as the ward councillors, we are obliged to provide information, so that citizens can know what they are entitled to, and allowed to do,” Wilkinson said.

– Practice fairness: Active citizens must not only know the laws but adhere to their rules, acts, policies, by-laws, etc. to make everything “predictable and transparent”.

– Be inclusive: Be willing to include or involve everyone, irrespective of their position, status, creed or race.

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Other stakeholders involved in the effort include Peter Pedlar, Dylan Brewer (owner of the Huckleberry’s Restaurant in Magnolia Del), ward 56 councillor Jarad Frimmel, Stefan Labuschagne, and Myda van Greunen.

 

Other projects under OKUSHA.AFRICA include the Die Moot project where Moot residents clean up a dirty area once a week.

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“My vision for Okusha is that this becomes more than just cleaning up. It needs to inspire new attitudes, new outlooks and new appreciation for the possibilities our country holds that goes beyond one or two cleaning events,” Russell concluded.

 

The active citizens aim to take their campaign to the Queen Wilhelmina stone monument in Pretoria on April 1.