Henk Egberink, Kenilworth
I refer to the article on the clean up of the railway (“Railway clean-up halted,” Southern Suburbs Tatler, October 3). There are three points I would like to make:
George Kiewiets of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) should be complimented for his initiative and preparing the site several times prior to Saturday September 28.
Prasa should be proud that they have such committed staff. I can’t say the same for Richard Walker, who allowed himself to be bulldozed by Rory Moore without knowing the facts.
He should consider learning a lesson from our mayor, who is fully committed to a clean city.
The Kenilworth Residents’ Association (KRA) and other residents living along the rail embankment would have been the biggest beneficiary.
Rory Moore and the KRA were given several months notice of the intention to clean up. If they had concerns about safety, they should have informed us and made positive contributions on what “safety precautions” they would like to see applied. This would have made them part of the solution.
Gail Brown and the Harfield Village residents have done clean-ups for eight years. They know how to handle safety and hygiene problems and came fully prepared. As a result of their success, other communities (such as White Road and Athlone) have followed their example successfully without incidents. They have also planted trees and shrubs along the embankment to make travelling along this section of the track a pleasure.
Kenilworth residents should be proud to have Gail and her team so proactive, and the latter should be showered with accolades.
The emphasis of Kenilworth residents should be on being proactive on creating a clean and green environment. It has health benefits.