Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) carried out a major clean-up and safety operation at Little Falls Ridge, Helderkruin Ridge, and Little Falls Resort on 13 February, following ongoing complaints from residents about safety, homelessness, and maintenance challenges.
Preparatory work had begun earlier in the week, allowing teams to plan and coordinate what JCPZ described as a ‘Mega Blitz’.
JCPZ Managing Director Thanduxolo Mendrew said the intervention was aimed at restoring order and reinforcing the site’s value as a public asset. “Little Falls Ridge is a public conservation asset, not a lawless space. The Mega Blitz was about restoring safety, dignity and order and we are calling on residents to stand with us in protecting it.”
The operation brought together cooperatives comprising 26 workers, a contractor with 10 staff members and JCPZ’s internal teams. A strong security presence supported the intervention, including 30 JCPZ Rangers, seven Protected Areas officials, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, the South African Police Service and the Gauteng Crime Prevention Unit.
During the operation, teams cut grass and maintained trails, cleaned the river and waterfall areas, removed alien invasive plants and conducted building repairs.
“Water quality testing was carried out, signage was improved and abandoned structures were cleared. Recycling materials were collected, and public-use infrastructure was upgraded, including the centralisation of a braai area,” noted Mendrew.
Targeted clearing also occurred along the site’s perimeter. However, as the area is a conservation site, clearing was limited to three metres from the fence line to protect the indigenous plant life found across the ridge and resort.
Additionally, Mendrew and Executive Manager for Conservation Lombard Shirindzi, who oversees protected areas along with the rangers, celebrated the week-long enforcement and clean-up by planting a tree.
“Long-term improvements would require ongoing partnership with the community, and we also encourage residents to safeguard public infrastructure and report criminal activity or vandalism to the JMPD,” Mendrew said.
Written by Sascha-Lee Joseph