Unholy mess: Pastor takes initiative to clean up, unblock drains
COMMUNITY MAN: Pastor Hilton Muller. Picture supplied
A man of God removed his pastoral collar, rolled up his sleeves and cleaned the filth in his area in Delft on Saturday, after growing gatvol of waiting for the council to do their job.
Pastor Hilton Muller, of the Gospel Distributors Ministry, said he noticed the illegal dumping and drain blockages in his area was worsening and posing health risks to residents and couldn’t stand it anymore.
“It is not the first time I had to clean the streets and it’s not even funny,” he says.
“I do it because it is our kids who play in these streets and we have to bear the sight and terrible smell for as long as we wait for the council that drags its feet to do something.
“It’s not even people from our area that cause this. I had to clean poo from blocked drains on Saturday, why?
“I informed our councillor about this but she’s still to get back to me, so I decided to just clean it again. I really hope they can take us seriously and deliver.
“If they can’t do the job, they must at least supply us with equipment and support systems and the community will see what to do.
“There are people willing to help but there are no resources,” says Hilton.
He thanked the residents who lent him a hand and appreciated his work. He urged them to be careful of what they throw in the drains and to refrain from dumping.
Councillor Michelle Adonis says: “I am aware of the problem and I will engage with Pastor Hilton to find solutions and whether we can provide any equipment to help him with the clean-up.
“Dumping and drain clogging is an issue in most parts of my Ward and you’ll find people who deliberately dump in these areas claiming to be creating jobs.
“It is a complex matter that the City is trying to overcome, starting with areas identified as hotspots.”