Mashaba spoke to the Rosebank Killarney Gazette after purchasing eggs from a local vendor at the market saying, “I had gone to buy a TV and saw this beautiful lady approaching me… She informed me about this day and I said I will definitely attend,” said Mashaba.

“I am here to encourage other communities not to wait for the government to get things done in their community. I am so proud to see this community taking the initiative and hope this will be a sign to the country.”

Mashaba met various community members and also planted trees in the park to the delight of those present. He gave a speech before being coerced into a hula hooping competition with local resident Renchia Perillo.

Mashaba said in his speech that the city was filled with total lawlessness two years ago. “We are bringing back the rule of law in Johannesburg. Yesterday, I was proud to demolish the first building that had not undergone the proper application process. This is one of the thousands that will be broken down because of not having the necessary permits.”

He added that through the Operation Buya Mthetho campaign, the City had shown their seriousness in bringing back law and order. Mashaba said 1 500 new police officers were now being trained as part of this campaign.

“We are here to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism shown here. I would like to thank Fran [Swart – chairperson of the Friends of Hugh Wyndham Park] for inviting me here. By gathering together as a community to uplift this park, you are assisting me to give more resources to impoverished communities in need of immediate intervention,” said Mashaba

Mashaba added that he was going to ensure that the park had CCTV cameras installed that will be monitored by Metro police 24 hours a day to ensure the community’s safety.

Swart said she was delighted with the well-attended event. “As a community-based association working to improve the park, the mayor’s support was greatly appreciated. It was great that he made time for our event and we loved the fact that he came dressed in municipal worker clothes, showing he was willing to roll up his own sleeves and get involved.”