STACKS of used needles add to a host of concerns for residents living near Berea Park. Located on Stephen Dlamini (Essenwood) Road, the park is home to a local flea market, outdoor gym and soccer field.

This week, residents submitted photos of needles they found in the park to Berea Mail. Kalvanya Padayachee, who is the Step Up Project Coordinator at TB HIV Care confirmed that the needles pictured are supplied by TB HIV Care.

“The Step Up Project provides sterile needles and syringes to injecting drug users as a means of preventing the onward transmission of blood-borne illnesses, particularly HIV and hepatitis,” said Padayachee.

She added that the service is recommended by the World Health Organisation and is included in South Africa’s National Strategic Plan for HIV and TB.

“This is a harm-reduction approach, geared toward reducing the harms associated with drug use for individual drug users, their families and the broader community. This approach has a strong human-rights basis, and has been proven globally to be far more effective in helping problematic drug users normalise their lives than is the case with prohibitionist/abstinence-based interventions,” said Padayachee.

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While ward 31 councillor Remona Mckenzie noted the needles are provided in a bid to prevent the spread of HIV, she raised safety concerns.

“My concern is that these needles are shared irrespective. We have a flea market and family come to this park – a needle injury could cost a life. It is unacceptable that residents have to live in an area, which they contribute towards, and can’t enjoy the facilities. It’s just unacceptable. I have requested a meeting with the Head of Parks and will be raising all concerns and challenges,” said Mckenzie.

According to Padayachee, TB HIV Care services include intense counselling on the importance of returning used needles.

“Clients are provided with a portable sharps container, from which needles cannot be extracted once inserted,” she said.

Padayachee added that TB HIV Care conducts regular clean-ups in areas of known drug use to safely remove any injecting equipment that has been disposed of inappropriately.

“We would be happy to train residents to collect needles and syringes safely and to supply them with the equipment to do so. However, we will also conduct regular patrols in the park to collect any needles and syringes that have been discarded inappropriately. Unfortunately, we were not previously aware of this area as a hotspot but have added it to our schedule of sites where we patrol and perform pick-ups.”

Residents are urged not to collect needles without the necessary equipment but to contact TB HIV Care on 031 940 1268 for assistance.

Once a highlight of the area, residents say Berea Park has become a ‘human toilet’.

“People urinate and defecate in the park. The degradation of the area is appalling with refuse and building rubble regularly dumped in the area. Residents clean up at their own expense and time,” said concerned resident Eileen Vander Velden. She added that residents report by-law infringements to Metro Police regularly – these include open fires in the park, public drinking and drug use.

Among the litter residents pick up are needles, cough mixture bottles and blades – dangerous objects to find on a walk for mothers like Sherell Beukes. “I like to walk my dogs in the park, and I have picked up a couple of needles along the pathway. I have seen people shoot up drugs in the park before. I live nearby, and I’ve seen people sleeping in the park,” said Beukes.

While several residents raised concerns about the homeless living in the park, Rumana Mahomed said better policing is needed to ensure the park is a safe space for all.

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“We don’t want to restrict the use of the park; we just want it to be a safe and respected place. We acknowledge that there is poverty and there are homeless people in the area – we don’t want to deprive anyone from having a space to sleep, but the park should be used in such a way that everyone can benefit from it,” she said.

Public drinking and noise disturbances add to the issues at the park. Resident Marcelle Delew-Kappen said people are gathering in the park at all hours.

“One of the problems is unauthorised vehicles driving into the park from Essenwood Road. The fence needs to be fixed. People play music from their cars, have parties, drink alcohol and often leave rubbish behind,” she said.

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