Lara Edmunds is known as the face behind the efforts to clean-up Pietermaritzburg, a city which has for many years been associated with dirt, and earning the unsavoury tag of Capital of filth in the process.
Edmunds, who was born in Escourt but grew up in Pietermaritzburg, is an entrepreneur and a social activist. She, like many other residents in Pietermaritzburg, is passionate about the city and has a deep love for it.
“My first-born son was diagnosed with leukemia and needed a transplant, and once the news of him being in such a condition spread, more than five thousand people offered to donate for a marrow transplant. That gesture demonstrated to me the kind of people who make up this city of ours and that is why I love it,” she said.
Having lived in the city for more than four decades, Edmunds remembered how clean it used to be, and how disappointing was to witness its decay over the years.
She decided to do something about it and began by asking local businesses to be part of a clean-up campaign to reclaim the city streets. This led to the revival of the Keep Pietermaritzburg Clean Association (KPCA).
Edmunds explained: “The idea was that if each business was to take ownership of the spot around it by providing dustbins which are regularly collected then we would begin the process of beautifying the city surroundings.”
She said this would guarantee the transformation of the KZN capital from its unsavoury state to a city that everyone was proud to be associated with.
Edmunds said she had been overwhelmed by the response from the business community, which has thrown their weight behind the initiative. The campaign has also seen the enlisting of artists who paint public spaces, including public bins and bridges - an initiative which has transformed them from eyesores to attractive public spots.
“People are angry and upset about the state of affairs in the city because they love it, otherwise they would not give a toss or say anything about it whether on social media or any other platform. We are all about saving Pietermaritzburg,” she said.
Edmunds said that the KPCA campaign had been successful because people both within the organization and other partners loved to be hands-on. “As a former teacher, I appreciate processes and things that may take a longer period of time to address. But I also know those that can be attended to and fixed swiftly, and that has been one of our strengths at KPCA.”
According to Edmunds, given the amount of goodwill and energy, it is only a matter of time before the city returns to its former glory and lives up to its proud status as the capital of KZN.