Greening the south of Joburg is high on the City's priorities. Already trees have been planted and parks set up; the latest effort was a clean-up of the Klipspruit.

Cleaning up Klipspruit: the executive mayor, Amos Masondo, and City officials do their bit to clean up the river catchment (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

EXECUTIVE Mayor Amos Masondo led his officials, clad in their blue overalls, on a clean-up of the Klipspruit River in Mapetla Regional Park yesterday as part of efforts to green the river's entire catchment area.

His crew included members of the mayoral committee, councillors and City Parks workers; they were joined by scores of Mapetla residents, on Tuesday, 2 October.

Identified as a specific legacy project of the 2010 FIFA World CupÔ, Masondo said the cleaning and greening of the Klipspruit was part of the City's broader plan to improve the quality of life of Soweto residents and to help stimulate economic development in Joburg's southwestern township.

It was also part of the overall greening of open spaces in the city, he added.

"This project's vision is to transform the dry and dusty landscape of Soweto into a green and vibrant corridor that is not only conducive to healthy living but is also a hive of activity."

To achieve this, the City has set itself a number of goals which involve upgrading and developing parks; beautifying road islands and pavements; and planting more than 60 000 trees along the Klipspruit.

The Klipspruit system is one of the catchment areas that drain into the Vaal Dam, Joburg's primary source of fresh water. Masondo said the City had a responsibility to ensure that the quality of water that was released into the dam remained of high quality.

"We want our communities to enjoy the scenic beauty of their green landscape; we want them to have contact with nature, which brings a sense of refuge, freedom, relaxation and relief from stress. Most importantly, we want our communities to have a healthy relationship with the catchment and take responsibility for its cleanliness," the mayor told appreciative residents.

Leaving a lasting legacy: the cleaning and greening of Klipspruit is a City project (Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

The rehabilitation of the Klipspruit will help to eradicate various issues associated with the river. A study by the University of the Witwatersrand found traces of heavy metals and raised concerns about the rapid deterioration of the functionality of the system, seen in erosion levels and the shrinking wetlands.

"It, therefore, becomes imperative that the project prioritises the functionality of the wetlands to ensure a better quality of water from this system. We are saying that it is possible to integrate ecological issues with social requirements. This project will do just that and will ensure that both nature and the people benefit."

South of Joburg
Environmentally, the south of Johannesburg presents challenges. Masondo noted that from outer space, northern Joburg looked like a rainforest. "The south, on the other hand, is denuded and dusty. This … must be reversed."

To turn the south into another vast urban forest, the City aims to plant more than 200 000 trees before 2010. "We will also green every soccer field in every township, build more regional parks, establish nurseries and clean and green the Klipspruit catchment area by 2010."

On Arbor Day, 1 September 2006, the City planted 2 400 trees and between July 2006 and June 2007, it planted more than 30 000 trees in the area.

Executive director in the City's environmental planning and management department, Flora Mokgohloa, plants a tree at Mapetla Park

Already several parks, such as Thokoza Park, Dorothy Nyembe, Mapetla Wetlands, Orange Farm, Ivory Park and Rose Park, have been developed in townships around the city. Greening master plans have also been completed for Baileyspruit, Dlamini, Meadowlands, Klipvalley, Diepkloofspruit, Kliptown, Protea, Lenasia, Mofolo and Jabavu.

Masondo said Soweto "represents hope and courage". It was through greening, among other efforts, that this hope and courage could be best demonstrated.

"This greening programme represents a fundamental initiative to transform the south … Let's plant more trees, build more parks, green all soccer fields and ensure that the south of Johannesburg is characterised by green spaces and a better quality of life."

The mayor planted a tree in the middle of Mapetla Park to mark the occasion, and then headed off to clear litter from the Klipspruit.

Related stories:

• Seven 2010 legacy projects identified
• City kicks off environmental week