Workers spent the night digging and planting, racing to meet the deadline for the Diepkloof XtremePark. In just 24 hours, a park is being built.

City Parks at work
(Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

THE open piece of ground along Immink Road in Diepkloof Zone 2 was a hive of activity this morning, the last leg of the 24-hour Diepkloof XtremePark Makeover.

About 14 hours after construction of the 2ha park started, 70 percent had been completed, according to Luther Williamson, the managing director of Johannesburg City Parks.

"We are on track to complete the park by 6pm today. The basketball court, the two fountains and the heritage site are almost complete. Our guys have been working very hard during the cold night. They did a good job."

Williamson said the Township TV screen, one of the features of the park, was working and would be ready to show the Kaizer Chiefs-Orlando Pirates match on Saturday, 10 May.

City Parks's extreme park makeover is a spin-off of the Extreme Homemaker television series and is aimed at balancing the location of outdoor recreation facilities - Joburg's southern suburbs were neglected by the previous government. It is also an effort to mobilise community ownership of green spaces, advocating healthier lifestyles and inspiring City Parks's workforce to strive for service excellence.

Williamson said the first group of 238 workers knocked off at 6am on Friday and the second group of 210 workers - from City Parks, Joburg Roads Agency and other City departments and entities - took over at 6.30am.

Groundwork
"Most of the groundwork has been done and there is more of housekeeping that's left. There have been setbacks where deliveries have been delayed because of cars parked in entrances to the park but that has been rectified."

Creating a green space in Soweto
(Photo: Enoch Lehung, City of Johannesburg)

The Diepkloof XtremePark Makeover is the second to be undertaken by City Parks; the first was the successful Wilgeheuwel park makeover in 2007. Once finished, the new park will have a mini-soccer field, a multi-purpose court, a splash pool, landscaped lawns, park furniture and an amphitheatre.

"The mini-soccer field is a recent addition in most parks in the city. City by-laws don't allow soccer to be played in parks but in reality this is not possible because we always have kids and even grown-ups playing soccer in parks, damaging grass in the process," Williamson explained.

Made of sand, the mini-soccer fields ensured that there was space for people to play football while cutting the costs of grass maintenance. "Young kids will be able to build their physic and become stronger soccer players," he added.

Williamson said the success of the project hinged on the support of various organisations that had contributed to its construction.

Funding
"The City of Johannesburg contributed R1,8-million, Johannesburg Roads Agency R600 000, Johannesburg Water R600 000 and the Klipspruit/Klipriver Project R380 000 to the project. Various private companies donated material as well."

Launching the Diepkloof XtremePark Makeover on Thursday, 8 May, Prema Naidoo, the mayoral committee member for environment, said experience had taught the City that if the deterioration of open spaces was turned around and quality parks were developed, problems such as illegal dumping, littering, vandalism and vagrancy were contained.

The Diepkloof XtremePark was an ambitious plan by City Parks.

"The plan has never been attempted anywhere in the world ... but here in the city of Johannesburg, with the Diepkloof park being the second attempt since the much-applauded Wilgeheuwel park unveiling in Roodepoort," he said.

Diepkloof XtremePark will be officially opened at 6pm this evening, when Executive Mayor Amos Masondo will hand over the park to the residents of Diepkloof. Officials from the 2010 Local Organising Committee, artists, musicians, and residents are expected to attend.

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