Parades, music, dance and festive decorations will brighten up Kerk Street. Father Christmas will also visit.

KERK Street will be a merry place, with myriad coloured festive lights glowing, pantsulas dancing, marimbas rolling and magicians performing.

Joburg's firefighters and police will accompany a parade led by Zulu dancers and drummers.

Father Christmas will entertain kids

Hosted by the Retail Improvement District (RID), Johannesburg metro police and the City, the fun-filled events are being held in anticipation of the festive season. "The idea is to show people that the CBD is a safe, clean place to shop and to attract shoppers to the city to help our inner city retailers and traders - plus to provide entertainment and fun for our inner city kids," says Renney Plit, the chairperson of the RID.

Father Christmas will be there as well. Children will get to sit on his lap and have a chat to him, and have their pictures taken with the man in red.

On the last day of the festival, an emergency management services fire engine ferrying Father Christmas will be accompanied in the parade by a convoy of at least six Joburg metro police motorbikes and a band from Alex, says Nicky Wigget, the senior project manager from Daisychain Promotions, the company organising the event.

Children from CityKidz, a primary school in the CBD, will also take part.

Azumah, a dance troupe from Diepkloof, in Soweto, will be part of the entertainment. Azumah is a Swahili word for love. Founded 18 years ago, the troupe performed at Nelson Mandela's 77th birthday and at the opening of the Confederations Cup in June this year.

"We have got stronger and stronger over the years. The entertainment [at Kerk Street] will be a bomb," said George Maluleke, the group's manager.

Marimbas will also be played

According to Sandra Saunders, the national operations officer of the Field Band Foundation, it is an innovative and exciting organisation with a track record for youth development. The Field Band Foundation has 4 127 members from 109 townships and 286 schools around the country.

Laying the concerns of some to rest, Sophie Xaba, the manager of Truworths in Kerk Street, says crime in the street has decreased. "Once every month we meet with the South African Police Service to discuss all the crime problems we have in the area, and collected evidence shows that crime has definitely gone down.

"From the last month, sales have been improving. We anticipate that with the upcoming carnival, sales in the area will be boosted."

Talking about the informal traders in the street, she says: "There has been a positive relationship between the street traders and the stores, because people coming to the market to buy fruits and vegetables end up going into the stores."

Plit says the City and private business are determined to ensure that the inner city is safe, economically viable and a tourist destination. "There are security guards from 7am to 5.30pm, with private security guards patrolling the area at night. In terms of infrastructure, buildings have been restored, walkways paved and the Ernest Oppenheimer Park is being reinstated by the Johannesburg Development Agency."

Closed circuit cameras have been installed, with good coverage, particularly at bank auto teller machines, says Lebo Mashego, the urban development manager at Afhco Holdings. The company is involved with providing housing in the inner city.

"We want to bring back the Christmas festivities that we used to have in Johannesburg. When I was a child, Joburg used to be a great festive place to be. It would be good to have that back. Last year, we spent R180 000; this year it is almost double that amount. Obviously, we have learned from our mistakes last year. This year the programme will have more value."

For more information, contact Louise Wilson-Thomas on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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