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Delighted children refused to be called away from playing in
the new park by waiting siblings, opened for play on Peace Day.
AN almost arid piece of land, denuded of green, which
overlooks Orlando Stadium, has been transformed into a verdant park that
complements the aesthetics of the already green stadium precinct, giving a
peaceful atmosphere to the Soweto
suburb.
The park is planted with endemic, succulent trees, including 300 olive trees
Orlando West Regional Park - opened on Monday, 21 September,
coinciding with International Day of Peace - is planted with endemic succulent trees,
including 300 olive trees, and is furnished with an assortment of sport and recreation
amenities, comprising swings, a netball and basketball court, a professional-size
football pitch and a one-kilometre jogging track.
There is also a large dedicated playground catering for the
physically challenged. In under three months, a big Township TV screen
will be
installed, where people will be able to watch sports tournaments, making it one
of City Park's fan parks.
The facility has a walking ramp, a wheelchair-friendly maze,
miniature flowerbeds, a spacious, dedicated braai area and a sprawling manicured
green lawn. It has a permanent irrigation system and is fully fenced, with
24-hour security.
Construction of the park began in December in 2008 and was
completed by July at a cost of R16-million.
Birds and butterflies
Orlando West
Regional Park
had a theme - birds and butterflies - with these handcrafted figures erected on
poles "to teach you about the environment", said Jenny Moodley, the City Parks
marketing and communications manager, at the official opening.
The unit is a municipal-owned entity charged with greening
and maintaining Joburg's parks and open spaces. The overhauling of the Orlando
West park is one of its flagship 2010 legacy projects, designed to leave a
lasting legacy for Johannesburg
after the football World Cup is over.
Two education centres adjoining the park inspired its design
- the Nkanyezi Stimulation Centre
and Shomang Primary School, whose pupils marvel at
the opportunity to play at the facility.
A City Parks flagship project
Moodley noted that the land was rehabilitated as part of the
utility's 2010 Klip River/Klipspruit wetlands rehabilitation project; it was
linked to the entire Orlando Stadium precinct development.
Peace Day
International Day of Peace, observed annually around the globe and fondly known
as Peace Day, is devoted to commemorating and strengthening ideals of peace
within nations and all humankind. It was unanimously adopted after a United
Nations resolution in 1981; the first Peace Day was celebrated a year later, on
21 September 1982.
On the day, the UN devotes itself to worldwide peace
initiatives and encourages all of humanity to work towards that goal. Every
year since inception, events on Peace Day have ranged in scale from private
gatherings to public concerts and forums.
Joining City Parks in opening the park and commemorating the
day was a delegation from Ladysmith Municipality, in Joburg on a fact-finding mission; pupils
from Shomang Primary
School; local residents; and other City of Joburg representatives.
By the late afternoon, as the sun beat down, little Kabelo, Tshiamo
and Zama just shrugged their shoulders when they
were called home by their older siblings, who were standing at the park gate ready
for the evening ahead.
Riding a play horse, a candid Tshiamo jibed at his sister in
Zulu: "Can't you see that I am still playing? This is the first time we have
been allowed here so please leave me alone so that I can enjoy playing with my
friends."
He hastily swapped play equipment, the desire to test drive everything
palpable on his little face. "Take a photo of me on this one, and this one too."
Wishing play-day would never end
His friend joined the chorus, much to the chagrin of his annoyed
sister, waiting at the gate. She would have to bath Tshiamo for the second time,
as he was dirty again after playing in the park.
Moodley said that with the facility, City Parks had created
a "buffer" area between adult and children recreation. For many more local
children like Tshiamo, the spacious green lung along Klipspruit Valley Road will be a retreat from
the noisy and somewhat treacherous streets of Soweto.
According to some residents from Mzimhlophe Women's Hostel,
the area used to be neglected and barren and was used as a wasteland or a
dumping site. It was heaped with waste and overrun grass, serving as a pasture
for livestock.
Transformation
The transformation would bring a nice pastime for children of the local
community, they said. Mzimhlophe is on the banks of the Klipspruit River,
near the new facility.
Building such facilities was a way in which City Parks could
combat incorrect land-use practices, consumption patterns, pollution, illegal
dumping and other activities that affected the environment negatively, explained
Sydney Nkosi, the director of environmental management in the City's
environment department.
The planting of trees was the only way to combat climate
change, which posed a danger to biodiversity, Nkosi added.
He urged residents in the area to be the eyes and ears,
vocally and jealously "guarding against environmental degradation, be it illegal
dumping, sewer leakages, or vandalism in parks and other local amenities".
Nkosi also encouraged citizens to be advocates for the environmental justice
that was guaranteed in the Constitution.
Orlando West Regional Park forms part of the Greening of Soweto 2010 legacy project
Orlando West Regional Park forms part of the Greening Soweto
2010 legacy project, under which more than
165 000 trees have been planted in the sprawling township, in Joburg's south.
The aim is to plant more than 200 000 trees in the area as a 2010 FIFA
World Cup™ legacy.
Aesthetics
Moodley said it was important to keep planting trees to change the image of the
township, better the lives of its people, and increase its aesthetics, in the
end boosting civic pride. The greening initiative served as a catalyst to
offset air pollution and improve the state of the environment.
The long-term goal is to have a green Soweto, putting it on par with its northern
Joburg counterparts. City Parks is also tasked with accelerating the
beautification of soccer venues and levelling greening imbalances.
Nkosi urged custodians of the environment to make planting trees
a lifestyle. "We do not have to wait for these theme days before we can take
action. If we make it a way of life, we are in a better position to restore the
natural ability of the environment to protect us against any challenges that
threaten human existence."
Moodley had the final word: "We would like to urge communities
to nurture this park and refrain from littering. No bottles in the park please
because bottles are the hardest to clean and pose a danger to our children."
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