Much needed repairs and maintenance work is on the horizon for De Waal Park.
Mike Bosazza, chair of Friends of De Waal Park, says they met with newly elected Ward 77 councillor Francine Higham late last month to address several refurbishment issues in the park.
Friends of De Waal Park was established in 2008 by residents to help improve the 126-year-old public park and heritage site which is based in Oranjezicht. They do this through regular clean ups and maintenance projects.
Bosazza says they raise funds to purchase new benches, bins and playground equipment. “We also supply poo bags in the park and arrange for weekly cleaning of the park.”
He says during their meeting with Higham they have asked for the fountain pond to be repaired.
“The skin lining for the pond is loose and the whole thing needs to be cleaned up. Perhaps the Victorian fountain could be restored to its original glory.”
Bosazza says a major concern was the water pipe that was leaking.
“The water was seeping through the Camp Street wall and if that collapsed it would not only have caused major problems in that street, but as it is a heritage wall, it would have cost a great deal to be repaired. The council has shut off the mountain water to the park which is why the water is no longer leaking, but it also means that there is no water in the fountains.”
He says some residents are also calling for the children section to be closed off and that the toilets be equipped with facilities for parents with babies.
“The roads need to be resurfaced and the turning circles need to be re-tarred. There are broken benches that need to be replaced and we could do with a whole new supply of unbroken bins. The bins need to be cleared regularly and the rubbish completely removed at least once a week. The lawns need to be mown more regularly and some trees need attention. It would be great to see the fountain circle imaginatively re-planted.”
He says much of these repairs cannot be done by the City because of “budgetary constraints” and are appealing to residents to assist.
Mike Bosazza has also welcomed the return of two park rangers to safeguard the park and visitors. The rangers were reinstated on Saturday 1 January.
“The rangers have been amazing. We desperately wanted them back in the park. They lock the park at night and nobody has been mugged in the park for years.”
Higham says: “The City is currently developing its five-year Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and the public have been encouraged to submit their ideas and suggestions for the community’s developmental needs and priorities. The maintenance and upgrade plans for De Waal Park that were discussed with Mr Bosazza will feed into the IDP, as well as any short-term planning being done by the City of Cape Town.
Higham however says the implementation of the repairs will not happen overnight.
“Some of the needs that we discussed included fixing the broken wall on Upper Orange Street, resurfacing the fountain, repairing the children’s play equipment and repairing broken benches amongst other things. Further discussions still need to be had on available budget and deliverable timelines for these projects.”
She says keeping the park and public spaces clean is everyone’s responsibility. Visitors are requested to report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.
- To donate to the Friends of De Waal Park, visit: https://dewaalpark.co.za
