Ongoing theft and vandalism in the Kromboom Precinct are costing the City of Cape Town and the ratepayers of Athlone a lot of money.
The precinct includes Kromboom Park, Kromboom Bridge and its surrounds.
On Tuesday 7 February, Sub-Council 11 councillors and staff were led by Zahid Badroodien, Ward 48 councillor, to some hotspots in the precinct. They were joined by the dedicated Ward 48 law enforcement officer Moegamat Leitch, funded through the Ward 48 ward allocation.
“At Kromboom Park, I shared with the officials the various ongoing challenges that I have witnessed and that have also been reported to me on an almost daily basis. This includes anti-social activities such as drinking alcohol, drug usage and prostitution. The field is also used by homeless individuals to sleep in. Homeless individuals have refused social development assistance.
Additionally, over many years the maintenance of the park has deteriorated. The once green grass has become a sand patch making it difficult for residents to enjoy this park. Further, ongoing vandalising of the park lights, play equipment and ablution block makes it difficult to invest in this park and upgrade as we are continuously catching up with necessary repairs and maintenance,” says Badroodien.
Kromboom Park has immense historical significance.
The History Square celebrates the memories and contributions of struggle stalwarts who come from the area. The theft of paving and anti-social activity has severely impacted the significance of this important space.
For several months Badroodien has been lobbying the officials of the City to do the necessary costing to have the park enclosed.
This will help with managing the activities in the park as well as safeguard the equipment. It will also safeguard residents and their children when the MyCiTi route is expanded in this direction. The law enforcement officer has already been highly successful in confiscating alcohol and drugs, fining and arresting individuals who have broken the by-laws.
The City officials have also set aside funding to link the irrigation system at the park to the treated effluent line to once again water the park.
“This is an exciting development and will be implemented once the tender to do this work is activated. The recreation and park department plans to rehabilitate the garden in Kromboom Road Park and invest in the maintenance of the irrigation system in the garden. They will purchase compost for R5 000, fertiliser for R1 000, mulch for R4 000 and plants for R15 000. Maintenance of the hard surface will cost R55 000 and repairs to the manual irrigation system will cost R30 000,” Badroodien says.
He is appealing to residents to look after the park as a collective. “I encourage residents to report ongoing theft and vandalism. There is a R5 000 reward for any information that leads to a successful arrest,” he says.
- Residents must contact 021 480 7700.
