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Est 2009 Issue 13 - 2015
2 - 9 April 2015
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Facelift for Turffontein park ‘The Xtremepark Makeover initiative is to fast-track the establishment of outdoor recreational facilities in highdensity areas, while rehabilitating public spaces that show symptoms of illegal dumping, littering, vandalism and vagrancy’ Staff Reporter news@inner-city-gazette.co.za
T
he Rotunda Park in Turffontein has been given a thorough makeover. On Thursday morning City Parks & Zoo Managing Director Bulumko Nelana, his executive team, 500 employees and volunteers toiled in the rain to breathe new life into the 10hectare park. They built flower beds, laid the lawn, planted indigenous trees, installed new outdoor gym equipment and painted playground equipment. Nelana said the activities cost R200 000 but the total budget into renovating the park is R6 million. “The aim of the Xtremepark Makeover initiative is to fast-track the establishment of outdoor recreational facilities in high-density areas, while
rehabilitating public spaces showing symptoms of illegal dumping, littering, vandalism and vagrancy. The whole exercise is aimed at revitalising Turffontein. The reason City Parks & Zoo chose this park is because Turffontein has been earmarked for redevelopment as part of the Corridors of Freedom strategy of turning Joburg into an economically inclusive and vibrant African city, in which residents live and play near their places of work and schools,” Nelana said. The park now boasts a new skateboard court, an astro-turf mini soccer field, revamped netball and tennis courts, a state-of-the-art children’s play area complete with rubberised surfaces, a fitness track and picnic shelters. The park’s gym and equipment as well as the cycling space have been enlarged and modernised. The park is home to some of the old-
Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau, Community Development MMC Chris Vondo, Councillor Philemon Madisha and community members at the Rotunda Park during the event.
est trees in the city. Nelana said the XtremePark Makeover would not only rejuvenate the park and create employment but would also lead to further development to attract investors. “We urge the community of Turffontein to take ownership of the park. Research has shown that sedentary lifestyles lead people to early graves. We urge the residents of the area to make full use of the park facilities and guard it jealously to keep
vandals at bay,” Nelana said. He said some of the cooperatives registered under the Jozi@Work campaign would be contracted to maintain Rotunda Park and other parks across the city. Unemployed resident Dimakatso Tsotetsi was happy about the park’s makeover. “Now children can get off the streets and have a safe place to play. Even old people can use the outdoor gym,” he said.
Turffontein is an area rich in history. Founded as a tented camp during the gold rush and subsequently viewed as a working-class area about a century ago, the suburb comprises a rich cosmopolitan mix of residents. In 1889, Walter Casey laid out a section of Turffontein for a circular park, Rotunda Park. Near the Rotunda Park is one of the oldest buildings in the area, the Turffontein Fire Station, built in 1910.