‘Making suburbs out of townships’
NELSON Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip wants to turn the metro’s townships into suburbs by introducing recreational facilities.
Trollip said this yesterday as he planted a tree to inaugurate the recreational park in Matanzima Road, KwaNobuhle.
The municipality used the event to launch Arbor Month officially.
“The municipality is on a mission to create suburbs in the townships by introducing recreational facilities.
“These parks with outdoor gyms are a way of keeping the community engaged. We want townships to resemble the suburbs,” Trollip said.
Ward 46 residents braved the windy weather for the opening of the park, previously an illegal dump site.
It has now been transformed into a park with leisure facilities, including an outdoor gym.
Mgcunube Primary School principal Monwabisi Pepeta said: “A dumpsite opposite the school was not healthy for the children.
“We had the challenge of litter that coloured the school’s boundary wall.”
Pepeta also committed the school to taking care of the park.
“We also plead to the community to assist us in maintaining this lovely gift we have received from the municipality,” he said.
Department of Agriculture representative Thabo Nokhoyo said the department had chosen the buffalo thorn and guarri as trees for Arbor Month.