Durban to get 100 pop-up parks

POP-UP parks are going to be the order of the day across Durban in the next few months as eThekwini Municipality embarks on the 100 Parks in 100 Days project.

Presented at the Greening Summit held at the Botanic Gardens on Thursday morning, head of the project, Ram Ramadeen said the project was an expansion of 10 Parks in 10 Days which saw dump sites being replaced by mini parks under the Imbumba Yembokodo Co-operative in partnership with the municipality, earlier this year.

“It all started with doing one park in one day in KwaMashu. We are now looking to develop 100 mini parks in this financial year,” said Ramadeen.

He confirmed that planning for the project had started in September and would be complete by February. They will once again be joined by the Yembokodo Co-operative.

One member of the co-op, Jacinta Ngobese said: “We always make sure that when the park is done, the community understands the park is for them. When they have helped build it, they will take ownership,.”

Also highlighted during the summit was crime, vandalism and vagrancy which has made many parks no-go areas.

The municipality’s Zoleka Gqada said the social challenges affecting parks included migration to the city for jobs, poverty, and a lack of skills.

“We have many people coming to the CBD for jobs and they don’t have anywhere to stay and end up occupying parks and green spaces.

“The parks are also used by drug lords as a place to sell their drugs, or by addicts who sit and smoke, and also where prostitution takes place,” she said.

The vandalism is largely scrap metal theft, with doors, taps and pipes being stolen.

eThekwini’s Hazel Jali highlighted that the municipality’s insurance claims in this regard amounted to R21 million in the 2015/2016 financial year.

Send your comments on tackling vagrancy and vandalism in parks to: satmail@inl.co.za