Store sponsors Gonubie facelift

People can join beachfront ‘paint party’ today

THE GONUBIE beachfront is undergoing a much needed facelift just in time for the school holidays, thanks to a local business which has called on the community to roll up their sleeves and take part in a paint party from 10am today.

Nigel Connellan, managing director of Western Gruppe, which owns the Gonubie SuperSpar, said a team of three was busy fixing the log fence along the verge of Deary Drive and that five sets of concrete picnic tables, benches and bins were on their way to Gonubie from Johannesburg and should be installed before Christmas.

He said an invitation on the store’s Facebook page calling on the public to don old clothes and bring paintbrushes to the beachfront had gone viral and he expected many to arrive from 10am today.

“It's a good way to celebrate the first day of the school holidays. We will be handing out cold bottled water and hope many will come,” Connellan said.

“We want to get Gonubie right for the season. We can’t wait for the municipality to do everything. We have to get involved as well.”

He said, however, that he was pleased to see a BCM-appointed team fixing the boardwalk which had become a dangerous eyesore.

BCM spokesman Sibusiso Cindi said the municipality had a plan to maintain the city’s amenities and that this was accelerated during the festive season.

Spar maintenance manager Allan Volker said repairs made to the seaside infrastructure two years ago, had either deteriorated or been destroyed.

“Two years ago, we replaced 250 droppers on the boardwalk, tightened screws and took care of the danger zones and missing planks. We also fixed benches on the beachfront grass and painted and fixed the log fence, but many of the poles are missing again.”

Adding to the sense of community pride is a Gonubie businessman who asked to remain anonymous. He said he was donating the services of four 24-hour security guards to patrol the boardwalk and beachfront from tomorrow until January 9.

He is also lending the NSRI in Gonubie a jet-ski for “as long as they need it. I am a Gonubie resident and want people to be safe and secure. Let’s make Gonubie great again.” —