City Parks' green fingers making eco-magic in Joburg

In keeping with the "100 days to kickoff campaign" celebration, Joburg City Parks joined the bandwagon by beautifying the entrance to its building in Braamfontein.

Large stone vases filled with flowering plants lined the sidewalk, a water feature was attached to the wall, and on the corner of De Korte and Henri streets, a huge soccer ball was perched on a big container.

City Parks employees gathered on the sidewalk to add to the spirit of the day by blowing vuvuzelas and wearing Bafana colours.

For Geoffrey Cooke, the department's acting managing director, the announcement that South Africa would host 2010 felt like it was "just the other day".

He said: "Before you know it, it will be right there among us."

Cooke highlighted the areas where the soccer matches would be accessible to the public.

He said nine public viewing parks with big screens would be spread out around Joburg. These areas include Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Orlando West Park, Rose Park in Lenasia, Kremetart Park in Eldorado Park, Thokoza Park, Joubert Park, Diepkloof Extreme Park and Orange Farm.

He added they would also be accessible to informal vendors with accreditation from the Local Organisation Committee.

Cooke also said Innisfree Park in Sandton would be used as a FanFest area. Bezuidenhout Park and the James and Ethel Gray Park would be used as park-and-ride facilities.

Rhodes Park in Kensington would host an "African village" with cultural events, food stalls, and arts and crafts. It would be a gathering of different African nationalities, Cooke said.

By the end of next month, 200 000 trees would have been planted, a project that got under way in 2002. To date City Parks had planted more than 175 000 trees.

The south of Joburg had been its focus in planting trees, placing them, among other areas, on sidewalks, in homes and cemeteries, and around government buildings.

It won't only be the north that looks like a manmade forest, Cooke added. "It's a balance of scales."

The Star

Posted at 09:49AM Mar 03, 2010 by Editor in Commercial  |  Comments[1]