June 27, 2003
By Thomas Thale
SINCE it was upgraded and reopened to the public last year, Thokoza Park in Rockville, Soweto, has been bustling with activity, attracting hordes of revellers to its lush green grounds.
On this chilly, winter Sunday afternoon though, the park looks grim and deserted, except for young lads taking puffs under a tree, away from the forbidding eyes of their parents. Nearby, a group of older chaps, some squatting, others standing, has formed a circle to throw dice. There is no sight of party-lovers who often create a carnival atmosphere in the park, drinking and dancing to the loud kwaito music blasting from their car stereos.
Across town at the Emmarentia Botanical Garden, the mood is more laid back, and the few patrons present have come here to relax. Families come carrying picnic baskets, couples stroll holding hands, mothers push babies on prams, a solitary ice cream vendor pushes his bike, some people simply watch birds and others stand to marvel at the fountain spurting water.
Two friends, Ina du Preez and Karin Sansom, lie down on a blanket to read. "We come here to relax - this is a beautiful park. We marvel at the trees and enjoy the sun," says du Preez. The two friends come to the park at least once a month "to unwind".
The northern stretch of the park is a vast expanse which offers dog walkers limitless space on which to walk their dogs. Other patrons use the space to fly kites.
Herein lies the contrast. Recreational parks in the townships such as Thokoza Park, Meadowlands Park and Domemo Park in Dobsonville are frequented mostly by out-going people who use them for partying. Parks in the suburbs on the other hand attract families, individuals and couples out to have a quiet, relaxing outing. Whereas in a township park, the ear is often assaulted by the sound of hooting taxis and blaring speakers, parks in more developed suburbs offer a soothing treat to the ear in the form of chirping birds and water flowing from the fountains. These uses give rise to various challenges with regard to maintenance. Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for City Parks, says whereas the challenge in suburb parks is "to contain the problem of vagrancy," township parks "are faced with other challenges like vandalism and illegal dumping".
Few in number and much smaller in size, township parks are often overrun by users, especially in the Summer. This high utilisation of parks in underdeveloped areas, says Luther Williamson, CEO of City Parks, a council utility responsible for the development and maintenance of open spaces in the city, makes them vulnerable as there is little time for the lawn to recover. Of the 15 regional parks in the city (parks which measure between 15 and 100 hectares), only three are situated in townships.
According to Williamson, for the 2003 / 2004 financial year, City Parks has committed about R5-million for the development of new parks, mainly in disadvantaged areas. A further R1-million will be spent on the refurbishment of new parks. Much of this money will go towards developing parks in townships such as Diepkloof, Mofolo, Klipspruit, and in informal settlements such as Diepsloot and Orange Farm. City Parks has also tabled a proposal to roll out regional parks in disadvantaged areas over the following three years. The costs of the eight proposed park upgrades will amount to some R100-million.
The relatively vast and biodiversified parks in the suburbs on the other hand offer much greener lungs and more varied forms of entertainment. "We cater mainly for families, they come here to walk, jog and kids come for tricycle rides. One of the traditional things to do in the lake is boat riding. Children bring bread to feed ducks," says Lucy Taylor, coordinator of the Zoo Lake Users Committee. Liquor at the lake "is a no-no", but even Taylor admits that "you just can't stop the music".
In places such as Florida Lake, Wemmer Pan and Emmarentia Dam, the dams can even be used for sailing and canoeing.
Parks, says Professor Bheki Peterson, senior lecturer in the Department of African Literature at Wits University, are a consequence of industrialisation. "As people began to stay in places where density levels were high, they set about creating special places to compensate for the fact that natural spaces were no longer there. Parks are there to hold back densification."
Although parks are generally considered to be spaces designed for recreation, the nature of activities taking place at parks is subject to contestation. "In townships especially, parks are subject to generational battles. The community does not have equal access to them. Adults are forced to retreat, leaving the parks under the control of young males in the 16 to 30 age group," adds Peterson.
Perceptions and uses of parks are partly influenced by class imperatives. In townships, activities such as bird watching, reading or dog walking in parks are frowned on as petty bourgeois occupations. "Me watching birds! Ha! Ha," asks 16-year old Moses Mpanza who hangs out at Thokoza Park. Township residents also can't take part in many water sports. They simply stay away from the water. In township parks, there are simply no birds to watch or boats to ride. Braaing, smooching, cavorting and drinking are more the in-thing. The differences should not be reduced to racial inclinations though. People can't engage in some activities simply because they don't have resources to do so. The relatively smaller and less equipped parks can only accommodate a limited number of activities.
Zoo Lake is a popular spot for picnics and family outings
Picture by Walter Knirr
Parks in more upmarket suburbs on the other hand offer a variety of recreational avenues and are big enough to accommodate all kinds of activities. Thokoza Park, the city's flagship township park revamped at a cost of R20-million last year, measures 20 hectares. Compare that to Zoo Lake, which is 54 hectares in size or even Emmarentia which stands at an impressive 81 hectares. Larger parks are better suited to accommodating diverse interests. Couples may have a quiet corner to smooch away from the madding crowds. "You can always find a quiet corner in which to read here," says Sansom.
Earlier this year, there was public outcry when dog owners feared that the new bylaws would mean that they'd be banned from walking their canine friends in the city's parks. But in townships, dogs are generally not welcomed in parks. "I go to the park to have a nice time. I don't want to be bitten by dogs," says Zinto Nhlapo, a Soweto teacher who frequents Domemo Park. It is the banishment of the "consumption, brewing, storage or selling of any alcoholic beverage", which is more likely to attract indignation. "I bring my own cooler bag. I don't bother anyone. I don't see why I can't drink here," Nhlapo says.
Taylor on the other hand welcomes the presence of dogs in the park, provided they are on the lead, saying "They give added protection, making the park a safer place." Just as unpopular will be banning the "use of any sound equipment, including a radio, portable hi-fi or car stereo" in parks. "That's ridiculous. How can we have a braai without music?" asks Nhlapo. But the council does not mean to completely ban music and liquor from city parks. "We are only saying that people must apply beforehand if they want to indulge in such activities," Moodley explains.
But these differences in park uses sometimes give rise to tension when township youngsters go on their "picnic" outings to established parks. It is especially on public holidays that park managements have their hands full as parks are invaded by people with differing expectations of what parks are there for. Often police are called in to bring the situation under control.
"The enforcing authority in the City is the Metropolitan Police Department. City Parks works closely with MPD, the South African Police Service and community structures to ensure that widespread transgressions of the bylaws are contained," says Moodley.
But the police simply don't have the resources to police parks, especially against conduct, which may not be criminal in nature. Enforcement officers may have the power to evict people causing a nuisance in parks, but capacity is simply not there.
The burden of making fundamental aesthetic judgements on the use of parks falls on City Parks. According to Williamson, in developing new parks, City Parks is often guided by the needs of local communities. City Parks is now redesigning parks to become packages to compete with discos and sport clubs.
"We can now accommodate basketball / netball courts and jungle gyms, depending on the needs of communities. This could be ideal products for the youthful generation coming into wealth," says Williamson, adding that City Parks might have to explore new ways of managing noise, such as "installing sound acoustic embankments to keep the sound under control."
