February 22, 2002
By Lucille Davie
THERE are 2 000 hectares of open space in Soweto, much of it disused and unkempt. Now that space is to be made greener and more user-friendly, in a R1.5-million project in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
"The WSSD has provided the City of Johannesburg with the opportunity to bridge the green divide," says Flora Mokgohloa, director of Environmental Conservation and Development of Johannesburg City Parks.
The WSSD runs from 26 August to 4 September, 2002, in Johannesburg, and is being billed as the biggest United Nations convention the world has seen.
The greening project starts at the end of February and will focus on several potential tourist routes. These routes consist of the major arterial through Orlando East (Masupha and Sofasonke Roads), leading towards the Klipspruit Valley and the wetland between the two suburbs of Dhlamini and Pimville. The Klip River is the major river running through Soweto.
Another route is Van Onselen Road, running into Meadowlands, north Soweto. A further project is the rehabilitation of Moroka Dam, in central Soweto.
The project will involve grassing, planting of trees and landscaping of these areas. Some parks will be upgraded and major routes will be greened.
In addition, there is a programme to develop new parks in Soweto, a scheme that has already got off the ground. Already seven suburbs have been identified, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of June.
The idea is to get people involved in the greening and upgrading of these areas. A Community Participation Unit has been formed, particularly for residents whose homes border these areas. It is hoped that residents will take ownership of the trees and grass in open spaces near them.
Parks Ambassadors have been appointed and together with a dedicated monitoring unit, open spaces are being monitored, particularly at high-frequency, high-maintenance facilities.
"Nurturing and improving Johannesburg's environmental infrastructure will prove in decades to come to be one of the city's soundest investments, paying rich dividends in enhancing the quality of life and building greater civic pride," says Mokgohloa.
These greening projects complement the already-established Klipspruit River Corridor project, a space that has been identified as having conservation status, and thus needing protection.
The project area consists of 50 kilometres of streams and wetlands. The project started in October 2001 and is expected to be finished in 2004.
The aims of this project are to remove all solid wastes like plastics and metals from all wetlands and streams within Soweto, and rehabilitate these areas; to raise awareness of the need to conserve wetland resources; and to maximise socio-economic benefits through job creation and skills development.
Meanwhile, the Johannesburg World Summit Company (Jowsco) is looking for 5 000 volunteers "from all walks of life to assist the Company on various identified tasks". Volunteers could be professionals, students, skilled individuals and civil servants.
"This is the year of volunteerism and the WSSD 2002 volunteer programme will probably be the largest to date in South Africa. It is important that each one of us take the initiative and responsibility to showcase our best hospitality. Volunteers will undergo training that will have minimal impact on their everyday lives," says Moss Mashishi, CEO of Jowsco.
A roadshow addressing professionals and students is currently being undertaken, to reach the required volunteer numbers.
