4 days ago
Ekurhuleni and company join forces to revitalise Winnie Mandela Park
The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) partnered with Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) to host a clean-up and park revitalisation at Winnie Mandela Park in honour of Mandela Day.
The collaboration between the city and CCBSA stems from a long-standing partnership.
Many CCBSA employees based at the Olifantsfontein facility reside in nearby communities, making Winnie Mandela Park a meaningful choice for this initiative.
The project included cleaning up the park, painting decorative rocks, and installing new benches donated by CCBSA.
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Sibaphiwe Tentu, the regional manager for parks operations and planning in the CoE, explained that the partnership goes beyond Mandela Day.
'CCBSA approached us with the idea of a joint initiative focused on climate change resilience.
'Since their factory is located nearby, with Thembisa as a host community, we adopted a multi-faceted approach involving various departments such as city parks, energy, and environmental services,' said Tentu.
The city hopes to use this initiative to raise awareness about park maintenance and climate action.
'We urge the community to stop vandalising public spaces and to protect these areas. People are damaging the parks or turning them into dumping sites.
'It not only affects the children who play there but also poses health risks to nearby residents and emergency responders.
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'As part of this initiative, we will plant over 20 trees to revive the park and restore its former reputation,' he added.
Ward 2 Clr Thato Mashiane expressed his excitement about the improvements in the area.
'I'm elated to see the plans we made during our asset-based community workshop come to life. This is just the beginning; many more programmes are on the way.
'What makes this moment special is that members of the community are present to witness and take part in it.
'We encourage them to keep the park clean and prevent it from becoming a dumping ground. This is how we honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela, by giving back, building partnerships, and restoring hope.'
The event was well-received by residents.
Several organisations took part in activities that included reblocking, cleaning, painting, and installing benches and trees.
