Joy was much evident in Uitenhage today, September 5, 2017 when the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) celebrated national Arbor Week by officially opening a recreational park in Matanzima Road, Kwanobuhle (Ward 46).
Opening the park, the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela bay, Cllr Athol Trollip, said: “This recreational park is testimony to our commitment as an administration to return Uitenhage to the beautiful garden town it used to be. It also enforces our promise to transform our townships into suburbs.”
The celebration of Arbor Week is one of the highlights on the NMBM Public Health Directorate’s annual programme. Annually, as part of Arbor Week celebrations, the Municipality embarks on a programme across the City to teach and encourage residents and children to look after their environment and plants and take good care of trees at their homes.
In attendance at the event were the Councillors representing KwaNobuhle: Simphiwe Ntshiza (Ward 43), Nomsa Booi (Ward 44), Simphiwe Plaatjie (Ward 45) and Lindelwa Qubukana (Ward 46). During the event, learners from the Mngcunube Primary school entertained the crowd with inspiring speeches and songs about nature conservation.
Mngcunube Primary School Principal Mr CM Pepeta urged the residents of Ward 46 to take good care of the newly built park and also promised to work with the community, teachers and the pupils to keep the park clean and in the same beautiful state as when the Executive Mayor opened it. “This well equipped park will definitely improve the lives of our pupils. It is just on our doorstep and we will make sure that we take care of it so that it can take care of our children. We want to attend the weddings and important milestone celebrations of our pupils in this park,” said Pepeta.
Where the park has been constructed, it used to be an illegal dumping site and a place for vagrants and criminals. The municipality, as part of the fight against illegal dumping has a programme of converting illegal dumping sites into recreation parks. Every financial year the municipality constructs between three to six recreation parks in areas that used to be illegal dumping sites.
Ward Cllr, Lindelwa Qukubhana during her closing remarks urged the residents to be ambassadors of the new park and ensure that the park goes on to benefit the community. She also promised to work hand in hand with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that Uitenhage lives up to the name of NMB’s garden town.
NMB Communications
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