Park closure puzzles Waterfall residents
The residents are looking for answers following a closure of Cumec Park which was recently revamped.
CUMEC Park in Waterfall has been closed for almost two weeks now, leaving frequent visitors to the park stranded with no place for recreation.
About two years ago, the Highway Mail reported about Shaun Emslie who was one of the residents who contributed to revamping the park, which was abandoned.
Emslie, who is also a senior resident, said the park was left abandoned after the pool was filled in after a tragic drowning incident, and that was almost the end of the park.
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Together with the neigbourhood watch and other residents, Emslie said he started by making trails and clearing them – just using basic hand tools, such as a slasher, a spade and a rake. It just developed from there to approximately 2.9km of trails.
“The trails were cleared by myself and my gardener, Bethwell, who has worked alongside me in clearing and now managing the trails,” he said.
The park has seen great improvement, being the spot for recreation in the community where bike riders enjoy some time on their bikes. Until now, when community members are no longer able to access the park.
In a recent meeting, where the Waterfall community discussed the possibility of building a public school, it was mentioned that the park was zoned for the school. It was mentioned that this was not clear yet.
Ward 9 councillor Siyabonga Nala said that he had not heard anything about the closure of the park and therefore could not link it to the meeting about building a public school.
The Waterfall Street Patrol, who are focused on the security aspect of the park, said they also do not know why the park is closed.
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