The Hazyview Chamber of Business and Tourism (HCBT), in collaboration with some locals, recently painted the famous Hazyview pedestrian bridge.
According to the HCBT’s Carol Kendrick, they realised the bridge was an eyesore for the area’s tourism hub, and after gaining permission from the City of Mbombela (CoM) with the aid of Ken Robertson, the chamber used some donations to repaint it.
“Some of the businesses donated paint, rollers, brushes and so on. Others offered labour and the necessary large equipment, and then we all got our hands dirty and cleaned and painted the bridge, which took seven days. One of the reasons we embarked on the campaign is because Hazyview is the entrance to the Kruger National Park and the Panorama Route. We wanted tourists to find our town looking its best at all times,” she said.
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Kendrick also said Hazyview is a beautiful area with many business opportunities, and if the locals and businesses can continue to work together, it will benefit everyone, as a clean town attracts investors and tourists. “We would like to thank everyone who was involved in the project, ensuring that everything went smoothly. We have a special thank you to Thandiwe Ngomane, HCBT’s liaison officer, who co-ordinated the project; she did a very good job. We are currently undertaking more projects to keep our town clean. We also want to thank everyone for being patient while we were busy on the bridge,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, the gesture was welcomed by the community, who also called on the CoM’s by-law enforcement to ensure no illegal activities occur on or underneath the bridge, such as pasting advertising posters on it or trading illegally in the vicinity.
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Some locals also promised to come on board to ensure the area was kept clean.
The CoM’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said the municipality welcomed the private sector’s intervention in repainting the bridge. “The municipality cannot do everything on its own, and any assistance from the private sector is always welcome. In this instance, the HCBT only wanted permission, which we granted. We are happy with their work and we would like to thank them for everything,” he said.
He also called on other businesses to work with the municipality to keep their cities and towns clean.
