“You are doing good for the Paddadam, the community and the municipality. Put together a committee and a constitution and let’s see where we can take it from there…”
This was the instruction of AbaQulusi Mayor, Martin Mtshali, to the dedicated members of the Paddadam team at a meeting in council chambers in March.
https://vryheidherald.co.za/59510/mayor-mtshali-makes-his-mark-on-the-paddadam-project/
Doug Grewar, who has been paramount in the management of the Paddadam Project since it’s inception in 2014, was in attendance at the meeting and felt that the meeting went very well, with several key aspects being addressed and a way forward being obtained.
The project was initially spearheaded by Ward 9 Councillor at the time, Bennie Hancke and Dominee Ferdinand van Niekerk, who were keen to restore the Paddadam to its former glory.
https://vryheidherald.co.za/12795/van-paddadam-tot-paradysdam-hier-kom-n-mooi-ding/
Over the past few years, Doug Grewar has become synonymous with the Paddadam Project and has recruited the support of the community along the way to assist in this monumental undertaking.
https://vryheidherald.co.za/13324/progress-paddadam/
And so it came to be that the Paddadam team met at the Risen Son Academy Hall in Utrecht Street, to implement the suggestions made by Mayor Martin Mtshali and Cllr Alta de Kock at the previous meeting in council chambers.
“We wish to express our gratitude to the school for allowing us to use their facilities for the meeting,” stated Grewar.
24 people turned up for the Inaugural Meeting of the Paddadam Association on April 19 and a committee was elected to oversee the Paddadam Project.
- Chairman – Dawid Beetge
- Vice Chairman – Johann Botha
- Treasurer – Christa Janse van Rensburg and
- Secretary – Ashleigh Green
Additional Members of the committee elected are:
- Alta Roos de Kock (Ward 9 Councillor)
- Doug Grewar
- Gert Fray
- Marius Nigrini
- RG Van Rooyen
- Siyanqoba Sibiya and
- Zizile Nxumalo (Manager of Social Services for AbaQulusi Municipality, who is responsible for Parks).
A provisional constitution for the association was approved, subject to amendments and updating.
After the election, a short meeting of the newly elected Executive Committee was held and the following resolutions were taken:
- Our priority is to obtain a lease from the Abaqulusi Local Municipality (ALM) to manage the Paddadam Park.
- The ALM will rezone Paddadam Park from Agricultural to Private Community Park.
- A copy of the constitution and applications, as above, was handed to Zizile Nxumalo to submit on our behalf to the ALM.
Until these items are approved and put into place, further planning and development of the area will be held in abeyance. In the interim and by consent of the AbaQulusi Municipality, the Paddadam Association will continue to run the Paddadam Project.
For a trip down memory lane, read former Vryheid Herald Editor, John Carnegie’s reflections on the Paddadam and its restoration from a 2014 edition of his award-winning column, En Passant…
https://vryheidherald.co.za/13376/the-paddadam-39-years-on/
