The Standerton River Park is the town’s heartbeat, yet it has been allowed to decay through the years and become the forefront of crime in Standerton.
Any older Standerton resident can tell hundreds of stories about how beautiful the park used to be.
With a glowing social scene, beautiful foliage, a thriving caravan park and safe play parks the children could enjoy; this used to be a place where families could get out of their homes and interact with nature.
With care and love, this could still have been the case today.
The area could have become the lifeblood of Standerton, not only as a place for families to connect but also as a hub of social interaction and economic growth.
However, this is not the case. The park has become an impromptu dumping site, a hideout for drug dealers and addicts and a place where prostitution runs rampant.
A quick drive through the area reveals how bad the situation has become. The current contractor responsible for managing the facilities within the river park is NAFCOC.
The open space stretching from the facilities towards the Nelson Mandela Bridge is still under the administration of the Lekwa Municipality.
Lubabalo Majenge, the spokesperson for Lekwa Municipality, claimed the municipality is unaware of the growing crime rate in the river park.
“We will report this matter to the SAPS and Community Safety Forum to address this problem,” said Majenge.
Buildings have been broken down and vandalised.
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“The once beautiful chalets have succumbed to years of decay, and the park has rubbish heaps in some areas.
“The park is supposed to be a place where families can relax, but you cannot allow children to enter the area anymore. It has become too dangerous,” said André Kasselman of Kasselman Security Services and a staunch lover of Standerton.
The two play parks in the river park are unusable after years of decay and rust, making it dangerous for children to play in the area.
Trash, including used condoms, scattered about is not the only health and safety hazard. Construction debris lies in heaps at the entrances to the park.
According to Majenge, the municipality is taking steps to track down the contractor responsible for dumping this construction debris.
These hazardous elements typically end up in the river, contributing to water pollution and sanitation issues.
It is easy for criminals to dispose of evidence in a place already littered with trash, as proved by the recent findings of bodies in the river.
One of these bodies was that of 20-year-old Sinenhlanhla Tshabalala, discovered in the river on June 27. Foul play is suspected.
“It is sad to see what the river park has become,” said Kasselman.
When questioned about the recreational budget, Majenge noted the municipality does have a budget allocated to maintaining public amenities. However, this budget is limited and has to be spread across all recreational grounds.
“This causes minimal impact,” said Majenge.
