Big plans for Zoo Lake
PARKVIEW – The Zoo Lake Users Committee held a meeting to discuss vital changes that need to be made to the park with the aim of restoring the recreation facility to its former glory.
The meeting was held at Laerskool Jan Cilliers on 18 September and it was announced that the newly-appointed committee was to be divided into the following portfolios:
- Communications headed by Elsabe Burnett
- Environmental management headed by Anthony Philbrick
- Events and Finances to be headed by chairperson of the committee, Fran Haslam, who will also act as general portfolio manager
- Legal representation provided by Juanita Moolman
- Leases and users to be regulated by Nick Icely
- Security, headed by Claude Ghoos.
Three major concerns at Zoo Lake highlighted during the meeting were vagrancy, underage drinking and alcohol abuse, and the lack of park rangers or Metro police officers to ensure bylaws were being adhered to.
Haslam said that according to the committee, these bylaw infringements are leading to the degradation of Zoo Lake.
“There can longer be drinking, loud music, fires and so on, or mayhem breaking loose on Saturday afternoons where Metro police are too intimidated by the large numbers of drunken people to enforce the law,” said Haslam, further stating that Metro police prefer to turn a blind-eye to avoid being targeted by big groups of youngsters abusing alcohol at the park.
“We now need to start striving to take back our park and making it clean, safe and secure,” added Haslam.
The question of fires and braaiing in the park was also a hotly debated subject because, even though the bylaws state that no fires are permitted within park boundaries, people still bring their braais and proceed to leave hot coals and ash at the foot of trees, causing severe damage to flora at the park. It was agreed that designated braai areas should be created and be manned and maintained by City Parks workers.
Shadow MMC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Sifumba, also attended the meeting and hit the nail on the head regarding the most pertinent issue at the park. “One thing that really shocks me, is that Zoo Lake is a flagship park, but there are no park rangers.
“Without park rangers, Zoo Lake will not be able to function as the committee would like. If City Parks cannot provide rangers, then the committee should make use of volunteers.”
Details: www.zoolake.org
