The Wilds Nature Reserve in Houghton has a new mosaic and bench dedicated to Nelson Mandela.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) first started what would become a global phenomenon, Mandela Day, where people spend 67 minutes doing community service on the late president’s birthday, July 18.
“We approached the late Nthato Motlana, who launched the Mandela Foundation, with the idea of making Mandela’s birthday a day where communities can come together for the greater good,” said Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for City Parks.
On Mandela’s birthday in 2005, the team hosted an event at Thokoza Park in Soweto where a plaque was laid and Motlana planted a tree.
Later in 2008, on Arbour Day, a visibly frail Mandela and his wife Graca Machel joined City Parks, again at Thokoza Park, on Arbour Day where they also planted a tree with Mandela saying, “It is time to restore to nature what we have taken from it.”
Today the tree, 13 years later, is 5m high and is designated a national heritage sight with a small fence and blue plaque.
“From that day onwards, every year on Madiba’s birthday, City Parks hosts an event not only to honour Mandela but to clean our parks and carry out activations like this one today to make a positive impact in the city. These events are not only in our parks but at other venues too, like the Helen Joseph Hospital where we have a team today cleaning up outside.”
City Parks this year unveiled a discrete but beautiful new mosaic of Mandela, on the former president’s birthday. Dionne MacDonald, Antionette Sadiki and Spaza Art created the minimalist profile image of Mandela which sits on a stone near the plaque, donated by Andrew Eshen. The inscription reads, “I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, with all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that we must protect this environment. Nelson Mandela.”
The site sits opposite a small and tranquil pond with a waterfall. Doctor Ncube, a local stonemason, levelled a section of the wall to enable users of The Wilds to sit, pause and enjoy the peaceful scene when beginning or ending a walk in the reserve.
The Wilds in recent years has seen a boom in people coming to enjoy the venue. This is in no small part due to the Friends of The Wilds, a volunteer group who has worked tirelessly to restore the almost 100-year-old venue to the impressive site it is now.
Kenedy Tembo, a resident, and member of the volunteer group runs free weekly walks on Tuesday mornings for the ‘Wise Wildies’ – older walkers who enjoy getting some fresh air in the picturesque setting.
One of the regular participants, Pepe Tobin said, “I came along today because I love The Wilds and wanted to do something special for Mandela Day. The new mosaic is beautiful and the stone bench or sitting area is just perfect.”
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