City appalled at malicious destruction of smart park

23 January 2019

The City of Cape Town is dismayed at the wanton destruction and vandalism which has turned the multi-million rand Seawinds Smart Park, near Lavender Hill, into nothing more than a pile of rubble and ash, and reduced the building to a charred skeleton.

There is nothing left of the park which was opened a mere 16 months ago and which, for that brief time, provided families with world-class features that included a water play area where children could learn about the water cycle and splash around in shallow water; a younger children’s play area; a multipurpose playground; two multipurpose courts that could host a variety of ball games; a picnic area and covered stage; as well as outdoor exercise areas.

These features are now burned to ash, vandalised or stolen. The park has been damaged to such an extent that it is unrecognisable as the same space it was when it opened.

Built at a cost of R7,6 million, the facility was opened on Heritage Day, 24 September, 2017.

At the time it was a heartwarming launch as the aim of the park was to bring people together for shared experiences and to build on a lasting legacy for our children.

Sadly, criminals have destroyed this facility and the ideal it stood for. Families no longer have a beautiful, safe place to enjoy and the children of the area now have even less recreational space to call their own.

The selfish deeds of those behind these malicious crimes often affect the most vulnerable in our communities, the very people that need to use community spaces to empower themselves.

The City cannot fight the scourge of vandalism and destruction alone. Each one of us needs to be more responsible. We must report acts of vandalism and theft to the police and law enforcement as and when we witness them. This requires both active citizenry and exercising our moral duty to do what is right.

The City’s Community Services and Health Department will be actively seeking long-term solutions to abate this reprehensible behaviour. We will work together with communities, the South African Police Services, Law Enforcement and other stakeholders. The task of restoring dignity in our community spaces requires unwavering commitment and civic duty from all of us.

In the end, there is only so much government can do. Vandalism and theft are behavioral issues which affect all of us in one way or another. They’re social ills which need to be addressed speedily so that we may focus our attention on more pressing issues facing our communities.

Issued by Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, City of Cape Town, 23 January 2019