WARD 33 residents have welcomed the news of the soon to commence Bulwer Park upgrades which include the installation of gym equipment and park lighting.

The announcement was made by Ward 33 councillor Fran Kristopher who said that the long-awaited upgrades form part of the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) 2025/2026 financial year allocations.

“The CIP allocation also allows for the replacement and repair of the ablutions and staff showers at Oliver Lea Park,” said Kristopher.

In the eThekwini Municipality’s 2025/26 draft budget, a total of R144m was earmarked for CIP operating costs with an additional capital budget of R590m within the cluster allocated to address community service backlogs.

Also Read: Glenwood Urbanisation Improvement Precinct gets ball rolling on Bulwer Park revitalisation project

Kristopher, who was approached by gym groups over the lack of workout space at Bulwer Park and by residents who lobbied for lights to be installed, said the developments will commence in the weeks to come.

“They stated in two weeks’ time,” said Kristopher. “These long awaited upgrades will, I’m sure, be welcomed by the residents of Ward 33 and those who make use of these facilities.”

Among those looking forward to the upgrades is Simphiwe Khumalo, who enjoys jogging around the park. “With winter fast approaching it’s getting dark early. Exercising in the dark is not safe and definitely not ideal,” said Khumalo. “So, these improvements, especially the lighting, will help greatly.”

His sentiments were shared by Shelley Stevens who said, “With the park being lit at night, it will definitely improve on safety and reduce late night loitering. I am looking forward to seeing the work begin and more improvement being made to the park.”

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