Rubbish dump now a community park
A local artist decorated the wall in scenes telling a story for young people from the area.
Residents of Khutsong Extension 4 can now enjoy the view of a lovely community park in an area that once was an eyesore.
For years, the open space behind Khutsong South Primary School has been more of a hindrance than an asset to the community. Most of the time, the grass was much taller than most of the school’s learners, often with sewer leaks.
Thanks to a municipal project, everything changed last week.
On Thursday, 16 May, the Merafong City Local Municipality unveiled a new park at the site, developed with the help of the South African Local Government Association (Salga).
The park has a playground with various equipment, and a colourful mural by a local artist gives it a unique vibe.
“They gave me free rein to create something that would motivate the children,” says the artist, Neo Ditle, from Carletonville.
According to Ditle (29), a former learner of Carleton Jones High School and Westfields Primary School, he wanted to decorate the wall with a mix of graffiti and painting so it would tell the story of the young people growing up in our area.
The main message of the artwork is that all children are born stars, no matter how their school, parents and the community shape them. Ditle also paid particular attention to Merafong being a mining area and the positives and negatives of being such.
Numerous dignitaries and community members attended the opening.
