Once a crime hotspot, Witkoppen Park begins its journey back to life
This is a result of a joint effort by estate management and Johannesburg City Parks, which transformed the long-forgotten green space into a safe, welcoming haven for families, pets, and wildlife.
What was once an overgrown and forgotten space has been given a second chance at life, and it is all thanks to the management of Fourways Gardens Estate and the Fairfield Estate teaming up with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JPCZ).
Together, they’ve started to turn Witkoppen Park around from a neglected, crime-prone area into a place the community can be proud of again.
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The park, which had fallen into disrepair over the years, is finally starting to look like itself again.
“What a remarkable difference,” said one of the residents, Dr Mishelle Sutherland.
“It was hectic before this. It had vagrants, people were loitering, and it wasn’t safe. I wouldn’t come here. You couldn’t see pathways; it was terrible. But now, it is still not done yet, but there is a difference.”
Sutherland was among the first to return to the park with her husband Jason, bringing their dogs along for a stroll in the revitalised space.
Jason said that when he saw the JPCZ team cleaning up the park a couple of weeks ago, he was more than happy.
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“I told my wife, ‘Let’s go and have a look,’ and what we see here is a huge improvement. We were briefed about the other changes that are coming as well, and we are a lot more excited. The safety measures, it is going to be nice to have picnics and take our dogs for walks.”
But it’s not just the people who are enjoying the park’s comeback. Birds and small wildlife have begun to return, too, reclaiming their place in the wetland-style setting.
Dr Joseph Ndou from JPCZ said the main reason they decided to upgrade the facility is to bring people back. He said he was not impressed with how it looked before and the fact that it was not being used for its intended purpose.
“It was the security issue that stopped the community from coming here because the park was overgrown. So, what we are trying to do right now is tree pruning and reduce the cherubs so that we can expose the park. We are planning to remove the invasive plants to further encourage bird life.”
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