New park for Germiston CBD welcomed

Germiston has welcomed a new park at the heart of the CBD, between Meyer Road and Victoria Street, just behind the Dumisani Masilela Theatre.

The park is still under construction. The GCN took the opportunity to speak to Ward 35 Councillor Ntuthuzeli Mpambani about the project.

He said the park will bring life to the community, with the theatre just across the road already drawing masses of creatives to the area.

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“The park is called Germiston Public Space. It was an open space that had to be developed into a better facility with gym equipment.

“It had to meet the demands of the people. The plans show that there will be an entertainment stage,” said Mpambani.

“There is an appetite to clean the CBD and create a space around the theatre that meets international standards to attract business and development in the area. The city’s head offices are also based here, which calls for changes around the hub.

“The SAPS is continuously conducting operations in the CBD area. The public drinking that usually happens opposite the theatre needs to be dealt with.

“The issue of hijacked buildings also needs to be addressed—these are long-term priorities of the city,” said Mpambani.

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“Once the park is completed, we will need to protect the facility and its equipment. We cannot bring development to the area only to have it vandalised.

“The project has been introduced to the community, and it received positive feedback.

“We had community engagements where residents shared their views, and there were those who had been using the space for private parking.

“The positive aspect of this is that we have had people from our community working on the project.

“We have recruited four local contractors, and a total of nine community members were given the opportunity to work on the project,” said Mpambani.