Young residents revive Sekelbos Park in Kempton Park Ext 4

Following the May 14 article “Kempton Park residents decry neglect of once-thriving community park,” some progress has been made at Sekelbos Park in Kempton Park Ext 4.

Alderman Jaco Terblanche arranged for the Ekurhuleni parks department to cut the overgrown grass. However, areas the tractors could not reach remained untidy, and the play area was still unsafe for children.

This time, the youth of Palm Enclosure took action. Under the supervision of Laetitia Jones, a committee member of the KPX4 Residents’ Association, a group of children helped clean and neaten the play area.

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The initiative began when Jones’ grandson, Christopher, a matric learner, visited the park during school holidays and noticed it needed attention. With his brothers and other children, Christopher encouraged the community to get involved.

Residents donated garbage bags, paint for play equipment, refreshments, and garden tools, while Ken from Bamboo Street provided equipment to assist with the cleanup.

Each day during the holidays, the children worked from 12:00 to 14:00 to improve the park.

Chairperson of KPX4 Residents’ Association Michelle Reddy praised the Palm Enclosure residents for their efforts.

“Residents are working hard to ensure the area is safe, clean, and beautiful. We hope this inspires more young people to get involved,” she said.

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Jones added that the project not only made the park more attractive but also brought children and the community closer together.

“It is inspiring to see what can happen when people work together with a community heart,” she said.

The Palm Enclosure community hopes to take on more projects like this in the future, encouraging other young people to improve their local environments.