The Riverside City Improvement District (CID) has introduced two groundbreaking projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for the vibrant community of Mbombela.

The initiatives were unveiled at the prestigious inauguration of the new president, Prof David Mabunda, of the Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism in Emnotweni Arena on June 20.

The Riverside Park CID manager, Shivon Wiggins, said the new projects promise to bring about positive change and foster community engagement.

“The visionary project, being the Greater Riverside Biodiversity Initiative [GRBI], aims to protect and preserve the region’s rich natural heritage, creating a sustainable environment that both residents and visitors can enjoy for generations to come. With an emphasis on biodiversity conservation and ecological awareness, this initiative promises to make Mbombela a shining example of environmental stewardship,” said Wiggins.

She said the goal of the GRBI is to increase the city’s resilience to climate change, conserve and enhance biodiversity value and generate opportunities. The initiative will make use of some of the natural features in Riverside, such as the two major rivers, the Nels and Crocodile, and the Lowveld Botanical Garden.

“This is for true social and ecological regeneration through the establishment and conservation of sustainable and catalytic green spaces within the existing Greater Riverside greenbelt,” she said.

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Some of the spaces to be incorporated within the GRBI and the riverside reserve include an arts and culture centre, an environmental education centre and a leisure and adventure campus.

Gary Phillips, manager of the Riverside CID Social Investment Foundation Programme, also shared exciting news about the CSI Foundation.

“The Riverside CID Social Investment Foundation was established by the boards of the Riverside CID to see Riverside’s collective generosity mobilised to make a difference in and around the area.”

Phillips said the foundation is a registered non-profit company with a BBBEE Level 1 status and facilitates catalysing, sustainable and impacting community welfare and development initiatives.

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Some of the programmes they have initiated includes personal care packs distributed to young women, management of feral cats and vervet monkeys, encouraged urban farming to local households, mathematics support to students at the University of Mpumalanga, sewing skills development and food waste recycling.