The sound of wheelbarrows crossing temporary wooden boardwalks and volunteers working to fix the middle dam wall at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens this Mandela Day signalled more than a community service project; it marked the beginning of a broader effort to restore and protect one of the city’s most treasured green spaces.

SRK Consulting employees, residents, and partners gathered at the site to begin repairing the damaged spillway wall and stabilising areas affected by erosion. Geotechnical engineer for the consulting company Linda Spies said the project was a natural extension of the its environmental values. “SRK is a company of engineers and scientists, and a lot of the work we do is environmentally focused. This is, in some ways, putting into practice the values that SRK holds dear.”
The company chose the Botanical Gardens because many employees live nearby and use the park regularly. “It’s about looking after what’s on our doorstep.”

Read more: Volunteers return to finish vital middle dam repairs at Johannesburg Botanical Gardens

The restoration aims to reduce further erosion downstream and reinstate the spillway infrastructure, so that it functions as originally intended. Spies hopes the effort will also inspire individuals to become more involved in caring for their communities. “Instead of complaining and waiting for government or other entities to fix problems, people can realise they have it in their own hands to make a difference and help solve problems themselves.”

Work on the day had not been straightforward. The marshy conditions around the dam meant volunteers had to lay wooden boards to stop wheelbarrows from sinking into the ground, while a temporary cofferdam, made from sandbags, was constructed to keep the repair area dry enough for work to continue.

An unexpected discovery came when old sandbags from a previous failed repair were removed. Numerous crabs had made their homes in the gaps between the bags and had to be carefully relocated downstream before work could proceed.

Also read: Community comes together for Botanical Gardens clean-up blitz

According to Jenny Moodley, from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), the gardens are one of the city’s most important environmental assets, as they contain marshlands, grasslands, woodlands, and critical biodiversity areas, while also housing rare and endangered plant species as part of conservation programmes. “The middle dam is an important ecological feature within the gardens. It provides habitat for birdlife, fish, amphibians, and aquatic plants, while also supporting the area’s natural water cycle.”

She explained that maintaining such a large, public, open space comes with ongoing challenges, including erosion, invasive species, vandalism, and ageing infrastructure. Corporate volunteer initiatives, she said, provide valuable additional resources and demonstrate how collective action can create a lasting positive impact.

Spies believes the true measure of success will come if that day’s message continues beyond Mandela Day itself. “Open spaces in a city like Johannesburg are scarce and sacred and our children are going to need well-preserved open spaces in the future, so we have to look after them continuously.”

As the last wheelbarrows were pushed across the temporary boardwalk the section of the spillway being worked on stood as a sign of what can be achieved when engineers, residents, and volunteers work together.

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