So where will our children play as the park parties go on and on?
Parents often moan about their kids spending hours in front of a computer screen playing PlayStation instead of getting their knees bruised and their faces muddied outside
There is a play crisis in Dundee and in the country.
According to a United Nations report, only 29% of South African children have access to safe play areas.
This is because our play-parks have become hotspots of crime, dumping, vagrants and vandalized swings and jungle gyms. Dundee is a microcosm of the so-called ‘play crisis’ as our parks have become battle areas for park-partyers and long-suffering residents. Some parks like in Sibongile boast brand new equipment but is always locked in a bid to keep out the party bashers, tramps and dumpers. According to the UN report that surveyed 16 countries, South Africa was rated the worst when it comes to offering our children much-needed outside recreational areas.
Parents often moan about their kids spending hours in front of a computer screen playing PlayStation instead of getting their knees bruised and their faces muddied outside.
But parents are nervous to let their children go out and have a ball in either Coronation Park or Mpati Park.
Broken glass, used condoms, couples having sex and loud parties are hardly the places you want your children to play in. For many parents, it is easier to just plug in the PlayStation and leave them alone. A solution would be to properly fence off the parks and get a guard to open the gates at 8am everyday and close at 6pm every day. A small fee of R1 would help to ensure that the park is maintained. This would keep out cars and bonking adults. Facebook is littered with nostalgic posts like ‘three-year-olds today can send a SMS… when I was three I was eating mud while playing outside’ etc. Well, rather mud than a used condom in Coronation Park on a Friday afternoon.
Now that the by-laws have been promulgated (last time round there were no fines so even if you broke a law no one knew what to do as someone forgot to write in a fine – yes, a bit like the social grant crisis), maybe the park police will come on board and clear out the hordes who descend on these parks with the intention to disrupt others peace of mind. Well, don’t bank on it yet.
If you are a betting reader, for now, rather pop round to the Curry Parlour and get some tips on Race 7 at Greyville. Your money could be safer…
