Once-idyllic Piering Park devolves into hive of criminal activity

The once-peaceful and beautiful Piering Park, on Piering Road in Elardus Park east of Pretoria, has devolved into a breeding ground for crime, illegal dumping, vagrancy, and public drinking.

The park has also been turned into an illegal taxi rank, with scores of taxis parking there.

The deterioration of the park into a hive of criminal activity has angered local ratepayers, blaming the city for failing to uphold its duty to maintain safe, clean, and well-regulated public areas for the community to enjoy.

The issues plaguing Piering Park extend far beyond the scourge of crime, with the precious natural biome succumbing to unabated degradation, leaving environmentalists and nature lovers reeling.

Shawn Fouché, public relations officer for the LS4 Policing Sub Forum said the Apies River, running through the park, has been contaminated by litter and hazardous waste dumped on the banks, which suddenly gets washed into the river.

“For many years, Piering Park has been a problem for the people who live close by. The Apies River running through the park is now dirty.”

She said the park needs restoration to reverse its degeneration and restore it to its former glory.

“This is needed especially with developments of property growing in the area.”

She said the impacts on the park ecosystem, are exacerbated by human activity.

“It is terrible, some people have turned the park into homes as they are sleeping there.”

Fouché alleged that people now drink alcohol in the park while making fires.

“It is very dirty, illegal dumping has been a norm,” she said.

Fouché said criminal activity has also been the order of the day.

“We have had a stabbing incident at the park. Recently a domestic worker coming back from work was held up with a knife and robbed next to the park and the assailant ran back into the park.”

She said people are scared to walk through the park now.

Local community organisations have held multiple clean-up campaigns that have been set back by the lack of proper fences.

She said the city will start to fence half the park and the community is planning to raise funds to fence the rest, to ensure authorised entrance into the park and to deter dumping.

A resident who lives next to the park, Will Morris said over the 23 years he had been living in Elardus Park, he had witnessed the park taking different shapes and conditions due to a lack of upkeep, maintenance, and protection from the metro.

“Back in the day the park used to be a beautiful and peaceful place for residents to take walks, to unwind and for kids to ride bicycles and play but now people are scared going to the park.”

Morris said he had witnessed people come and go in the area as the park devolved into a park problem.

“One of my neighbours last year who was facing the park directly sold her house, however, the property value dropped as buyers pointed out concerns of dumping and security owing to the park.”

Morris said over the last eight years the park has been utilised by vagrants.

“They have been sleeping at the park, cooking through making fires and drinking at the park even during the day. The drug users also hang out at the park.”

He said scores of taxis from different areas in the city utilise the park as a taxi washing bay.

“They make a mess and litter then leave it like that. It has become an eyesore.”

He said the other side of the park is used by e-hailing operators who turned it into their stop-and-chill spot.

“The absence of a fence has allowed these operators to park across [in] the park, they even block the walkways.”

He said the big problem is on the Boeing Street side.

“This is a spot for the vagrants who make big fires and it’s a nice hangout for them. The vagrants also stay next to the stream and wash themselves there.”

Morris said it’s not just a crime issue or lawlessness but also a health concern.

“The vagrants urinate at the park, in the stream and relieve themselves there contaminating the stream.

Myself and other residents have actually tried to stop the vagrants from utilising the park as home and stream as a bathroom, however, they are prepared to fight, they are aggressive and they have no concern for residents.”

Morris said property owners have raised concerns.

“Our property values have depreciated due to the eyesore park next to our homes.”

According to Morris, taxi operators have been approached however they allegedly said “It’s an open space, why not use it?’’

“We are really concerned and worried about this situation, as we have had some initiatives with Welriet organisations to clean up the park countless times but the situation just continues.

We have cut overgrown grass and trees so that it can be visible and deter assailants from hiding.”

Morris said they are currently fencing the park to keep it safe for the community.

“Tshwane has brought a fence and we are also raising funds to help speed up the fencing of the park.”

Morris said there’s a need to raise over R100 000 to fence the park and residents have pledged support for this initiative.

“The reason we need the fence is that the TMPD cannot enforce by-laws to an open space, so we need a fence and proper demarcation so that by-laws be enforced.

“We trust and believe that the fencing will solve all these issues, as it will deter people from carrying stuff into the park to erect dwellings, and it will deter people from dumping illegally in the park.”

He extended his gratitude to the community members who raised their hands to help out in this cause.

“Some community members who are experts in fencing have pledged to help and will oversee the operations, they will advise on proper materials needed to ensure it is done in a proper way.”

He said the community is willing to help clean up the park and paint the fence once it is erected.

Metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the city decided to fence Piering Park to thwart vandalism of its infrastructure and lawlessness.

Bokaba said all fences are prone to vandalism “but we hope it will serve as a deterrent”.

“TMPD will enforce the city’s by-laws on anyone who is caught vandalising Tshwane infrastructure at the park.”

Bokaba said the metro has started the fencing.

“The fencing material was sourced from one of the regions where there is an approved community upliftment project and there was enough material in excess.”

He said the project will be completed as soon as the budget has been distributed.

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