Along Edmond Street in Arcadia, where students and commuters once hurried past with caution, a bold line of purple lionesses against the railings of the legendary Lion Bridge now commands attention.

The transformation is immediate and striking. What was once described as a corridor marked by crime and neglect between Nelson Mandela Drive and Steve Biko Road has become a space of renewed purpose.

At the centre of this change is a public art intervention that is as much about urban management as it is about creative expression.

The Lionesses of Tshwane, a series of 42 mural paintings installed along Edmond Street and Nelson Mandela Drive, form part of a broader urban renewal initiative led by the Tsotsoletso Managed Area.

The project, launched in June 2025, represents a deliberate attempt to reclaim public space through a combination of safety, cleanliness and visual impact.

Behind the installation is a designer whose work bridges disciplines as an urban manager, visual artist and social justice advocate, Catherine Keyworth.

Keyworth’s role in the project goes beyond aesthetics. As Arcadia City Improvement District manager, she operates at the intersection of infrastructure, community engagement and spatial transformation.

The Lioness Project reflects that layered approach, especially when a theme for the project is under discussion.

“We had reached a critical point where enough was enough,” Keyworth explained to Rekord. “Gender-based violence has struck too close to home too many times. It is an often silent or unseen pervasive plague that happens behind closed doors. We brought the issue into the light of day.”

The decision to do the project was not abstract. It followed a series of incidents that underscored the vulnerability of the area.

Among them was the rape of a woman in November 2023 near the precinct, and the disappearance of a colleague of Keyworth in early 2026. These events became a turning point, prompting a shift from incremental clean-up efforts to a more visible, assertive intervention.

The lioness, as a symbol, carries a specific meaning.

“The lioness is symbolic of strength, dignity and hope,” she said. “The lioness works with the whole pride to ensure that individuals and the group are taken care of. She is infallible, she is powerful with heart, just like our city.”

That symbolism is reinforced through repetition and placement.

The 42 mural paintings are arranged in a procession, some facing west and others east.

For Keyworth, this orientation is intentional.

“The one side faces west and the other east. This means we look to the past and acknowledge it. We see it, and then we work towards the new horizon. We do not hide our pain as a forgotten; we use it as fuel to forge our future.”

The choice of purple adds another layer. Associated with dignity and transformation, it also speaks directly to gender-based violence awareness.

Rather than isolating the issue, the installation embeds it into the daily experience of the city. Every passerby becomes part of the conversation.

Public response has been immediate and engaged.

“The feedback we have had from the community has been phenomenal,” she noted. “While the installation was going up, people came and took selfies with it. They were laughing and chatting.”

This interaction is central to the project’s success. Unlike traditional monuments that can feel distant or static, the lionesses invite participation.

Students from nearby campuses paused to engage with the work during installation, often initiating conversations about art and career paths.

“A lot of the students would come, have a chat, and discuss the piece and get career advice,” she said.

The project also intersects with measurable changes on the ground. Before the intervention, the area had gained a reputation as a hotspot for drug activity and violent crime.

“This area used to be known as ‘death row’ with between 300 and 600 drug users frequenting the area,” Keyworth explained. “We remove between 1 000 and 3 300 litres of waste daily from the streets.”

Through a combination of 24-hour security, regular cleaning and environmental design, the space has shifted.

“Sunnyside SAPS has confirmed a considerable drop in contact crimes for that sector,” she said.

The project’s success also lies in its partnerships. The Tsotsoletso Managed Area operates through collaboration between property stakeholders, academic institutions and urban management teams.

Keyworth highlighted the role of contributors from the Tshwane University of Technology and private sector partners who supported both the vision and its execution.

Even the speed of implementation reflects this co-ordinated approach.

The impact extends beyond safety statistics. There are subtle shifts in how people experience the space. Healthcare workers from nearby facilities, for example, have been seen engaging with the installation after long shifts.

“They were giggling and posing,” she said. “This installation communicates joy. It is a union between symbolic strength and actual strength. It has become a visual marker that says ‘you will be OK here’.

“The cost of the initial murals and maintenance makes it easy to replicate and maintain,” she said, adding that efforts are underway to secure ongoing funding.

There is already interest in expanding similar interventions to other parts of Pretoria.

For Keyworth, the model is clear. “I have heard time and time again that ‘something’ needs to be done,” she reflected. “No one has defined what [that] something is.”

In Edmond Street, that ‘something’ has taken a tangible form, one that combines art and urban management into a cohesive whole.

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