For many Centurion residents, the lake was once the heart of the community. Families spent weekends strolling along the waterfront, children played on the grassy banks, and crowds gathered to watch the iconic musical fountain while enjoying an ice cream.

Today, those memories have been replaced by sewage pollution, litter, overgrown reeds, and a neglected green belt that many residents no longer recognise.

Now, following the success of the first community clean-up on June 15, residents are determined to help restore one of Centurion’s most recognisable landmarks.

The Make Pretoria Great (MPG) Foundation has joined forces with the Lyttelton Ratepayers’ Association and the Westside Precinct through their respective Community Upliftment Projects (CUPs), as well as local businesses and residents.

They aim to restore the green belt surrounding Centurion Lake through the Centurion Waterfront Gateway Project, a long-term community-led initiative aimed at returning one of Centurion’s most treasured public spaces to the community.

The first clean-up marked the beginning of what organisers describe as a long-term restoration effort, with more community clean-up operations and stakeholder engagements planned as the project expands across four precincts surrounding the lake.

Years of heavy siltation, sewage pollution flowing from the Hennops River, plastic waste and dense, overgrown reeds have left much of the lake and the surrounding green belt neglected, while concerns over safety and environmental degradation have continued to grow.

MPG Foundation director Jacques van Staden said the project is about far more than cleaning up litter.

He said the first phase focused on clearing litter, debris and overgrown vegetation along the riverbanks and surrounding green belt, laying the foundation for a much larger restoration programme that will unfold in phases.

Van Staden explained that the community initiative was formalised on May 1, when participating organisations and stakeholders agreed to a long-term restoration plan and divided the waterfront into four precincts that will be restored in phases.

“Restoration has begun in the Gateway Precinct, with work later extending to the Bridgeway Precinct, the Chapel Walk Precinct, and the newly incorporated Westside Precinct as funding becomes available,” he said.

While the community initiative focuses on restoring the green belt surrounding the lake, volunteers do not enter the water during clean-up operations.

Excavations and construction work taking place inside the lake form part of a separate municipal rehabilitation project which began in 2021 and includes de-silting the lake to improve water flow and reduce the risk of flooding. The community initiative focuses on restoring the surrounding public spaces.

“Our project was officially launched during a community ribbon-cutting ceremony on Youth Day. The ceremony was led by 100-year-old Centurion resident Daleen Badenhorst, who shared memories of the area’s heyday and recalled the days when families gathered at the waterfront to enjoy the famous water organ performances and the beauty of the lake,” stated Van Staden.

Residents, community organisations, businesses, Tshwane metro Emergency Services, and other stakeholders then rolled up their sleeves for the first clean-up operation. This signals the beginning of what organisers hope will become a lasting community movement to reclaim one of Centurion’s most treasured public spaces.

Van Staden said the safety of volunteers remains a priority during every clean-up operation.

“To ensure volunteers can participate safely, medical personnel, emergency services, security companies, and occupational health and safety officials are present during every clean-up operation. Volunteers are also provided with high-visibility personal protective equipment so they can be easily identified while working,” he said.

He stated that the broader vision is to transform the Centurion waterfront into a cleaner, safer, and more vibrant public space that residents can once again enjoy.

According to him, Centurion Lake was chosen as the foundation’s first project because of its significance to generations of residents.

He said those shared memories inspired a small group of residents to begin making a tangible difference in their own community.

Beyond improving the area’s appearance, the project also aims to reduce security risks by clearing dense vegetation that creates hiding places for criminals, while solar-powered perimeter lighting is planned for sections of the green belt as restoration progresses.

Van Staden added that the success of the initiative ultimately depends on continued community support.

As a non-profit organisation, the MPG Foundation relies on volunteers, donations and partnerships with businesses and residents to sustain the project.

He encouraged members of the public to register as volunteers through the foundation’s website, adding that future clean-up events will be announced to Centurion community groups as each phase gets underway.

“The Make Pretoria Great Foundation is committed to and focused on community upliftment and the creation of safer and cleaner public areas. Together, we can make Centurion great again. Our home, our town, our city.”

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