Church Square project gains momentum

The vision to renew Church Square and to make the city centre a tourist attraction again is gaining momentum through a project where businesses, non-profit organisations and the metro council will work together.

Herontdek Kerkplein (Rediscover Church Square) recently kicked off when two buses filled with influential decision-makers in the diplomatic corps, tourism and conservation industries paid a visit to Church Square and its surroundings.

This project is the brainchild of the chairperson of the committees of the Tshwane metro, Sakkie du Plooy and has the dedicated support of the city manager, Johann Mettler.

Mettler said it was his dream to make Tshwane a leader in tourism and conservation again.

“It’s my job to fix these problems in the inner city, which is dirty and unsafe. The city centre and its history must be restored. It must also be a city where all residents can feel at home,” said Mettler.

He is attempting to give momentum to actions such as the non-profit organisation team’s cleaning of the Square and the streets of buildings around it after 21:00 every night now for almost two months.

“It is our job to resolve traffic problems and security around Church Square. I am working on making this project in these areas a success. We are behind Cape Town in terms of inner-city tourism. This is not right because we are, after all, the capital city of South Africa,” said Mettler. “We should be the leader!”

He was especially protective over Tshwane’s reputation to the outside world, Mettler explained.

He could not receive a memorandum from protesting workers and Cosatu last week during unrest at Tshwane House in the city centre due to safety threats.

“This is not a message you want to send out to the world that the city manager has to be driven around in an armed vehicle for fear of attacks,” said Mettler.

Du Plooy and project coworker from the metro council, Johan van Wyk, believed those with a passion for Tshwane as a city should stand together.

“There is work to be done and we must get it done,” said Du Plooy. “Not every city in the world has 70 000 jacaranda trees. We have so many good and beautiful aspects to show to the world.”

One of the ideas on the table for renewal is to create a space between the station and Church Square where pedestrians and visitors can feel safe.

There are already inner city initiatives such as Markets@Sheds, an industrial market that takes place once a month for small entrepreneurs and musicians to lure feet back to the city.

One of the property developers who own many of the buildings around Church Square, City Property Administration’s managing director Jeffrey Wapnick, said any city square is the heartbeat of every city from all over the world.

He emphasised that with Church Square, it should be no different.

The company has already restored some of its buildings, such as Die Eerste Volksbank (The First People’s Bank) and Tudor Chambers, which are adjacent to the square.

“Church Square’s uniqueness is a central point in the heart of Tshwane that cannot be underestimated. The history around the square and the buildings forms part of the weaving of our Rainbow Nation today,” Wapnick said.

He believed this heartbeat of the city must be enabled to prosper again.

“Around Church Square we must make everyone who lives in Tshwane feel at home and businesses must be able to grow. Those who enter Church Square must feel like they are in one of the most iconic parts of the city.”

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