Zoo Lake Users Committee chairperson, Fran Haslam confirmed that 2025 has been another successful year for Zoo Lake Users Committee and is proud of what has been achieved.

Haslma thanked the community who have generously supported the Committee’s various projects and in so doing helping make a difference at Zoo Lake.

Read more: Zoo Lake Swimming Pool receives renewed attention after Rise Mzansi oversight

The Committee’s achievements include:

• Capped the storm water drain on the northwest side of Zoo Lake- This was a massive project and huge thanks to the late Stuart Norman, Peter Van Vuuren, Jan Celliers and the community for the generous donations enabling us to complete this project. Thanks to JRA and City Parks for the approval and assistance in approving the upgrade, this project took us nine years to finally get done. Planting around the ‘fabslab’ will begin in the new year to further enhance the area.
• A legacy tree planting project was initiated by Peter Van Vuuren and Jan Celliers school to plant 90 indigenous trees in celebration of Jan Celliers 90th birthday. The Zoo Lake Users Committee planted the balance of the 31 trees, a grove of White Pear trees (Apodytes Dimidiata) to complete the 121 trees to be planted in the 2025 year celebrating Zoo Lake’s 121 birthday.
• Zoo Lake’s 121st birthday celebration was shared with the Zoo as the Zoo Precinct’s 121 birthday and was a great success. The event was well attended. Various schools participated in the art competition and the community participated in the photographic competition.
• Regular recycling and action clean up days have taken place over the year and that assists in keeping Zoo Lake clean and maintained. Fibre Circle has been a constant sponsor for the Lake’s waste management project and action clean up days.

Also read: Zoo Lake’s last 2025 clean-up

Over the past year, the Committee has lost two special people who were part of the legacy and history of Zoo Lake:

• Stuart Norman, who contributed greatly helping keep Zoo Lake clean and pristine. Stuart was instrumental in initiating our action clean up days and drove the ‘Fabslab’ project with passion and commitment. Stuart will also be remembered for his ‘Dorset dam’ project in the Parkwood area.
• Victor Khumalo was the Lake’s car guard in the ‘old Moyo’ car park. Khumalo looked after cars at the Lake for over 30 years and became an icon and was dearly loved by all the visitors and users to Zoo Lake.

A special thanks and appreciation also went out to:

• Zoo Lake Users Committee Board members,
• Garden committee,
• Members of the Zoo Lake Users Committee,
• Rose Abdullah, Zoo Lake City Parks deport manager
• Dot[Good] Marketing Agency,
• Saxonwold and Parkwood and Parkview Residents Associations,
• Jan Celliers Laerskool en Preprimêr,
• Kairos School of Inquiry
• Tyrone Spar

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