Diepkloof’s Eco Park has elements of an amusement park combined with a gym, a mini soccer field, and picnic and braai areas. The transformation of the park took place in 2008 in only 24 hours with the help of City parks, Joburg water, Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) and the community. It was unveiled on May 9 in 2009, according to the City of Johannesburg (COJ.)
The then mayor of Johannesburg, Amos Masondo said, “The park is for the people of Soweto, particularly those living in Diepkloof, to enjoy.”
Masondo said the challenge was to maintain the park and to ensure that it stayed un-vandalised.
Tshapelo Majola visited the park in Diepkloof from Freedom park on July 8 because it has soccer grounds and this makes it safe for young people to play away from the streets where they could be disturbed by the cars.
Majola said, “Having soccer grounds in the park makes it safer because people come to play instead of committing crimes.”
The spokesperson of the (COJ) Janine Moodley said the making over of the park was to restore the dignity of Joburg’s public open spaces and to prepare communities for the 2010 FIFA world cup.
Moodley said, “We wanted to transform a highly neglected area into a catalyst for social and economic development.”
The park is also known as an extreme park and has ablution facilities for ceremonial washing of hands or the body especially for religious purposes, swings, screens, two fountains, picnic and braai areas and can take up to 500 people.
Sagwade Mosisnyane said, “I love coming to the park after school to play and revise with school friends.”
Mosisnyane is one of the pupils who use the park to revise schoolwork before playing and socialising along with friends like Matshogofatso Raseduma who said, “The park has a healthy environment and children can come with their parents because it is a respectable place.”
