A concerned resident has reached out to the eThekwini Municipality to conduct inspections of playground equipment at its public parks.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had been emailing the municipality since 2022 about the playground equipment at Mitchell Park but nothing had been done. He even went so far as to meet with the manager of Mitchell Park, but only an umbrella was repaired.
He was told a tender had to go out, which he found strange since the playground needed minor repairs and cleaning.
The resident also suggested that playground equipment should be removed from parks that are under-utilised or not used at all, and transferred to parks that are well-frequented, for example, Japanese Gardens, Mitchell Park, Blue Lagoon, North Beach, and Peoples Park. The resident noted that a playground in Westville has two “jungle gyms”.
Regarding Mitchell Park,
- The wood on some of the playground equipment was rotten and broke off in places.
- The toilets next to the playground were not in a suitable condition, and the building roof and gutters had trees growing out of them.
- One of the playground equipment platforms had come off its hinge and was slanting dangerously.
- The umbrella or shade covering the benches is worn out and needs replacing.
- All three roundabouts could not move. Two of them were submerged in sand.
- The wooden climbing platform or jungle gym is in a poor state. The wood is rotting and needs to be replaced. A few iron bars that kids hold on to as they cross over are missing.
“The roundabouts need to move but unfortunately, they have been bogged down in sand. If the officials are unable to move the roundabout, how do they expect the children to do so?” the resident said.
With regard to Japanese Gardens, the resident said a faulty roundabout was removed in March 2021 and not replaced. Instead, it was dumped at the side of the changeroom quarters. Another see-saw is damaged but still used by the children.
The resident stated that some playgrounds like Japanese Gardens, Mitchell Park, Blue Lagoon, North Beach, and Peoples Park need more equipment.
"The Westville Park playground is situated near the Westville Library/Civic Centre on William Leister Drive. This park has two jungle gyms. This park is not utilised but is well maintained. Perhaps one of the jungle gyms can be sent to Mitchell Park," the resident suggested.
eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the parks are maintained as per green industry standards - Grade 1 parks on a weekly and daily basis.
“The maintenance of gardens is under way at Mitchell Park and Japanese Gardens.
“The parks' management conducts inspections monthly on playground equipment. The team has plans to remove all the rusted and unsafe playground equipment from the mentioned, by March 28, 2025. The removal includes the roundabout at Japanese Gardens by March 28,” she said.
