Rotten rat park gets rescued
Dunoon children get a safe playground at last
Before: Thandabantu Park in Dunoon, in Cape Town, has been a dumping ground for years. Archive photo: Peter Luhanga
After: The park is now being upgraded by a private company. Photo: Peter Luhanga
A public park in Dunoon, that for years stood as a symbol of municipal neglect, is undergoing a long-awaited upgrade thanks to a private sector initiative in partnership with the City of Cape Town.
Thandabantu Park, once an informal dumping ground and sand mining site, is being redeveloped through a R650,000 investment by the Ciolli Brothers construction firm.
The City confirmed that work, including the installation of secure fencing, new play equipment, fresh grass with irrigation, and public seating, began last month and would be completed by the end of June.
The park with its rusted swings, exposed piping, and fire-scorched earth, had become unsafe for children, and a public health concern for nearby residents.
Street vendors and informal car washers used the space for burning scrap and accessing municipal water through makeshift, illegal connections. Complaints of rats and foul odours from urine and food waste were common.
The intervention follows years of community pressure. Ward councillor Meisie Makuwa had repeatedly challenged the City’s budget decisions, asking why Dunoon’s only park was being overlooked.
The City said Ciolli Brothers had approached Makuwa as part of its corporate social responsibility investment. Instead of transferring funds, the company is directly funding infrastructure upgrades to the value of R650,000. The City said this would transform the park into a safer space for children.
Learners from Sophakama Primary School, had to use the park in spite of the mess, said school principal Amos Siwayi, who also serves as president of the Dunoon Local Football Association and founder of Mimosa Football Club. He said the club continued to train there as there were no other spaces. The park also doubled as a netball court.
“The upgrade and revitalisation of this park is long overdue,” said Siwayi.
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