Disquiet over proposed Khomasdal playground

KHOMASDAL residents have expressed concern over the location of a new playground being built in the suburb’s Vaalhoek area.

In 2004, 122 young adults from the community petitioned the municipality for a basketball court and playground, which they believe will help keep youngsters off the streets and out of trouble. Since then, the municipality has fenced off an area next to the SOS Children’s Village in the suburb, where a playground is now being established.However, residents are worried that the location is too dangerous, as it is next to a riverbed notorious for being used as an escape route for robbers and as one of the preferred hangouts of drug users.”I really don’t agree with where they’re building it,” said Uasora Keja, a barber at Boetie’s Barbershop opposite the SOS Children’s Village.”Guys are always grabbing people’s stuff and running into that river.They could easily grab a little child and rape them down there.”Magrietta Clark, who lives in nearby Emerald Street, agrees.Clark watches over her five grandchildren during the day, and says she wouldn’t feel safe allowing them to play there.”They might end up with these drunkards and dagga smokers using the park,” she commented.”And as you can see the older people aren’t around to look after the kids during the day.”Others, like Johanna Meyer who lives opposite the park, are more optimistic.While agreeing with others’ safety concerns, she believes a playground would be most welcome in an area where shebeens have become the only source of recreation.”The children never had anywhere to go, so they were playing ball in the streets.Maybe there was no other place they could put it up, and they might appoint a caretaker, so we’ll wait and see,” she said.Replying to residents’ concerns on Tuesday, the municipality’s Chief of Corporate Communications, Ndangi Katoma, said it was unfortunate that the new park was being built well after the development of the suburb it was situated in.More suitable open spaces, he said, were now either privately owned or zoned for other purposes.”Sites in newer or developing areas are more secure and suitable regarding central location and topography,” he added, asking residents to make the most of available sites.He said although a price could not be placed on children’s safety, hiring security guards for each playground in the city would be very costly.The municipality is trying to attract adults and parents to the park though, he said, providing horticultural displays and seating, which would make the playground “colourful and exciting to all members of each community”.Katoma said the construction of a basketball court would follow the setting up of the playground, after tender specifications had been drawn up by the municipality’s Architecture Division.Two other playgrounds in Windhoek are close to completion – in Venus Street and Tauben Glen.There are 34 playgrounds in Windhoek, seven of which were built after Independence.The municipality says its ultimate aim is to have a playground within one kilometre of every child in the city.Since then, the municipality has fenced off an area next to the SOS Children’s Village in the suburb, where a playground is now being established.However, residents are worried that the location is too dangerous, as it is next to a riverbed notorious for being used as an escape route for robbers and as one of the preferred hangouts of drug users.”I really don’t agree with where they’re building it,” said Uasora Keja, a barber at Boetie’s Barbershop opposite the SOS Children’s Village.”Guys are always grabbing people’s stuff and running into that river.They could easily grab a little child and rape them down there.”Magrietta Clark, who lives in nearby Emerald Street, agrees.Clark watches over her five grandchildren during the day, and says she wouldn’t feel safe allowing them to play there.”They might end up with these drunkards and dagga smokers using the park,” she commented.”And as you can see the older people aren’t around to look after the kids during the day.”Others, like Johanna Meyer who lives opposite the park, are more optimistic.While agreeing with others’ safety concerns, she believes a playground would be most welcome in an area where shebeens have become the only source of recreation.”The children never had anywhere to go, so they were playing ball in the streets.Maybe there was no other place they could put it up, and they might appoint a caretaker, so we’ll wait and see,” she said.Replying to residents’ concerns on Tuesday, the municipality’s Chief of Corporate Communications, Ndangi Katoma, said it was unfortunate that the new park was being built well after the development of the suburb it was situated in.More suitable open spaces, he said, were now either privately owned or zoned for other purposes.”Sites in newer or developing areas are more secure and suitable regarding central location and topography,” he added, asking residents to make the most of available sites.He said although a price could not be placed on children’s safety, hiring security guards for each playground in the city would be very costly.The municipality is trying to attract adults and parents to the park though, he said, providing horticultural displays and seating, which would make the playground “colourful and exciting to all members of each community”.Katoma said the construction of a basketball court would follow the setting up of the playground, after tender specifications had been drawn up by the municipality’s Architecture Division.Two other playgrounds in Windhoek are close to completion – in Venus Street and Tauben Glen.There are 34 playgrounds in Windhoek, seven of which were built after Independence.The municipality says its ultimate aim is to have a playground within one kilometre of every child in the city.