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Media Statement
Date: Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Joburg is abuzz this time of the year. The weather is good, the festive fever is high and everyone has a skip in their step. Summer breezes in, with long days and warm nights, the perfect recipe to be spending outdoors in any of the parks in Mzanzi.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), the custodians of greening in the city has prepared the parks for all its users this summer. Lawns are lush and green, trees provide the perfect spot for picnics and braais and there is ample space for children to run around and enjoy the safe play equipment. With over 2 300 parks and approximately 10 000 hectares of green nature experiences, Joburgers are spoilt for choice this silly season.
But what happens after a day of fun in the park? Do you leave your litter strewn all over your park, or do you choose to leave your picnic site spotless? Sadly, JCPZ has had to use its already stretched resources to pick up piles of litter, especially after a public holiday or weekend.
Just as concerning are the number of users that visit the zoo, who are still not disposing the litter in the bins provided. This can be fatal for the animals if a packet or container is ingested by an animal.
To increase awareness, City Parks and Zoo is enhancing its anti-littering awareness campaign to impress on park and Zoo users’ the need to value the environment and to encourage positive use. JCPZ is urging users to take ownership, and to properly dispose or recycle all litter.
Litter is an eyesore; impacts on the health of our loved ones as it attracts pests like rodents, mosquitoes and cockroaches; impacts on economic growth; takes away our civic pride; attracts further littering and dampens community spirit, leaving one with a sense of hopelessness.
The City of Joburg spends billions of Rands annually in its efforts to keep our city clean. The environmental impact is dire as well, as rubbish dumped in wetlands, lakes and rivers running through green spaces, has an adverse effect on the city’s biodiversity.
As more people will be flocking to parks this holiday, JCPZ urges residents not to litter in parks and to please obey all park safety by-laws. Transgressions can be reported to the Joburg Emergency Call Centre on 011 375 5911 or to the rangers on 011 472 6539.
“The cost to remove illegally disposed of litter and rubble, invariably takes away from the city using these much needed resources to build a more vibrant Joburg. City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) as the custodians of parks and open spaces, will have litter-picking staff and emergency teams in place over the festive season, however the onus is on users to keep these spaces clean and vibrant” stated Bryne Maduka, the Managing Director of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo.
For Media Enquiries
Noeleen Mattera
Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
T: 011 712 6600 / 6617
E: nmattera@jhbcityparks.com
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Date: 21 November 2019
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ), the custodians of nature conservation and greening champions in the City of Johannesburg, was last night awarded the coveted ‘Best State-Owned Entity’ at the Vision 2030 Awards for the year 2019!
In line with the mandate of the National Development Plan 2030, the annual Vision 2030 Awards recognize the strides made by organisations and individuals alike from all sectors, which have impacted positively on the lives of ordinary South Africans.
Through their commitment, passion and active participation in delivering services to the people, these awards aim to inspire fellow citizens to be positive change agents.
JCPZ, as an entity wholly owned by the City of Joburg, has remained consistent and steadfast in its mandate to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors to parks, nature reserves, protected areas and public open spaces.
Its developmental stance on the backdrop of a growing portfolio with large scale social challenges, has seen it interrogate new revenue streams and engage more meaningfully with its stakeholders - including business, residents and the media to redress disparities.
This is underpinned by strict fiscal management with two successive clean audit outcomes and various peer recognition awards, including being presented with the prestigious national Arbour City Award for the year 2019/20.
The call to ACT NOW, to address environmental concerns resonates in the National Development Plans 2030 Goals, on all levels and JCPZ has heeded the clarion call to action!
JCPZ has over the years, provided platforms for young entrepreneurs in the Inner City, rolled out Closed-circuit television (CCTV) monitored ablution facilities and secured resourced resident associations to maintain visible presence in area based parks. This alleviates the pressure on law enforcement agencies while the local security presence acts as a deterrent to opportunistic crime and provides a sense of pride and ownership to residents.
The Johannesburg Zoo’s visitor numbers have increased to over 500 000 thousand a year. The facility acts as a gateway for environmental education and caters for many marginalised schools that will unlikely afford or enjoy the Big 5 experience outside Joburg.
Joburg Zoo continues to spearhead a number of breeding programmes aimed at increasing and preserving endangered species such as the rare Wattled Crane, which is one of the rarest of crane species in the world. The recent success story of Joburg Zoo’s Amphibian Conservation breeding Project of the Pickersgill Reed Frog, which is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) Red List of Threatened Species, was successfully bred and released into its natural habitat.
JCPZ has generated an average of over R70m in free editorial coverage, stemming from participatory and visible community activations and park development programmes.
Greening continues in new low cost housing developments such as Riverside with lined sapling trees, which will over years, grow into fully fledged tree canopies, complementing the area as well as offsetting the City’s carbon footprint.
Other accolades awarded to JCPZ is the Transformation Award 2019, and six awards scooped at the 2019 South African Landscape Institute (SALI) for various park developments.
“On behalf of the City, I would like to congratulate JCPZ on being presented with such a high ranking and prestigious award. The efforts, commitment and passion of every JCPZ employee in making our City a green and liveable one, speaks to their dedication to both the environment, and to the people of Johannsburg. Well done to the team, may you continue serving our residents with pride”, stated the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in the City of Joburg, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
ENDS
Issued by Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba
Member of Mayoral Committee for Community Development
City of Joburg
For media queries, please contact:
Noeleen Mattera - Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
T: 011 712 6722 / 6617 / 6600
E: nmattera@jhbcityparks.com
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City of Johannesburg Media Advisory by
MMC for Community Development, Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba
It’s time to step out of the winter blues and into your park. Summer is here and what better way to spend a lazy afternoon on stretches of green lawns, shady trees and crisp fresh air.
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, the champions of greening and open spaces in the City of Joburg, offers residents state of the art parks this summer. We continue to roll out liveable green open spaces, providing memorable experiences of the great outdoors.
Here are a few parks in your area to choose from:
REGION A
Diepsloot Park is a favourite for residents living in and around this park. Quite large in size, the park offers users the popular free-to-use outdoor Quite large in size, the park offers users the popular free-to-use outdoor gym, swings, slides, round-abouts, a mini soccer field, a place reserved for indigenous games and park furniture. The shady trees are a sure winner for those long summer days where residents can bring along a blankie and picnic on the grassy lawns. The park is situated at King Senzangakhona Drive, Diepsloot West.
Ivory Park, also popular with its users is spacious and full of life. The park boasts park benches, picnic and braai facilities, a state-of-the-art children's play area with rubberised surfaces, an outdoor gym, fitness track, and mini-soccer pitch. This park has big open spaces for gatherings, screenings and amenities for corporate events. Find your park on Ho Chi Min Street, Ivory Park Ext 8.
Mayibuye Park offers residents ample space for relaxing under relatively large trees with a mini soccer field, modern play equipment and a braai area. Visit your park on Bhokoda Street, a stone's throw from Mayibuye Primary School, Midrand. The park can be found on Corner Edmond Shezi and Ngwingwi Streets, Mayibuye.
REGION B
Alberts Farm Conservancy is one of the jewels of Joburg and is the second-biggest green lung in our City. The Park is perfect for runners, cyclists and those who prefer to walk. It is common for the avid kite flyers, with large shady trees for picnicking. With its spectacular view of Joburg, its ridges draw many nature trails on early crisp mornings. The wetland and marshy areas are home to approximately 130 species of birds, indigenous shrubs and plants. The fresh spring water and stream bring tranquillity to users. The park also hosts park runs every Saturday morning. Visit this nook at 8th Street in Greymont.
Sophiatown Xtreme Park is a fully fledged park in a densely populated area in Westdene, and is ideally situated and accessible to all living in the area. It boasts paved pathways, landscaped lawns and trees, a mini-soccer field and a fenced play area with modern play equipment. Residents regularly pack picnic blankies with family and friends on lazy afternoons. The park also offers a free-to-use gym, park furniture, benches, braai area and bins. The park can be found on 76 Gold St, Sophiatown.
Westdene Dam and Park, a tranquil haven for the peace seeking users, is ideal for picnicking, taking a stroll and enjoying the dam. With large shady trees and landscaped lawns, the dam also boasts recently installed free-to-gym equipment and state of the art play equipment for the little ones. The dam and park are securely fenced for added security. Visit the park on 14 Lewes Road, Westdene.
Delta Park is a lush, green 13-hectare lung in the North of Joburg, between Victory Park, Craighall and Blairgowrie. The park is expansive for those who love long walks or taking a run or just a stroll with their dogs. The massive trees provide tranquility and a peaceful nook away from the buzzing City. The Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary is a 7.5-hectare space within Delta Park and is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in the City. The sanctuary is securely fenced and boasts over 250 species of birds. Bird watchers pride themselves in spotting bishops, weavers, owls and the scarce kingfisher.
Emmarentia Dam and Johannesburg Botanical Garden are beautifully connected with both providing residents with stretches of lawn, trees for picnicking and ample space for dog walkers, joggers or those who prefer a bike ride. The overlooking dam and home to many ducks, geese and other bird species, brings a sense of peace to all its visitors. Popular for its water sports such as canoeing, boat sailing and rowing, the dam area is abuzz with avid members of canoe and rowing clubs.
The Johannesburg Botanical Gardens is an 81-hectare green haven. The large, grassy open spaces with trees is also popular for hosting concerts and kite-flying competitions. An ideal space for runners, picnicking and dog walking, the Bot Gardens boast themed gardens such as the Herb Garden, the Hedge Garden, the Succulent Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, the Rose Garden, the Chapel Garden and the Arboretum (a collection composed exclusively of trees). The Herb Garden contains aromatic plants, which have medicinal benefits, culinary uses and cosmetic purposes. The Hedge Garden consists of 58 species of hedges, and the Succulent Garden, which may be visited only by appointment, is planted with more than 2 500 species of succulent. The Arboretum has a variety of indigenous and exotic trees, including Californian Redwoods, Silver Birches and English oaks. The Shakespeare Garden features herbs which the English playwright referred to in his works. Adjacent to the Shakespeare Garden is the beautiful terraced Rose Gardens which is planted with over 4500 rose bushes. To the east of the Rose Garden is the Chapel Garden, which is often used by bridal parties for wedding photography. Visit the Emmarentia Dam and Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Thomas Bowler, Orange and The Braids roads. The park is open from 6am – 6pm. Braaing and open fires are not permitted.
Zoo Lake Another popular green haven for its users, Zoo Lake is strewn with beautiful lawns, trees aged over 110 years and ample space for easy breathing, is great for picnicking relaxing outdoors.
The park is located just off Jan Smuts Avenue in Parkview and right across the road from Johannesburg Zoo. Park users have an array of activities to entertain themselves, from play equipment, an option of paddling your boat across the man-made lake or doing what South Africans do best, braaing - at designated areas.
The Zoo Lake hosts the much-anticipated annual Jazz on the Lake on the first Sunday of every September. The park is home away from home for many visitors over weekends and public holidays. For sports enthusiasts, the well-maintained basketball courts, Zoo Lake sports club, a mini-soccer area and the much adored Zoo Lake swimming pool are ideal for those hot summer days. Children can enjoy a stroll along the lake while feeding the ducks or enjoy the day on the jungle gyms and play equipment, while joggers and dog-walkers enjoy ample space in the park. Zoo Lake has become a meeting place of South African diversity and was rated the number 1 picnic spot in Joburg in The Star Reader’s Choice Awards in 2018.
Melville Koppies Nature Reserve, commonly known as Melville Koppies is a ridge approximately 6km from the City centre and close to the trendy and popular 7th Avenue in Melville. An official World Heritage Site, Melville Koppies is of historical significance as it was discovered that people lived there since the Stone Age, about 2.9 billion years ago. This conservation area, with its rocky footpaths, leads to the most beautiful panoramic views one can experience in the City. It boasts a variety of plants, birdlife, insects, snakes and other smaller animals. The greenstone rock, one of the oldest rocks on earth, can be found on the top of the koppies. Melville Koppies is popular for its hiking clubs and trail walking. Visit the Koppies on 4 Judith Street, Emmarentia, Johannesburg.
REGION A
Thokoza Park is a favourite for the residents of Soweto. Its lush green lawns, large decade old trees, paved footpaths and modern playground equipment and the Moroka Dam running through it, is a 4.5-hectare space popularly enjoyed by all. Thokoza Park is perfectly set for summer picnics, family braais and spending time in the great outdoors. The lawns are pristine with park benches, bins and enough shaded trees for a lazy afternoon with family and friends. Children can enjoy frolicking in the park, feeding the ducks or exploring nature across from busy streets.
Thokoza Park’s main attraction is the large mural of Tata Nelson Mandela where the great leader planted a tree in 2008, in celebration of Arbor Month. Today, the Celtis Africana, or white stinkwood, stands strong and tall at almost 8 metres and has been declared a Champion Tree and a Heritage Site by the Gauteng Provincial Heritage Resources Authority (PHRA-G). The tree is protected and may not be cut, distributed or damaged sold or transported without permission from the department. This milestone places Thokoza Park and Soweto on the tourist map. With secure parking and ablution facilities, Thokoza Park is the place to enjoy the long summer days ahead. Visit the park at 1682 Ntuli Street, Moroka, Soweto.
Dorothy Nyembe Park is a vast 26-hectare green space named after Dorothy Nyembe, one of the struggle's heroines - a political activist and women's rights campaigner born in 1931 and who died in Umlazi in 1998. This park in Mofolo North in Soweto stands out with its unusual sculpted tall figurines with outstretched arms, welcoming all who visit it. An environmental education centre is home to learners from various schools in Soweto. The surrounding dams, sports facilities, trees and lawns are ideal nooks for the residents in the area. Dorothy Nyembe Park scooped the prestigious United Nations Liveable Communities Award in the natural build project category, taking gold at the awards. Visit your park off Roodepoort Road onto Main Road in Mofolo North in Soweto.
Mofolo Park is popular for its music concerts, jazz festivals, carnivals, markets and the like. Its ancient proscenium arch stage covered in rainbow colours is the perfect venue for the arts, exhibitions and local plays. The park is also known for evening concerts when good weather permits where visitors bring along their camp chairs, picnic baskets and braais. The park boasts a soccer field, ablution facilities and play equipment for the young ones. Bring along your family and friends for a day in the park, find it at 1209 Mzilikazi Street, Mofolo Central in Soweto Smaller pocket parks namely Pimville and Pennyville Park, equally boast green spaces for their residents.
Pimville Park has ample shady trees for picnics, landscaped lawns, park furniture, mini soccer field, a basketball court, bins and a fence around the park.
Pennyville Park has swings, a mini soccer field, seating places, water taps, an irrigation system, traditional games spots, pathways and landscaped picnic areas.
For more parks in your area, please visit: http://www.jhbcityparks.com “Joburg City Parks and Zoo, as the custodians of parks and open spaces, oversees more than 2 343 parks in Joburg. These parks serve as an environmental green lung, providing residents with green open spaces to relax and enjoy the outdoors. We urge users to take care of their parks and own them,” stated the MMC for Community Development, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
Although City Parks and Zoo works hard to make our parks safe, opportunistic crime exists, and we encourage all to be vigilant and involved.
Below are a few tips to ensure that your visits to Johannesburg parks are safe and enjoyable:
PLEASE DON'T
- Break plants, trees or park equipment.
- Start a fire in a restricted area.
- Take your dog off its leash.
- Be disrespectful towards other park users.
DO
- Adhere to signage in the parks.
- Stay alert.
- Report any wrongdoing in your park.
- Respect your local surroundings.
- Watch the weather.
- Remember that safety is a personal responsibility.
- Visit parks in group if possible.
- Talking on your mobile phone in a public place makes you vulnerable.
Residents are urged to obey all park safety by-laws and to report transgressions to the Joburg Emergency Call Centre on 011 375 5911.
Parks go a long way in building social harmony within communities, while developing civic ownership, where people are drawn to supporting, caring and protecting one another.
ENDS
Issued by
Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development
For media queries, please contact:
Noeleen Mattera - Stakeholder, PR & Media Relations
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
T: 011 712 6722 / 6617 / 6600
E: nmattera@jhbcityparks.com
Follow us on Twitter @JoburgParksZoo or on Facebook
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Arbor Month 2019: 2 000 trees planted in 2 hours in Riverside View
Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) is proud of the difference it made in celebration of Arbor Day by planting 2 000 trees in 2 hours in Riverside View, Fourways, Region A.
Planting 2 000 trees in a limited time is hard physical labour and required many hands, but JCPZ employees rocked up to the site on Wednesday, 18 September 2019 and pulled it off in a great team effort.
It was extremely hot on the day and that served as motivation for the tree planters – knowing that the young trees they were planting will, in a view years’ time, provide much needed shade for the Riverside View community in summer.
The trees will also change the face of Riverside View by welcoming residents and visitors to a green area where the streets are lined with trees. Not to mention other benefits trees provide, like absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in the environment!
JCPZ thanks its employees, the community and partner Valumax for their assistance in this project, without whom the mission would not have been accomplished.
The City of Joburg kicked off Arbor Month on 1 September 2019 by accepting the Arbor City Award 2019 from the National Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, and this mammoth project reconfirmed that Joburg is worthy of this prestigious award.
JCPZ planted a further 1 260 in different areas in Joburg during Arbor Month.
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MEDIA STATEMENT
No embargo, 5 September 2019
Joburg uses Arbor City win to call on residents to plant trees
The City of Joburg has scooped the prestigious National Arbor City Award for 2019. The announcement was made by the Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Maggie Sotyu in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, 1 September to launch National Arbor Month in the country. The Arbor City Award with the first prize of R300K will be used to purchase seeds, saplings and trees to grow Joburg’s manmade forest and to address greening disparities in the city.
The national awards have grown to become one of the most toughest competitions in the country and it is a huge honour for the City of Joburg to be presented with the award for the 4th time in its 18-year history. The award recognizes local and metropolitan cities that have excelled on all levels of sustainable development. It interrogates policies, inter-governmental planning, capital development programmes, makes comparisons with visible implementation on the ground and then assesses monitoring mechanisms-- towards the creation of vibrant, sustainable and livable cities.
The adjudicators were particularly pleased with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoos (JCPZs) handling of the Polyphagus Shothole Borer (PSHB) infestation in the City. “JCPZ saved hundreds of trees on the backdrop of calls and unending social media pressure to remove all infested trees. In the absence of proper research and an approved chemical solution to treat infested trees, JCPZ only removed dead infested trees. Many of the trees albeit infested, are not displaying symptoms of fusarium dieback at this stage”, advised JCPZs Arboriculturist, Ms Adelaide Chokoe.
Chokoe, who has commenced her Ph.D focusing on the PSHB, also received an award for her outstanding contribution to greening in the City of Joburg by the Deputy Minikster of DEFF at the awards ceremony.
“To be recognized by the highest level of government is testament to the collective expertise, passion and commitment of every employee at JCPZ and within the City, who are consciously working to protect Joburg’s manmade forest”, stated the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development in the City of Joburg, Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba.
Recently Rwanda, Ethiopia and India have brought together business and communities to plant millions of trees in their respective countries. The benefits of planting just one tree are far reaching. Every tree works as a natural filtration system and consists of at least 50% carbon captured from the air; acts as a conduit to foster national pride and ownership and helps creates aesthetically pleasing and economically vibrant suburbs.
It is time to restore that sense of urgency to accelerate tree planting in the City. We have an ageing tree canopy, with many species reaching its full life expectancy and as a result these trees have become more prone to opportunistic diseases and the effect of inclement weather.
Arbor month in September is therefore a vital springboard for schools, resident-associations, business, government and the media to work as an integrated unit, to get our hands dirty for a good cause, by planting trees across the City.
Every region in the City will be hosting a tree planting ceremony and JCPZ calls on all companies to offset their carbon footprint, by planting trees, as well. Please forward the number of trees, the species and the area where you will be planting, to trees@jhbcityparks.com. For a detailed list of preferred tree species visit www.jhbcityparks.com.
ENDS
Issued on behalf of
Councillor Nonhlanhla Sifumba
Member of Mayoral Committee for Community Development
City of Joburg
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Jenny Moodley
Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
T: 011 712 6615 / 082 906 1515
E: jmoodley@jhbcityparks.com
W: www.jhbcityparks.com
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PRESS STATEMENT COMMEMORATING WORLD ELEPHANT DAY AT THE JOBURG ZOO ON MONDAY, 12 AUGUST 2019
For immediate release
World Elephant Day: Zoos needed to protect dwindling numbers
The Joburg Zoo welcomed hundreds of visitors by hosting an Open Day to observe World Elephant Day. Chairperson of the Board, Mr Edgar Neluvhalani highlighted the growing plight of dwindling populations of elephants due to poaching, climate change, habitat loss, urbanization and human-elephant conflict.
Neluvhalani emphasized, “Zoos on the backdrop of the plight of elephants in the wild, needed to, now more than ever, work with all stakeholders to contribute to captive-managed elephant research and studies”.
“Space will always be a contentious issue for Zoos”, added the Managing Director of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoos (JCPZ) who maintained that the Joburg Zoo remains complaint with all legislated obligations, including the strict set of code of ethics developed by the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) and the requirements of the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD). He maintained that, “Every child, no matter what the circumstances, is entitled to enjoy a life-changing experience of a visit to a Zoo, to foster responsible citizenry”.
The elephant integration plan of the Joburg Zoo is in its third stage of implementation aimed at housing all three elephants in the same enclosure. Concerns surrounding safety of the elephants near the moat have been addressed and the zoo has made significant progress in extending the size of its enclosures. This will exceed the stipulated minimum space requirements, as outlined in the entity’s Elephant Management Plan, adopted by GDARD. Future plans for the enclosure include improving enrichment-activity nodes, as well as enhancing visitor and learner experience.
The Joburg Zoo took the opportunity to also pay tribute to its oldest pachyderm, 40 year-old elephant, Lammie who in recent months has been in the spotlight since the loss of her companion Kinkel and the subsequent acquisition of two more elephants, Mopane, 19 and Ramadiba, 22 by the Zoo. Lammie enjoyed taking centrestage as she chewed on a bouquet of leaves and fruit and enjoyed a special birthday cake, tailor-made for her.
This was to the amazement of the children who had brought along posters to wish her a happy birthday and who joined in the festivities of the celebrations that included talks and an experience of seeing the skeleton and dung of an African Elephant.
“World Elephant Day at the Joburg Zoo, ensured that visitors left with an heightened awareness of the environment that they live in and outlined the important role each one of us has, in protecting the rich ecology found on the continent,” added Maduka.
ENDS
Issued on behalf of
Bryne Maduka
Managing Director of Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ)
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Jenny Moodley
Spokesperson: Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
T: 082 803 0748/082 906 1515
E: jmoodley@jhbcityparks.com
W: www.jhbcityparks.com or www.jhbzoo.org.za
T: @JoburgParksZoo
F: JoburgParks and JohannesburgZoo
