by Hero Mathebula and Sindisiwe Tshona
Makhanda has no public playgrounds, leaving children with no choice but to play on the road, on open fields strewn with garbage, and in derelict and structurally unsound vandalised buildings.
Grocott’s Mail visited Extension Six and Seven this week to find out what parents think of the absence of playgrounds in the town.
Easter Basson from eThembeni in Extension Seven said “it worries me a lot as a parent that the children do not have a playground because they just find an open space and start playing soccer not knowing what might be there. Sometimes you might find snakes there”.
“One day my child broke his hand while playing because the place where they were playing was full of rocks. I was the one who had to run around to find him transport to go to the hospital. This was the consequence of the lack of a playground. The municipality once promised us that they will provide a Play Park but even today, that promise is unfulfilled” says Basson.
Thandi Mangele from Extension Six said because there are no public playgrounds in the community, her child can only play when he is at school.
“My child doesn’t a have a place to play and this is a problem because when a child doesn’t play, he or she might end up taking drugs”, said Mangele.
Happyboy Ntshaantsha from Extension 6 says not having a playground really affects the children.
“When they don’t have a place to play, some of them play on the N2 highway where they might be struck by a vehicle. Some play at the Dam where they could drown or be bitten by the snakes there”, Ntshaantsha said.
Grocott’s Mail also caught up with Headman Komen from Extension Nine as he was walking past Ethembeni. “Some children play in the building that was once the Mahlasela secondary school, and it is not safe”, said Komen.
“Children from Extension Seven, Ethembeni, and Khayelitsha also play at an open ground which the residents call ‘ebaleni eKhayelitsha’. My grandchild recently broke his arm there because the ground is not levelled properly. I plead with the municipality or the government to at least cut the grass and level the ground, and for that ground to be taken care of“ Komen said.
While walking through Extension Six with her three-year-old son, Mapule Kesilwe expressed her sadness that her child had no swings or slides to play on.
“My child stays inside the yard all the time except when he goes to school. It is not because he loves being indoors but because there are no safe playgrounds here for children. Most children play near the roads and are at a high risk of getting hit by cars because they are still minors”, she said.
“If only there was a safe playground, I would allow my children to play without being concerned about their safety because now kids are always trapped inside the yard unless they are out for school”, Kesilwe added.
Nonzaliseko Hawulana of Extension Six said her children play at a place called Hadini. It has no playground and it is not safe because there are too many cars nearby.
“I also find that when children do not have formal playgrounds, this makes them engage in negative activities in their free time, like meeting up with friends and being involved in drugs. It also increases the teenage pregnancy rate, because these kids grow up bored and they end up exploring the wrong things” Hawulana said.
“I hope government notices the negative impact that comes with this situation and tries to work on it because if these children had something positive to do with their lives, we wouldn’t have these problems” Hawulana added.
Intern journalist Slovo Dyirha grew up in Extension Six. He said a lot of crime happens in the old Mahlasela Secondary School building, especially during loadshedding, which makes it a very unsafe place for children to play.
“Imagine if a child would fall from the highest level of that building down to the ground. Who would be close to help that child, who would educate the children about how unsafe that building is?” Dyhirha asked. Dyhirha pointed out that there are many taverns in the area and it is unsafe for children to play in an area surrounded by inebriated people.
