Gugulethu, Cape Town

Creating public spaces that more people can enjoy isn’t always easy to do in an overcrowded and overlooked township. But in Gugulethu, a township about 15km from Cape Town, a clean-up and redesign of a waste-filled walkway has created a new safe walkway in the community. It’s also become the vital spark for a handful of other successful community projects. It brings together many different partners, all interested in being caretakers of their strip of public space that has become something locals can be proud of. 

What was the problem?

Gugulethu, like many townships, faces problems of public dumping, lack of safety and limited space for new development that can lead to functional public spaces. A pedestrian walkway that connects the Dora Tamana Road and Lolo Mkonto Road had become unusable because of dumping, neglect and criminal elements. It meant people, including local schoolchildren, had to walk further to get to their destinations and the strip of land was left to fall into neglect. It was an eyesore and a critical access route within the township was being lost. 

How did they fix it?

In April 2021 community members decided to clean the walkway. Over the next six months a partnership with many different interested parties was formed. It focussed on co-designing, using low-tech and recyclable materials and incorporating as many of the community’s ideas and visions for the space. It would come together as the iThemba Walkway.

The project had many partners. They included the University of Cape Town’s School of Urban Design; local non-profit organisations including ones focused on social justice and food gardening; the Nobantu Primary School; community action groups; street committees and the ward councillor. They met several times to understand needs, priorities and how the community would take ownership of the project. 

Kathryn Ewing, a researcher at the University of Cape Town, quoted in GroundUp __said: “We ran three workshops on challenges and opportunities around making the walkway an inclusive and safe space. It was very emotional because it brought up a lot of memories for community members. We also did a climate change workshop with the children and painted our first mural on the walls.”

The focus has been on using low-tech and recycled materials and to bring greening to this small communal space as part of making the upgrading strategy sustainable and cost effective. 

Linda Kabedi, a street committee chairperson, said to GroundUp: “From the first day the walkway was cleaned, it was not littered or damaged again because of the community’s commitment. It is our responsibility to keep iThemba Way clean and safe.”

On the cards are plans to expand the walkway project to other parts of the township. For iThemba Way there are plans for more murals, a memory wall and co-creating benches and setting up an outdoor movie wall. 

What makes it work?

• Creating strong partnerships - Leaning on researchers from the city’s university gave the community more access to resources to take a cleaned-up space to the next level of being more multi-functional and sustainable.

• Getting local input - Various dialogue meetings were held, meaning there was more buy-in, and a greater sense of community ownership for the project. 

• Using resources wisely - The emphasis on low-tech interventions and the use of recycled and natural materials kept costs down. It also makes maintenance more affordable and is something community members can do themselves as things need repairing.

• Holding the community’s interest - By incorporating heritage and memory projects, the walkway project helps preserve and enhance the cultural history of the township.

• Addressing wider community needs – Projects like urban farming projects allow residents to grow their own food. It promotes healthy eating and the importance of greening surroundings. 

• Creating opportunities: - From the walkway project other initiatives have been sparked. These include a micro-financing and small loans project for small start-ups linked to a skills training programme aimed at building self-sufficiency and resilience.

Acknowledgements:

Author: fixLocal reporter

Additional articles/ sources: 

iThemba Walkway - www.dbxchange.eu/project/ithemba-walkway

Community transforms crime hotspot to colourful walkway for learners – www.groundup.org.za/article/community-transforms-crime-hotspot-to-colourful-walkway-for-learners-in-gugulethu/

Pockets of promise: community interventions in Cape Town’s Gugulethu neighbourhood - www.architectural-review.com/essays/pockets-of-promise-in-gugulethu

Photographs: Kathryn Ewing/ Architectural Review