Visitors driving into Hout Bay from the Constantia side of town will be greeted by a colourful installation at the entrance to Imizamo Yethu this holiday season and beyond.
The finishing touches in the form of an tree aloe and grasses were added to the Hout Bay gateway, or Imizamo Yethu traffic circle, on Friday December 2.
In recent months, the well-known circle has been beautified with mosaics and the hill at the entrance to the township finished with children’s playground equipment, both initiated by the City of Cape Town.
However, a number of Hout Bay residents, co-ordinated by Earthworx Garden World owner Gwen Gower, volunteered to green the circle, and last week the tree and grasses were trucked in and planted to complete the project.
“Earthworx was previously based in Sea Point, and we did similar projects there and also at the library and Civic Centre in town,” Ms Gower explained.
“When we moved to Hout Bay, some of the circles were crying for help. We already did the circle opposite Kronendal Retirement Village, and then we learnt that the City had put out a tender to landscape the IY circle. We didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, but the City was happy to hand over the project to us.”
Donations and funds were sourced from a number of community members, including La Cuccina restaurant owner Ian Gersowsky and Selwyn Vandeyar of the Hout Bay English Reformed Church.
Ward councillor Roberto Quintas said he was delighted that the Hout Bay gateway had been greened.
“It had always been our wish to have the circle completed by the Christmas holidays, and now this has happened,” he said.
“There had been some operational issues with the contractor, so the City had to relook at ways that we could move this process forward. There had been many delays, including budget lapses.
We are so grateful to Gwen and her team for volunteering their services.
“The circle looks beautiful, and this is the perfect example of the kind of active citizenry that we see in Hout Bay.”
