After years of decay that turned Happy Valley into a crime-ridden no-go zone, Nelson Mandela Bay officials moved in on Friday to reclaim the once-iconic beachfront park — signalling what they say is a long-overdue push to restore public spaces and clean up the city.
The initiative was led by mayor Babalwa Lobishe, who also unveiled nine trucks for waste removal at a cost of about R30m.
This comes after The Herald reported in January that Happy Valley had largely been unkept. Its enormous palm trees were untrimmed, and it was bushy all around — more like a jungle than a park.
The large recreational park located next to Humewood Beach and stretching all the way up to the defunct Telkom Park (the old Boet Erasmus Stadium) has also been home to vagrants.
It was once a drawcard for families and visitors, but after years of vandalism and neglect, the valley became a shadow of its former self.
Speaking shortly after the clean-up, Lobishe said it was part of the 67 Minutes of Nelson Mandela International Day celebrations.
“We want this to be a movement where all of us take responsibility for contributing to this metro in making it the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful metropolitan city.
“This is a multi-departmental effort to ensure this place, which was once one of the best recreational parks, is restored,” Lobishe said.
She said council made commitments during the passing of the budget to transform the city. “We want it to be a livable city and we are not going to do so without securing our assets and securing public spaces.
“Today, we are here with all of our departments to say, ‘we will secure this’. We have cleaned it, so security is now our priority.
“With these additional trucks, we will be sitting at 25 trucks. Remember, the city needs 36 trucks daily for the cleanliness and collection of solid waste.”
She said the new fleet was bought locally and that meant it would not take months to repair. “This lessens the costs to the municipality. The city is now turning the page in terms of strengthening its municipal fleet.”
These developments would also create employment in the solid waste directorate.
We want this to be a movement where all of us take responsibility for contributing to this metro in making it the cleanest, greenest and most beautiful metropolitan city.
— Babalwa Lobishe
Lobishe called on schools, churches, communities and stakeholders to join efforts to keep the city tidy. “It doesn’t take a lot. The only thing we require is for residents to maintain their lawns, pick up their litter, and not dump construction rubble on open fields.”
Mayoral committee member for sports, recreation, arts and culture, Sinebhongo Kwatsha, said there had also been renovations to Happy Valley. This included work done to the offices, toilets and showers.
Public health MMC Thsonono Buyeye said the work being done was inspiring. “A colleague was telling me how he grew up in this area and every weekend his grandmother would bring him here to spend time [together]. Our wish is to maintain this spot.”
He said the safety and security directorate was involved because visitors felt the valley had been neglected. “We hope to make people feel safe here again.”
The valley had become a hideout for criminals and was reportedly being used as a getaway route by drug syndicates and thugs.
Only a small section of lawn near the beach office had been spared from criminality, with security cameras put up.
Metro spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the municipality had over the years owned refuse compactor trucks but those had declined due to ageing, resulting in the hiring from private service providers at significant costs.
“Through the council adjustment budget, the public health directorate’s solid waste management division received an additional R34m from the urban settlements development grant. This funding enabled the procurement of nine additional refuse compactor trucks and a three-year maintenance plan,” Soyaya said.
He said the metro had purchased eight trucks in the 2024/25 financial year for R30m, and a similar transaction was repeated in the 2025/26 financial year.
• Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.