EISH! Did anyone watch 50/50 last week on TV2? How it hurts to see one’s town on national TV, especially when it is to highlight the shocking state of the Arboretum on the banks of the Berg River.
Now a couple of million South Africans will no longer think of Paarl as a beautiful town with lush vineyards, great wineries, quaint Victorian houses and cool oaks lining its Main Street.
Instead all they will see is that dreadful image of litter, dirty nappies, discarded trolleys and empty bottles. Fortunately the film clipping did not add the muggings and vagrants to the woes of what could be one of the town’s best recreational assets.
It is so easy to dream those big 2010 dreams of attracting bus loads of tourists and soccer teams to use Paarl as its base.
All I can say is: Drakenstein Municipality should play the ball, roll up their sleeves and make the Arboretum work for everyone.
Get the basics right. We need parks officers to patrol the Arboretum during the weekend, to remind people to pick up their trash, and to refer vagrants to the night shelter.
M Lombard
