Riebeeck Lake, in Greenhills, Randfontein, was once a pristine park where families could go and enjoy a picnic, a day fishing, kids playing on the roundabout and slides, etc. The bird calls are beautiful and peaceful and there are plenty of shade trees. You could almost fool yourself into thinking you were in Central Park in New York.
Several years ago, there was even an Olympic size swimming pool where swimming clubs used to regularly come and swim against our team in gala’s. The pool is now in terrible condition, has only some dirty rain water in and the tiles making up the flooring of the pool is broken up with weeds growing through them. There are also some of the paving bricks around the pool that are broken and even a small tree growing through. The pool is now a danger to people as it is open and anyone can get to it and fall in and drown in the water.
There were also facilities for a caravan park, fishing and even a nursery with plants for sale. The Heritage site ‘Die Jonkershuis’ is also in terrible condition. It was built in 1859 and used to be regularly visited by interested parties. However, now the front door has a tree blocking it and people are using it to sleep is. They have also erected temporary zinc shacks and utilize facilities from the house.
However, when you look at your surroundings in more detail you see the rubbish lying around, the long Khaki-bos with blackjacks sticking to your clothes. On a bad day, when the wind is in the right direction, you can also smell the sickening smell of sewage and algae coming from across the road at the Greenhills stream. One of the pools that the slide would have emptied into, is also thick with green algae caused by sewage and pollution.
It is also dangerous to be at the dam, although we haven’t had as many attacks there recently since the fencing has been put up, but there is still easy access to the area.
Environews 