The City of Cape Town has responded to complaints about maintenance and safety in De Waalpark, but has not yet been able to provide the park's annual maintenance budget or a full breakdown of recent spending.
This follows a Nuusflits inquiry about residents' concerns over damaged benches, worn-out rubbish bins, litter, graffiti and electrical equipment that is reportedly insufficiently secured.
Francine Higham, the mayoral committee member for community services and health, says the City is aware of maintenance issues that residents have reported. According to her, these are being addressed through regular maintenance, inspections and service requests.
The City reports maintenance and repair work worth R1.54 million in 2026. A new pedestrian pathway on the Molteno Road side of the park was completed by the City in June for approximately R848 000.
A detailed breakdown of spending, with completion dates, was however not yet available. The City says this information will be provided once it has been verified.
The park's operational and maintenance budgets for the financial years 2025/26 and 2026/27, as well as the final costs and budget sources for the outdoor gymnasium and the restoration of the historic music pavilion, also still need to be confirmed.
Who is responsible for De Waalpark?
According to Higham, the City's recreation and parks department is responsible for De Waalpark's management, maintenance and daily operation. This includes the grounds, recreational facilities and public amenities.
The City says it provides cleaning and maintenance services, a toilet attendant on each day the park is open and two field rangers who provide 24-hour security.
Weekly inspections are supplemented by comprehensive monthly operational inspections, according to the City. When asked when the most recent inspection took place, the City only indicated that it was part of the regular monthly programme. No date was provided.
Regarding electrical equipment on lamp poles marked with barrier tape, the City says the relevant technical department investigated the installations. According to the City, the tape indicates that infrastructure repair work is needed and the presence of it in itself does not mean there is a safety risk to the public.
Repair work over the past five years
The City says work over the past five years has included repair work on benches, play equipment, pathways, gates and perimeter walls. Old rubbish bins and name boards have been replaced, leaking taps have been repaired and tree maintenance has been carried out. The fountain has been refurbished twice, while the music pavilion and ablution facilities have also been restored.
The procurement process for repair work on the perimeter wall following the most recent tree fall is, according to the City, underway.
Higham says certain repair work takes longer when specialist contractors, procurement processes or other city departments are involved.
Capital projects versus routine maintenance
Responding to residents' questions about why funds are available for major upgrades while smaller repair work remains outstanding, the City says capital projects and routine maintenance are funded through separate budgeting processes. Capital funds are used for qualifying new infrastructure and upgrades, while operational budgets cover daily services and repair work.
The City acknowledges that upgrades do not replace the need for regular maintenance.
Street work service and masterplan for the park
Additional support is planned from two November 2026, when Friends of De Waal Park will establish a supervisor and park maintenance service through Street Work. The service will be managed by the Friends and will supplement the City's existing services.
The City says a masterplan for the park area, which includes the Lower Molteno Reservoirs, has been drawn up in consultation with the Friends. A feasibility study is planned for the financial year 2026/27 to investigate the reservoirs' structural condition and possible future uses.
Residents are asked to report each individual maintenance problem through the City's official service channels. For complaints that have been outstanding for a long time, existing reference numbers must be provided so that they can be followed up.
According to the City, duplicate requests do not speed up the process and can cause administrative delays.
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
