More than just a walk way

On June 10, the City hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to open the new walkway around Princess Vlei. 
    This came nearly 14 years after community members walked the informal path around  Princess Vlei in protest against the proposed mall in December 2012. That group included two ponies, which offered rides to younger walkers . This walk was not just protest, but also an act of hope, an act of imagining a public space that could serve nature and community. Twelve years later, that community vision has been realised.

Two ponies joined our protest walk around the vlei in 2012

There were no ponies on June 10, but plenty of excitement, as few hundred people arrived to celebrate this community victory. Cllr Southgate, who has been instrumental in promoting the development of the walkway, spoke about the legend of the Princess. According to some versions of the legend, the Princess Vlei was formed by the tears of a Khoi 'princess' who had been abused by Portuguese sailors who came with Fransico d’ Almeida in 1510.
   'I believe the Princess would be crying tears of joy today to see this development for the community,’ Cllr Southgate said. 

Forum members Gary Stewart, Chief John Jansen,Philip Bam, Bridget Pitt, Emma Oliver and City representatives Francine Higham, Cllr Kevin Southgate, Hugo van Niekerk and Teboho Maliehe at the ribbon cutting ceremony

The City’s Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, welcomed the initiative. ‘We wanted to create a safe and accessible space where residents can enjoy the beauty of Princess Vlei,’ she said. ‘Communities need dignified space to walk, run, connect with nature and spend time with family and friends.’ 
   Higham said that Princess Vlei was more than just a body of water. It was a place of memory, heritage, biodiversity and deep community meaning. 

Hugo van Niekirk from the City Park’s Planning and Development Department described the opportunity to work on the trail as a privilege, because of the special nature of the site. He remarked that the community ‘fought tooth and nail to save the site from development’, and described the development as an embodiment of what communities can achieve when they work together.
    He spoke about the process of realising the plan for the route of the walk way. ’We wanted to create a pathway that works with nature, and does not cut through it. You need to let the landscape guide you and listen to its story.’
    Speaking on behalf of the Princess Vlei Forum, Bridget Pitt paid homage to the community vision which had driven the development, sometimes against all odds. 
  This walk way is an expression of what can happen when the City and the community work together. The spirit of Princess Vlei, of resistance, reliance and endurance is beautifully expressed in this trail. ’
  The walk way involves two trails, one of 4.2 km and one of 3 km version, with two wooden bridges over the canal and through the wetlands. It connects all the communities surrounding the Vlei, helping to break down some of the barriers that were created by apartheid city planning. Several information boards along the way give information on the natural and cultural heritage of Princess Vlei.
   So many people have been involved in creating this. Those community feet which first felt out the path; the many community members who came to early workshops held by the Forum to create a vision for the Vlei; the creators of the People’s Plan which first guided the struggle against the mall. Forum members  John Prince, an engineer, and Malcom Campbell, a landscape architect, who volunteered hours of their time to assist the city in mapping out the route. 
   In 2013 we ran a campaign called Imagine Princess Vlei, to consolidate the community vision for this space. This trail is a testament to the people’s imagination, and their resolve in manifesting their vision for a better future. The huge numbers of people using the trail since the inauguration affirm what value this has brought to the community.