City’s ‘Green Heart’ receives renewal

By Rhodé Marshall
22 August 2007

The Company’s Garden, known as the ‘Green Heart’ of the City of Cape Town, will be upgraded this year to the tune of over R1 million.

“All the upgrades will be done in line with approved development and design guidelines which have been formulated over the past few years,” says the Mayoral Committee Member for Amenities and Sport, Grant Haskin.

Haskin says the restoration at the garden will include the renewal of the old farm labourer’s quarters which was used in the 1950’s as the Botanical Gardens Committee’s meeting venue which will be turned into a café, coffee shop or kiosk.

“During the previous financial year, expenditure was focused on improved security,” says Haskin.

He added that the projects will include the installation of bollard lighting throughout the gardens to improve visibility for the newly installed security cameras.

“We will increase security guards as well as the appointment of a social worker to deal with homeless people in the vicinity,” says Haskin.

A BBC film crew will be filming the Garden as part of a series on historical gardens of the world.

The Company’s Garden is the oldest public garden in South Africa and is a retreat in the central business district in Cape Town for an estimated 700 000 visitors each year.