01/10/2026
🌿 OUR TOWN, OUR PRIDE — LET’S WORK TOGETHER FOR VAALWATER 🌿
Dear Vaalwater community,
WSI was approached to take the lead in planning our town gardens, helping to clean up Vaalwater and creating a town we can all be proud of—a welcoming, attractive and safe place for residents and tourists alike.
With the approval of the WSI Board, we have formed a small committee to get this project started. The current members are Annalie Smit, Amanda du Toit, Waltella Maree, MJ Pretorius and Monica Meadon, with Ken Maud and Henk Tijssen from Eating My Way Nursery serving as advisers.
The project will operate through WSI as a separate, self-sustaining division, funded through donations and community support. We have already received some encouraging feedback, but its lasting success will depend on our whole community getting involved.
Our first concern: the gardens along the main roads
While the road improvements have made the main routes neater, residents have raised concerns that the amount of concrete and steel does not reflect the character of our town. Thoughtful landscaping could help soften this appearance and complement our Waterberg surroundings.
The feedback we have received is that SANRAL plans to plant grass and trees. We have raised concerns that grass could attract roaming livestock, creating feeding areas close to traffic and increasing the risk of accidents, injuries and harm to animals.
We were advised that two people would be appointed to monitor the animals and that animals found on the road would be taken to a pound. However, Vaalwater does not have an animal pound, which raises serious questions about how this would work in practice.
We have submitted alternative design ideas, as attached, using stones and suitable plants that are less likely to attract grazing animals. According to the latest feedback received, SANRAL intends to proceed with its own plans and has declined to meet with the comittee. We have not yet been given the detailed landscaping designs beyond the proposed grass and trees.
We want our community’s voice to be heard.
Our proposed next steps are to:
• Gather community support, ideas and concerns so that we can present a united and constructive position.
• Involve the media to draw attention to the concerns and encourage meaningful engagement with SANRAL.
• Write to SANRAL’s leadership and the Minister of Transport, requesting intervention and proper consultation with our community.
Our aim is to work towards a practical, attractive and sustainable solution that takes local conditions and road safety into account.
This project will reach much further than the main roads.
We also want to improve gardens and open spaces throughout Vaalwater, encourage everyone to keep our town clean and tidy, and work with the relevant authorities to ensure that heavy vehicles use their designated parking areas.
There is much to consider, including funding, watering, maintenance, litter collection and ongoing care. We want to plan carefully so that the improvements we make can be maintained for years to come.
🤝 We need your support, your ideas and your involvement.
Whether you can contribute plants, materials, equipment, expertise, time or a financial donation, every contribution can help. Please also share your suggestions, concerns and the areas you believe should receive attention first.
This is our town, and we are all part of its future. Let’s stand together and help make Vaalwater a place we are proud to call home and proud to share with visitors.
