Ecomobility Street Sports Weekend attracts hundreds

19 October 2015

 

Hundreds of people of all ages, shapes and sizes from various parts of the city and beyond converged into Sandton at the weekend to take part in the EcoMobility World Festival’s Street Sports Weekend.

 

The two-day carnival-like adventure – which saw families engaging in a variety of street sports – also marked the halfway point of the month-long EcoMobility World Festival, during which residents are encouraged to park their cars in their garages and either cycle or walk to work on use public transport.

 

“The festival is now entering its third week and the sky has not caved in,” said Bheki Hlatswayo, a Pretoria father of four, commenting on the success so far of the EcoMobility World Festival. Hlatswayo works in Sandton and has each weekday for the past 13 years been driving between Pretoria and what is euphemistically referred to as Africa’s richest square mile.

He knows the madness that is the morning and afternoon traffic in and around the Sandton area very well.

 

“For the past two weeks I have enjoyed coming to work, and going back home. It is relatively smooth. This initiative by the City of Johannesburg gets my thumbs-up. It’s been a breath of fresh air. Sandton is experiencing something different,” he said.

 

Hlatswayo, with his family in tow, was again in Sandton – this time to play in the reclaimed streets and to be entertained by various deejays and musicians. The day was day jam-packed with sporting activities such as skateboarding, table tennis, five-a-side soccer, volleyball, netball and basketball. Hlatswayo said it was very exciting as a parent to be involved in the family fun day.

 

He said he met a lot of people, especially parents with children who wanted to try out some of the mobility gadgets on display at the festival’s exhibition centre. Hlatswayo’s son, Njabulo, said the festival was very exciting because it was an opportunity for him to learn more about climate change and what people could do to save the world.

 

Other attractions included indigenous games such as ncuva, morabaraba, diketo and jumping rope.