Children lead the call to protect Knysna playgrounds

KNYSNA NEWS - "Never before have Knysna's children marched to tell us what they want," said Knysna Mayor Thando Matika as he addressed more than 280 children and youths who gathered at the municipal council chambers on Tuesday 9 December.

The historic march, led by MADaboutART - an after-school club based in Dam-se-Bos South - as part of this year's 16 Days of Activism, called for urgent action to protect and maintain community playgrounds across Knysna.

Children and youth from MADaboutART and surrounding communities marched through the town from Memorial Square to the municipal offices, where they presented a call to action to Matika.

The memorandum urged Knysna Municipality to prioritise safe, clean and well-maintained playspaces, and to recognise children as key stakeholders in shaping a child-friendly town.

According to a MADaboutArt press statement, the children called on the mayor to do more to develop Knysna as a child-friendly town, and to involve them in developing safe, child-friendly spaces.

"The children said 'NO!' to unclean, unsupervised playspaces, 'NO!' to building houses on playspaces. They said 'YES!' to safe playing spaces, 'YES!' to playspaces being clean, 'YES!' to playspaces being protected and maintained," the statement read.

MADaboutART focuses on promoting positive life choices, skills develop-ment and creating platforms for children's voices to be heard. "Giving children the opportunity to speak out on issues affecting their lives is central to the organisation's work," said Elizabeth Brown, MADaboutArt trustee.

Also present to receive the call to action were Deputy Mayor Morton Gericke, Speaker Mark Willemse and Municipal Manager Lulamile Mapholoba. Matika emphasised the importance of the moment, encouraging the young marchers to continue holding leaders accountable.

The children highlighted the dete-rioration, vandalism and removal of playgrounds in their communities, saying Knysna is not currently a child-friendly town. Unsafe and unsupervised playspaces, they warned, leave children vulnerable to substance abuse, risky behaviour and school dropout.

The march forms part of a broader campaign grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which affirms every child's right to play. Supported by local organisations and international partners, "the children's call to action sends a clear message: safe playspaces are not a luxury, but a fundamental right," Brown said.

Deputy Mayor Morton Gericke acknowledges the call to action outside the Knysna municipal building. Photo: Monica Hiemstra

A call to action to protect playgrounds in the greater Knysna area took place on Tuesday 9 December. The memorandum was presented to Knysna Mayor Thando Matika. Photo: Monica Hiemstra