SPONSORED PROFILE
Above: Naval Hill Restaurant.
Above: Naval Hill Reservoir.
Cllr Thabo Manyoni’s, conviction that a healthy body results
45 000 people in the long term, as sewer services will be provided.
in a healthy mind.
These new projects will unlock development in the north and south
Through the airport node, the Municipality seeks to address
regions of the Municipality.
the five issues of economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, effective service delivery and social cohesion.
MANGAUNG AS A SPORTING MECCA recognition as a sporting mecca with world-class sporting facilities
The Franklin Nature Reserve, popularly known as Naval Hill,
and amenities, along with an inimitable passion for sports and
is the prime tourist destination for locals in and visitors to
a spirit of ubuntu. In order to achieve this feat, in the next three
Mangaung. As the single most prominent and iconic natural
years, the Municipality will be investing R59,6 million in upgrading
feature within the built area of Mangaung Metropolitain
and building sporting facilities and amenities.
Municipality, Naval Hill attracted an estimated 120 000 visitors
There is also renewed hope that the upgraded sporting and
between 15 December 2012 and 15 June 2013. The popularity of
recreational facilities will bring a renewed interest in sports from
Naval Hill was further cemented when it was chosen as the “Best
local citizens. It is against this background that the Municipality
Place to Take Out-of-Towners” in the 2013 Bloemfontein Courant
recently partnered with the biggest regional radio station, OFM,
“Best of Bloemfontein Readers’ Choice Awards”.
as a title sponsor for the OFM Classic Race, now known as the
The phenomenal growth in tourist numbers came after
Mangaung OFM Classic Race.
FREE STATE
The City has set itself an ideal of progressively working towards
NAVAL HILL REJUVENATION
erecting a statue of former president Nelson Mandela on the hill in December 2012. Besides being one of only two reserves
GREENING MANGAUNG
completely surrounded by a city, Naval Hill is also home to
One of the driving forces of the current Council under the
the tallest statue of Mandela in the world. In November 2013,
leadership of Cllr Manyoni is to create “an attractive, clean,
the hill became home to the first digital planetarium in sub-
green and healthy environment that will serve as the basis for
Saharan Africa after its official opening by Minister of Science
sustainable economic development and enhance the quality of
and Technology, Mr Derek Hanekom. The digital planetarium
life for present and future generations”.
is a joint-partnership between Mangaung, the Free State Department of Tourism, and the University of the Free State. All these new developments, including the restaurant that is
As part of achieving this, Council has prioritised environmental issues, which include removal of illegal dumps and alien plants, and cutting trees and grass in some wards in the municipal area.
currently under construction, are part of the Municipality’s plan
Indigent households in several wards have been supplied with
to rejuvenate Naval Hill, which will also contribute to Mangaung’s
85-litre capacity refuse bins and this programme will be
economic growth.
extended to more wards.
BULK WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
which will be located in Thaba Nchu. It will have various
The Mangaung Municipality is committed to enhancing its
amenities, and will include conservation and recreation areas,
metropolitan areas to drive economic development in the Free
community facilities and empowerment projects.
One of the major upcoming projects is the regional park,
State province. Underpinning all these initiatives are several wastewater treatment works and sanitation programmes. One of these is the bulk water supply works project for the N8.
The focus on building parks, particularly in townships, forms part of the EM’s vision to ensure that Mangaung’s open spaces are properly utilised, which will contribute towards the
Forming part of the project is the construction of a 35 million-
Municipality’s broader beautification strategy that, amongst other
litre (ML) reservoir on Naval Hill that was completed last year.
things, seeks to attract visitors and tourists to the Municipality.
It forms the first phase of a planned additional 70ML reservoir
Prosperity is often measured by economic success and a
capacity for Bloemfontein and will be the main supply reservoir
social cohesion within a community underpinned by an intact
to the N8 corridor development.
moral conscience. To this effect, the Municipality is creating more
This is in addition to the construction of the north-eastern Wastewater Treatment Works, which will benefit approximately
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investment opportunities in a conducive and safe environment, as outlined in the vision.
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