Residents reclaim iconic Gqeberha beachfront park after years of neglect

Residents and businesses are reclaiming Happy Valley after years of neglect turned one of Gqeberha’s best-known beachfront parks into an overgrown, vandalised no-go area.

A Mandela Day event on Saturday marked the first phase of what organisers hope will become a multi-year campaign to reclaim the park, which stretches from Humewood Beach to the defunct Telkom Park.

Once famous for its fairy-tale and nursery rhyme installations and illuminated walkways, Happy Valley and parts of the beachfront have become a shadow of what they were. For volunteers, Saturday’s effort was as much about community pride as clearing the overgrown park.

Tiffany Naidoo of the Port Elizabeth Hotel Group/The Beach Hotel said the idea grew out of the group’s annual beach clean-up.

After hosting beach clean-ups for several years, including one last year that drew more than 300 people, the group was challenged to find a project where a crowd that size could have a greater, lasting impact.

Happy Valley stood out as the obvious choice because of its significance to residents. Planning began in February, focusing on securing municipal approval and corporate sponsorship.

“This led to the creation of Madiba Day 2026 — Happy Valley Phase 1, focusing on the stretch from the beach to the first green gate, with the hope of tackling a new phase each year,” said Naidoo.

“It is incredibly moving to see so many people come together for a project that unites our city. Happy Valley is a special place that holds deep meaning for everyone, and it is amazing to see the collective effort and passion driving this initiative.

“Our goal is to make a place of such significance fully usable again, so the people and families of PE can enjoy it and feel proud of it. Ultimately, this project — and the spark it has ignited — has restored a sense of civic pride that some may have forgotten or given up on,” she said.

Thanks to the support of sponsors and volunteers, overgrown vegetation was cleared, damaged infrastructure was repaired, and a pond once filled with rubbish was restored to a pristine state.

Stakeholders in the area have repeatedly raised concerns about poor security along the beachfront, including a lack of visible policing and inadequate lighting. Those concerns were thrust back into the spotlight after DA MP Baxolile Nodada and a friend were attacked and robbed in the area.

The municipality has taken steps to improve safety by deploying 17 law enforcement officers along the beachfront through the Mandela Bay Development Agency.

‘Remarkable turnout’

Deputy Mayor Gary van Niekerk attended Saturday’s event after he learned “businesses and community members involved had not been acknowledged and thanked by the municipality for their efforts.

“My visit ... was simply about giving credit where credit is due. I wanted to thank the businesses, community organisations and volunteers who gave up their time to improve one of our city’s most treasured public spaces. The remarkable turnout demonstrated that people still have a deep affection for Happy Valley and a genuine desire to see it restored to its former glory,” said Van Niekerk.

“It is encouraging to see businesses and residents stepping forward to make a positive difference in our city. Public-private partnerships are not just beneficial. They are the way forward,

“What impressed me most was that this was not intended to be a once-off clean-up. The businesses have committed themselves to making this an ongoing project over the coming months. I wanted to assure them that the municipality will support these efforts wherever possible, whether directly through the municipality or through the Mandela Bay Development Agency.”

Ward 2 councillor Sean Tappan said he was proud of residents and businesses that united to reclaim a space that holds special meaning for the community.

“I think it’s an amazing show of strength and force. It is amazing to see what can take place when the community pulls together.

“People grew up knowing Happy Valley. People can remember back when they used to lie on their towels and go to the beach and run up and down the walkway and go to the top. But it’s because of neglect, because of lack of law enforcement and a number of other things, it’s deteriorated,” said Tappan.

He added that while the clean-up initiative was a step in the right direction, “it is something that should have taken place a long time ago and should be then done on a regular basis ... and it’s not just Happy Valley; it’s the entire city.

“These types of events ... are positive. It shows what can be done if we all pull together. It just shows you that it can be done and it could have been done a year-and-a-half, two years ago. And this could just be maintenance that’s done every three months,” Tappan said.

Glenn Pappin, the chair of the Business Chamber’s Beachfront Cluster, lauded the Port Elizabeth Hotel Group for driving the project and for “making a remarkable dent in the decay of the area.

“Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go, but hopefully the glimmer of hope seen this weekend can create more regular such clean-up operations. It was amazing to see what happened across the metro on Saturday; however, it also highlighted the decay across a majority of the 60 wards.

“As the Beachfront cluster, with our members and whoever wants to partner with us, we will continue to work on creating a safe and clean area for all to enjoy,” said Pappin.

‘Dear to us’

Among those taking part was Summerstrand Neighbourhood Watch chair Ian Millar, who said Happy Valley had a special place in residents’ hearts.

“Happy Valley is very dear to a lot of us who have been lucky enough to have been alive to go there in its good days. I think a lot of people are missing that place. It was a great place — it had lots of fairy lights and all sorts of things. But over the years it’s just degraded terribly. The criminal element has taken space in there. And the vagrants have damaged everything that was in there.

“So to reclaim Happy Valley is a very important thing. We have to look at this place as a tourist place. We have to tidy it up. We have to bring it back to its former days.”

Millar said the project aligned with the neighbourhood watch’s vision of creating safer public spaces while also benefiting nearby tourism businesses.

“To be part of a group of people trying to do this fits in with our vision, our mission and our values. For the hoteliers — who contribute a lot — it’s important to have a safe place near them — and also to make Happy Valley a place where people can again go and have fun.” DM