The newly appointed CEO of the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (Pacofs), Themba Dlamini, believes that charity begins at home and therefore they have embarked on a journey to clean up the theatre grounds.
Dlamini, who will be paying for a gardener to maintain the garden, said they need to sort out the look and feel of the place as this will attract people. “We are getting our house in order. With this initiative we now take full responsibility for the property. I will not wait for processes to eventually conclude in order to secure money to pay for the services,” he said.
He added that the goodwill of any organisation is its image and how the outside world looks at it. “No one wants to come to a place with all of its resources while it is not being looked after.”
This initiative was sparked by a Bloemfontein resident, Louise-Kelly Coetzee, who complained about the state of the theatre and the surrounding areas.
Bloemfontein Courant previously reported (September 2022) that Coetzee got in touch with senior marketing manager, Adri van Veijeren, who reassured her that with the change in management, the theatre grounds will soon get the much-needed attention. Van Veijeren then mentioned they received funding to erect a fence around Pacofs.
“The fence will solve many problems for the institution and its customers by assuring that a safe and clean theatre can be maintained,” said Dlamini. In an interview with Coetzee at the first garden clean-up on Monday 6 March, she expressed her excitement that the project is finally up and running.
reason why the garden project started. PHOTO: Gypseenia Lion
“At first I thought this project is bigger than me and that I can’t do this on my own. I don’t know anything about landscaping or gardening and all I can do is come on a Saturday or Sunday as I have a full-time job,” she said. She added that she then remembered she has an aunt, Trewhella Pienaar, who is a well-known botanist and landscaper in Bloemfontein.
Initially, the plan was to wait for the fencing, but as that has not been done yet, Pienaar suggested that they start by plucking all the weeds in the garden, adding compost to the soil, and making sure that it is watered well.
She will be rendering her services to Pacofs and has in the meantime lined up a few sponsors for the garden project. Van Veijeren also mentioned that they will be breaking ground for the fence soon and as an organisation they are really looking forward to it as it will help maintain the theatre grounds. They will eventually be able to host events in the gardens.
Pacofs will be having another clean-up initiative on the last Friday of April.
Justine Fortuin
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