Cape Town - The Protea Recreation Hall in Bellville South has become the last city facility to be adorned with the legacy mural in the series of paintings unveiled by the City leading up to the Netball World Cup next year.
Three other murals had been painted at Langa Indoor Sports Centre, OR Tambo Indoor Sports Centre in Khayelitsha, and Nomzamo Recreation Centre in Strand.
The 4x13m painting is the work of local artists Riedwaan Marcus and Ethan Hendricks who followed the themes of “netball”, “women’s sport”, “Cape Town”, “Africa”, “healthy lifestyle”, “women empowerment” and “hope” in conceptualising the painting.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who joined the festivities, said Bellville South was known as the home of netball in the city and the Protea Recreation Hall facility played a crucial part in that status with indoor and outdoor amenities.
“It is only fitting that the Proteaville Recreation Centre forms part of the legacy of this historic Netball World Cup by getting its mural. We want the impact of this World Cup to be felt beyond 2023 to grow the status of netball as a national sport,” he said.
Hill-Lewis said the City had committed around R2 million for the upgrades of netball facilities for the 2022/23 financial year.
Safety and Security mayoral member JP Smith said these murals were the City’s commitment to ensuring residents who played or followed netball had a stake in the upcoming World Cup by seeing it represented in their communities.
Smith said it was important that communities get involved in the event.
“It is also an opportunity to raise awareness about the World Cup and ensure as many of our residents as possible get the chance to watch the event in person,” he said.
Community Services and Health mayoral member Patricia van der Ross said the after-school programme which the centre hosted not only provided participants with physical activity and a healthy lifestyle associated with netball, but also aimed at facilitating a sense of ownership of community facilities and building community relations.
“With a focus on legacy linked to the Netball World Cup, this programme’s become integral in ensuring residents safeguard facilities such as Proteaville Recreation Centre and others for future generations to benefit from similar initiatives,” she said.
