Princess statue stands tall at vlei
Cherish the water, cherish the earth, this was the theme at the launch of a new project at Princess Vlei in Retreat with a renewed pledge to protect and preserve the water body.
About 200 community members attended the gathering on Saturday October 12 where a 2.5 meter floating statue was launched into the water to honour the Khoe princess who the vlei was named after, to raise awareness of the history of Princess Vlei, and of the indigenous Khoe and San ancestors, said Bridget Pitt, founding member of the Princess Vlei Forum (PVF).
“Because we love the earth and the waters we pledge to protect and preserve Princess Vlei, to honour its natural beauty, to safeguard its wildlife and to ensure it remains a sanctuary for future generations. We pledge care, respect and sustainable practices. We commit to nurturing this vital ecosystem,” said Ms Pitt.
The group met at Retreat civic centre earlier in the day, where pupils had their faces painted and created headdresses to wear on the procession to the vlei. They then proceeded to the vlei where those in attendance made the pledge followed by a day of celebration with dances, and a live production by the Jungle Theatre Company about the importance of saving the oceans from climate change and plastic pollution.
At the water’s edge, Shihaam Domingo led a ceremony to launch the Princess sculpture.
“The water connects us, the plants are medicine, the water is medicine… the princess would walk here and teach her children about the plants and the animals… Be like the princess, find that connection again,” said Ms Domingo.
The ceremony was also attended by Zolani Mahola, former lead singer of group Freshlyground.
Ms Mahola called on the spirit of the Princess: “We all came from somewhere and we came onto this planet, and we are nature, we are not separate from nature, and so we look after it as we look after ourselves.”
Ms Zolani enthralled the gathering by singing Doo be Doo, Freshly Grounds iconic song and launched the sculpture that was created by members of the Princess Vlei Forum, the Peter Clarke Art Centre, and pupils from Lotus High.
It stands on a floating platform planted with indigenous Cape freshwater lowland plants and is situated approximately 30 metres from the shore.
“It forms part of the Princess Vlei Forum’s creative education programme to generate passion for nature amongst local school learners, and to use the area as a living classroom to raise environmental awareness and was made possible by funding from the City of Cape Town’s Grant in aid,” said Ms Pitt.
