RE-OPENS BOTANICAL GARDENS

The Mayor of Maputo, David Simango, on Monday re-opened the Tunduru botanical gardens, in the heart of the city, after more than two years of rehabilitation.The rehabilitation cost 170 million meticais (about 3.7 million US dollars, at current exchange rates), funded by Maputo Municipal Council and its partners, the national ports and rail company, CFM, and the Vale Foundation, set up by the Brazilian mining giant, Vale.The rehabilitation contract was awarded to the Mozambican construction company CETA. Work began in October 2013, and should have been concluded by 2014. Successive delays led to an overrun of 14 months. The work included rehabilitation of the old greenhouse, and construction of a new one, improving the paths, the fencing and the public benches, and installing a new sanitation and irrigation system. The re-inauguration ceremony was held in the gardens themselves, as birds and butterflies flitted overhead, and a colony of bats squawked from their roosts in the treetops.

The Tunduru Gardens are over a century old, and they have acquired a rich collection of trees, shrubs and flowers. They form a green and peaceful oasis, just a stone’s throw from some of the city’s busiest streets. “This is a place for inspiration, as well as a scientific facility for botanical research”, declared Simango. “It is an important contribution to conservation and sustainability”.He urged the citizens of Maputo to take good care of the gardens. “We cannot allow the Tunduru to fall into ruins”, said Simango, “and we cannot let it become a dormitory. Our objective, apart from the need to preserve this marvelous space, is to give back to our citizens a pleasant and inspiring space”. It had been feared that the gardens would be crammed with shops and fast food outlets, but nothing of the sort has happened. The main new installation is an unobtrusive tourist information centre. The Maputo Tennis Club and an adjacent bar and restaurant were already in the gardens, and continued to operate throughout the rehabilitation.One new restaurant will be permitted, at the bottom of the gardens, near the post office, in order to bring in revenue for the Municipal Council. One major change is that municipal police will be on duty in the gardens, and there will be full time administrative and maintenance staff, including engineers.