Ear-blasting music and the loud squeals of delight from young children permeated the air south of Joburg when the #CyaZeeVocaVoca mobile stage truck pulled through with its adrenalin-filled fitness activities.
As non-stop thumping beats blasted through the truck’s largely articulated speakers – mounted at its rear and front – hordes of participants sweated it out on the tarmac doing gruelling, upbeat aerobics.
With the winter season beckoning, autumn was a little friendly on Saturday, 22 May, presenting sunny weather and clear blue skies, as Region F pulled out all the stops to organise the most exciting and active #CyaZeeVocaVoca healthy lifestyle programme yet.
Scores of enthusiastic young children wearing facemasks played indigenous games on decorated tables, while several others took part in a short but rigorous boot camp for would-be footballers on the grounds of the Southern Suburbs Sports and Recreation Centre.
Other attendees who had occupied a secluded south-western part of the sporting fields managed to ignore the high-pitched music to practice yoga and meditation, soothing the frustration and anxiety brought on by Covid-19 afflictions.
Plenty of other youngsters from the local community joined a story reading programme hosted by Region F’s library directorate and were handed out piles of novels, self-help and other books to take home.
By midday, the typical suburban silence and peace on Berg Street in Rosettenville had been pierced by the high energy workouts, the hive of activity and loud music.
Dressed in black City-branded sports attire with matching sneakers, pants and a cap, the MMC for Community Development, Cllr Margaret Arnolds was taken through her paces as she joined participants in all of the day’s activities.
A Citywide initiative designed to encourage residents to switch to healthier lifestyles, #CyaZeeVocaVoca happens every weekend under strict Covid-19 regulations. Championed by Cllr Arnolds, the initiative aims to promote a healthy lifestyle among Joburg residents rather than dieting.
“Through #CyaZeeVocaVoca, we want to ensure the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t dominate people; that it gets to be regarded as a normal illness which cannot restrict people from leading normal lives,” she explains.
MMC Arnolds says the message of #CyaZeeVocaVoca dovetails with awareness for people to observe precautionary measures against the Coronavirus.
“We want to encourage people to live healthy, eat healthily and continue to observe Covid-19 protocols, whilst leading normal lives,” she says.
Elsewhere on the sporting fields, exhibitors – Old Mutual, South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), City Power, Region F libraries and Joburg Water – erected stalls to give out generic information.
MMC Arnolds says given the success of Region F’s #CyaZeeVocaVoca programme, the City will now develop a blueprint for the hosting of future events, guided by community needs.
“We’re teaching young people how to read, to protect themselves against Covid-19, not to use drugs no matter how much they’re pressured and to live healthy lifestyles,” she adds.
The next #CyaZeeVocaVoca healthy lifestyle programme will be held in Diepkloof, Soweto.