Leonsdale is looking brighter and lighter after a dreary council flat got a new lick of paint thanks to a local artist.
Isaac Lawrence, along with ward councillor Franchesca Walker and a group of fellow eager parents determined to remove gang graffiti, were hard at work at Warwick Place this week.
Walker said the 50-year-old Isaac, fondly known as Uncle Sakkie, has become popular among residents for creating colourful works of art in public spaces.
“Along with the park clean-ups this week, the parents also started a painting project to remove gang graffiti and ugly slogans on our council blocks,” she explained.
“Uncle Sakkie has been volunteering for years and is self-taught. He did the murals at the Leonsdale Library and at the trauma room at Elsies River Saps.
“He came on board to assist the parents who helped gather donations to give him something for his hard work.”
Uncle Sakkie told the Daily Voice he opted for a mural of Table Mountain to give laaities something to aspire to.
“I grew up in Leonsdale and always use my talent to help the community. The graffiti is filled with gangs marking their turfs and negative messages for our children,” the father explained.
“The children see what they do and copy them and I wanted to show the children that you can use art for good. Many of our children have never even been to Table Mountain or up the cable car.
“This is a way of showing them there is life outside of Leonsdale and to encourage them to work hard and stay away from crime.”