Just off the N1, between Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, lies the town with a crown in its name!

Kroonstad, a kykNET Kwêla Town of the Year, honoured for its spick-and-span streets, its welcoming Plattleland ambience, its pioneering legacy as the first town in the old Orange Free State republic, and above all, its roll-up-your-sleeves-and-fix-things community spirit.

Not too many years ago, Kroonstad was in such a state of despair and disrepair, that a group of residents marched on the mayor’s office, bearing placards that read “Ons is Gatvol”.

And they weren’t referring only to the cavernous potholes that laced the town’s roads and kept curious visitors from meandering off the freeway.

Vital infrastructure was breaking down, the streets were clogged with litter, traffic lights were on the blink, and a poorly maintained pumping system left thousands without water.

Protests, petitions, and Facebook lobby groups had little effect, but you know what they say in the Free State: ‘n Boer maak ‘n plan.

That plan is Ignite & Revive Kroonstad, founded in 2016 by André van Pletzen, who owns a furniture and décor store in the town.

Inspired by the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, which tells the story of the rebuilding of the besieged city of Jerusalem, André came up with what he calls the Nehemiah Principle.

“This simply means that every South African cleans up in front of their homes, every business cleans up in front of their business, and every government and municipal official cleans up in front of their workplace,” he explains.

In Kroonstad, that meant a whole lot of cleaning up. Joining forces with other business owners, residents’ groups, and the Moqhaka Local Municipality — Moqhaka is the Sesotho word for “crown” — André drew up a plan to revive, repair, and beautify the town, beginning with its three main entrances.

Today, visitors to Kroonstad are greeted by beautifully maintained traffic circles and islands, inlaid with river pebble arrangements, fringed by indigenous plants, and cooled by jets of crystal-clear water.

Each island or circle is adopted by a local business, with the right to advertise on hoardings in exchange for the upkeep.

It’s a model of symbiosis that finds an evocative echo in the Sarel Cilliers bridge, also known as the Wawielbrug, that arches like a wagon wheel across the Valsrivier.

For André, the bridge that defines Ignite and Revive is the bridge between the people of the town.
“I have a burning flame in my heart,” says André. “I have the best team in South Africa, and the flame also burns in their hearts. We take hands with everyone, wherever we can. We believe together, ‘Let’s make South Africa great!'”

His enthusiasm is shared by many in the town, including Khojane Madiba, head of tourism at the Moghaka Local Municipality.

“I work hand-in-hand with Ignite & Revive,” he says. “We respect each other. We have one vision and one aim. We try to do our best for the town, to attract people to take a Sho’t Left into Kroonstad.”

That’s a lot easier to do these days, thanks to the work teams and volunteers who have helped to fill in the potholes, remove the litter, sweep the pavements clean, and paint the walls in fresh, bright colours.

But these are not just cosmetic improvements that please the eye. A town that looks good, a town that works, a town where people work together, will be a town that draws a crowd, for all the right reasons.

The once fading and decrepit Morewag swimming pool, restored as part of Ignite & Revive, is now a sparkling venue for provincial swimming galas, and the “Welcome, Welkom, U amoneleile” sign at the threshold of the town beckons thousands of visitors to Kroonstad’s cultural festivals, including the Homebrew Festival, the Ignite & Revive Festival, and the Mozolo Potjiekos Festival.

But as much as André and his fellow Igniters & Revivers have reason to celebrate the campaign’s achievements, he stresses that active citizenship, by definition, is a collective endeavour for the greater good.

“If you’re looking for significance and a pat on the back, if you want people to thank you the whole time for what you’re doing, then you’re doing it for the wrong reason,” he says. The right reason is because it makes a difference.

You can roll up your sleeves, you can make your town pretty, you can improve your town.

But more than that, one doorstep, one sidewalk, one traffic island at a time, you can give people hope and make them feel proud, by putting the crown back in the town.

Vrystaatbewoners, produced by BrightRock, can be viewed on dsTV Streaming.