Cape Town, South Africa — Beneath the winter sun in Bonteheuwel, a simple plaque was unveiled, but it represented something far greater than stone and metal. It stands as a lasting tribute to years of unwavering commitment by the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies, the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Peace Committee, and community partners who have transformed a once-neglected space into a living symbol of hope, healing, and peace.
The special ceremony welcomed the IWPG Global Region 6 leadership delegation from South Korea alongside local community leaders, residents, faith representatives, and the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies. The programme began with a Peace Committee meeting before guests gathered at the Peace Garden for a morning filled with reflection, celebration, and shared purpose.
The event opened with a warm welcome from Soraya Salie, founder of the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies, followed by interfaith prayers led by Christian and Muslim faith representatives, reflecting the community’s commitment to peace across cultures and religions. Councillor Mzwakhe Nqavashe joined the celebration and commended the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies for their unwavering dedication to serving their community through peacebuilding, environmental stewardship and creating safe spaces where residents can come together. He praised the initiative as a shining example of how local leadership and ordinary citizens can build a more peaceful society.
Representatives from IWPG shared words of encouragement before the official unveiling of the commemorative plaque by the IWPG Global Region 6 delegation and the IWPG Peace Committee. The unveiling marked a significant milestone in recognising years of grassroots peacebuilding led by the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies and their collaboration with IWPG.
Throughout the morning, many laughs and tears were exchanged as residents reflected on years of perseverance, shared stories of hardship, remembered loved ones, and celebrated the transformation that the Peace Garden has brought to the community. Visitors witnessed not only a beautiful garden, but a space that has become a sanctuary for healing, dialogue, learning and reconciliation. Guiding guests through the Peace Garden, Soraya Salie shared the vision that continues to inspire the project, “I want this garden to become a mini Kirstenbosch, so that many young people may learn and grow through this garden.”
Her vision reflects the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies’ commitment to nurturing both the environment and the next generation. More than a place of beauty, the Peace Garden has become a living classroom where children, families and neighbours come together to learn about food security, environmental responsibility, community service and peaceful coexistence.
Following the tour, So Young Park, Director of IWPG Global Region 6, reflected on the significance of seeing the project firsthand, “We always knew of the work done by the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies and the collaboration of IWPG. However, today we got to see the depth of the work of peace happening in Cape Town through them and the impact of the work.”
Her remarks highlighted one of IWPG’s core principles, that lasting peace is not only achieved through international dialogue, but through communities choosing every day to care for one another, restore dignity and create environments where peace can flourish. IWPG Southern Africa Branch Manager Faith Van Wyk praised the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies for demonstrating what community-led peacebuilding looks like in practice, “I will take this example of the work and share with the people of Johannesburg what the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies are doing in Cape Town.”
Her words reflected IWPG’s vision of sharing successful peace initiatives across communities, ensuring that inspiring local models can encourage similar efforts throughout Southern Africa. The morning concluded with a heartfelt vote of thanks before the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies celebrated the occasion through song and dance, bringing smiles to guests from South Africa and South Korea alike. Volunteers then worked together to carefully clean and restore the garden, demonstrating that service to the community continues long after ceremonies have ended.
The unveiling of the plaque represents far more than the recognition of a garden. It celebrates years of women quietly choosing peace over division, compassion over conflict and action over despair. It honours a partnership between local residents and IWPG that continues to prove that sustainable peace begins in neighbourhoods, through everyday acts of kindness, shared responsibility and collective hope.
As flowers continue to bloom within the Peace Garden, the newly unveiled plaque will serve as a permanent reminder that peace is not merely spoken about, it is planted, nurtured and lived. In Bonteheuwel, the Bonteheuwel Walking Ladies have shown that when communities come together with purpose, even the smallest seeds can grow into lasting symbols of peace for generations to come.