The Emmarentia Residents Association (ERA) is mourning the tragic passing of Gemey Abrahams, a professional town planner and one of ERA’s key Executive Committee members, who was killed in a car accident on 13 December. Gemey had served on ERA’s executive committee for more than 25 years as a vital and active member. For some years she served as its chairperson, but mostly held the heritage, town planning and building portfolio always giving wise advice on all ERA matters and acting on behalf of the Louw Geldenhuys Trust. She believed passionately that everyone should follow the law and the municipal bylaws and persistently followed up with the City’s institutions to ensure that illegal land uses, illegal building/renovations, illegal advertising boards were dealt with. Nor was she afraid to take on developers, drawing up solid, lengthy arguments on behalf of residents and defending these arguments at the City’s Tribunal hearings. She shared her expertise widely and generously with other Residents’ Associations and with the JoburgCAN team with JoburgCAN’s Julia Fish describing this assistance to community groups as “irreplaceable”. Gemey was a passionate and natural runner. She loved living in Emmarentia, its spaces to run in, and particularly its history, and that of its buildings. When they were young, her children, Jess and Stirling, atttended Emmarentia Primary School (EPS) and later moved on to Parktown Girls and Boys respectively. Gemey was an active parent, serving on the School Governing Body at EPS and at Parktown Boys while her children were there. Her wide range of skills even stretched to designing costumes for the annual EPS school play and guided by her expertise, less skilled mothers sewed the required costumes ranging from pirates and the ‘lost children’ in Peter Pan to giant rats! Nothing was ever too much for Gemey. She always had a smile for everyone and despite working full-time on her own professional town planning work, always found space to represent residents, almost entirely at her own cost. ERA extends our sincere condolences to her family, particularly to Jess and Stirling, her partner Will and to all who knew and worked with her. We have lost a friend, an adviser and a fighter for justice. May her soul rest in peace.
AS OUTLINE IN THE APPLICATION IN TERMS OF SECTION 26 OF THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG MUNICIPAL PLANNING BY LAW, 2016, AS AMENDED 2023, FOR THE TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT ON PORTIONS 246 AND 247 OF THE FARM BRAAMFONTEIN 53-IR – NO REFERENCE NUMBER PROVIDED BY APPLICANT
The Emmarentia Residents’ Association (ERA) hereby objects to the above application. The ERA is a long-standing Residents’ Association and has an interest in, and strong bona fides for the planning and development of the suburb for and with our residents. This interest includes ensuring that our suburb is not prejudiced by the impact of developments in nearby areas. Our understanding is that application is to establish a township on two portions of farmland that are owned by the City of Johannesburg and are zoned Public Open Space. The proposed sites also include part of the Braamfontein Spruit, which part is designated as a critical biodiversity area on City Plans. We are aware that the City has had difficulties implementing its bylaws on the illegal occupation and the protection and management of its Public Open Space (POS) zoned land, which resulted in the sites having illegal occupants and the consequential ecological degradation of parts of the sites. These sites were the former Parkhurst Bowls Club.
1) While the ERA is objecting to this specific application, as advertised for public comment, it is not opposed to the appropriate development of part of the site in the future. We recognise that the sites are part of an important network of public and natural open spaces that traverse across Emmarentia (and Melville, Greenside, Linden, Parkhurst) and are of benefit to local residents, to the wider ecosystem and to future generations, but that parts of these sites, possibly those portions which were previously developed as the bowls club, may be suitable for a sustainable infill development, in keeping with the local area. On this basis, ERA submits the following key points of objection to the application, as advertised. We note that these are summarised points and reasons, and we reserve our right to elaborate more fully on these at the Tribunal hearing and to add further points.
The location of the development is unsuitable for the rights applied for: This means that the type of development intended through the exercise of the proposed rights is not suitable for the site. The reasons for this include: a) that the application sites are not located on a main arterial or key transit route which would be required for a regional shopping centre and housing development of this scale; b) that the location of the site adjacent to public open spaces to the north and south, a low density Residential 1 row of houses along the east boundary and a gated office park to the west, making this a low key, largely residential area; c) The location of the site as part of a greenbelt indicates that the extent of the rights applied for should take cognisance of this open space context; d) That the locational context shows that within a radius of 2,5km, there are already several shopping facilities including Victory Park Shopping Centre, the proposed Greenwood Square Shopping Centre, the Greenside Shopping Strip along Gleneagles Road, the Greenside Shopping Centre, the Parkhurst Village, and the Emmarentia local Shopping node at Greenhill Road; e) The application to include 4-storey residential units abutting a low-height, single Residential (Residential 1 zoning) area is contrary to City planning policies and guidelines.
The scale of the development is neither necessary nor in keeping with the area: While the nature of the rights applied for are not in keeping with the location as mentioned in Point 1 above, the scale or intensity of the rights applied for are also not appropriate for the sites: a) Erf 1 is only 26 306m2 in extent, and the application is for 25 000m2 of Gross Leasable Area for business zoning. This is excessive for the site, given that the ground conditions do not allow for any basement parking and parking is to be accommodated; b) Likewise, the application on Erf 2 for affordable housing at 200 units per hectare is not in keeping with its surrounds, nor is this density aligned to City planning policies. c) It is unclear why the sites require such excessive rights given that there is a functional hierarchy of shopping centres already operating in the wider Region and this will this development does not fit with this, resulting in a disruptive, negative impact on this hierarchy which will undoubtedly negatively impact the existing urban fabric, including the local Emmarentia shopping areas.
The rights applied for are inaccurate, confusing and unsuitable for the development: the application has several inconsistencies, making it difficult to understand exactly what is being applied for, in terms of the land use rights and development concept: a) Specialist reports describe the development differently (e.g. the geotechnical report says 2 storey walk-ups for the residential component and single storey shopping, but the application says ‘as per scheme’ which allows 2 storey Business 1); Also, Erf 2 cannot achieve 4 storeys if the as per scheme conditions in the application are applied) b) The land uses applied for are not all defined in the Johannesburg Land Use Scheme – a drive through taxi rank is not in the scheme; plant nursery is also not in the scheme; c) Certain rights applied for as primary rights are not compatible with Business 1 uses – builders yard uses are found in Industrial zones: ERA cannot support such an anomaly that will introduce industrial-related uses into our wider, mostly residential area; d) No attempt is made to tailor any of the land uses to the site: ERA objects to the inclusion of land uses such as motor car sales lots, motor showrooms, warehousing, funeral parlour and shebeen/tavern either as primary or secondary rights. These need to be specifically excluded; e) Floor area, coverage and density calculation are confusing and obscure: ERA has tried unsuccessfully to do the calculations for these. The application should simply explain these more clearly so that everyone understands the extent of the rights applied for; f) NO draft conditions of establishment are included which would confirm more clearly the development intentions and the conditions that will direct the development. This is an unprofessional omission; g) The exclusion of covered parking from the coverage is not supported: the overall site is environmentally sensitive and to cover the extent proposed with covered, paved parking areas will be detrimental to the area, affecting not only the environmental aspects of stormwater runoff but the site’s amenity (and its compliance with the Bylaw Section 5). h) The parking requirements as applied for, are not aligned to the Land Use Scheme and unlikely to be met on site; i) Importantly, both sites are the subject of a township establishment application, yet no attempt is made to subdivide the open space areas from the ‘development portions’, resulting in 2 erven that were zoned Public Open Space now being designated as Business 1 and Residential 3. No consideration is given to subdividing off the sensitive floodline, riverine and critical biodiversity areas and keeping them zoned as Public Open Space to protect them and bring greater coherence to the development intent and rights applied for. On this basis alone, the application should fail.
The Motivational Memorandum is inadequate in providing accurate and necessary information. There are several shortcomings in the Motivational Memorandum including: a) The absence of any motivation of the NEED for this land use in this location as required by the Bylaw Section 5. This is a peremptory legal requirement, not a request. b) There is NO empirical evidence provided on the nearby shopping facilities, their floor areas and composition and target market segment to support any need for additional retail facilities; c) By the same token, there is NO evidence provided that the local area requires this amount, typology and density of housing at this location; d) There is NO motivation for the need for the drive through taxi rank or the plant nursery; e) There is NO evidence provided that this development will not affect the amenity of the surrounding area, as required in Section 5 of the Bylaw.
The application was not a complete application, as required, when submitted: This contravention is distressing to residents who need to comment on the application within a short period and had to wait to obtain the full set of reports. a) ERA had to request the title deeds which did not seem to form part of the application; b) The Traffic Impact Study and the Outline Scheme Report were only sent to interested parties well into the advertising period; c) The application includes no market study which would be necessary for a shopping centre of this magnitude.
The application cannot be approved as certain title deed restrictions remain: a) The application incorrectly states that there are NO title deed restrictions and as a result does not include a (simultaneous) removal of restrictions application; b) The land forming the river and adjacent riverine land has rights in favour of another party; c) The use of the land is for recreational purposes only.
The application will seriously impact the traffic circulation patterns, affecting Emmarentia and the whole western sector of Johannesburg: a) Tana Road – Victory Road form a crucial part of the east-west traffic network in Johannesburg. These links are very weak compared to the north-south network (Oxford/Jan Smuts/Barry Hertzog/Beyers Naude) and subject to increasing congestion and need to continue to provide this function unimpeded; b) A development such as this will add significant traffic at this point, to the route, contrary to its function as a link road to move traffic east-west; c) The Traffic Impact Study, recognises the failing intersections of Tana and Victory roads with Barry Hertzog Ave, indicating a high impact once the development is completed, yet insignificant measures are proposed to address this problem; d) The Traffic Impact Study and the application propose a hypothetical, speculative (and probably highly impractical) additional entrance onto Rustenburg Road (Barry Hertzog Ave) to serve the development. This may well be required and will seriously impact on the traffic flow to and from Emmarentia and be unsafe for all users of this section of Barry Hertzog Avenue, if implemented. It would seem that the developer would not make contributions to any road improvements.
ERAs is opposed to any development in Emmarentia and surrounding areas that will put additional strain on municipal infrastructure services: the application is misleading and lacking in any accurate information on the services in the area: a) The residents of Emmarentia and Greenside have had to suffer inordinate deprivation of services over the past 3 years, due to failures of supply and maintenance by the City. The City should not support any application without clear evidence that it will not negatively impact existing residents and businesses; b) Victory Park, Greenside, Parkhurst are areas that were established back to the 1940’s and early 1950’s so the existing infrastructure is 70 – 80 years’ old and may not be able to support the additional stress, even if the capacity is sufficient. The Emmarentia Residents’ Association is appreciative of the opportunity to comment on this application. Unfortunately, in its current form the application has several fatal flaws, in addition to lacking any sound town planning merits for it to be supported by ERA. ERA reserves its rights to present more detailed reasons in due course and remains committed to supporting development in our area that is sustainable and results in the improved quality of life for our residents and neighbouring communities. Gemey Abrahams – Professional Planner A/1270/2003 The Emmarentia Residents’ Association (ERA) The Head of the Planning Building and Heritage Portfolio of EXCO Tel: 082 459 5266 gemeyabrahams60@gmail.com On behalf of Saber Manjoo Chairman Emmarentia Residents’ Association tel: 084 799 7860 saber@directrewards.co.za ERA email contact: info@era.org.za cc. nicolene@ward88jhb.net
The Emmarentia Residents’ Association (ERA), in partnership with the Greenside Residents’ Association (GRA) and several other neighbouring RAs have been engaging with the developers on the proposed Victory Park Ext 36 (Old Parkhurst Bowls Club that was invaded by squatters), in connection with the development application they have submitted to the City of Johannesburg.
The site is owned by the City (managed by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC)) who put it out to tender for development. The successful bidder has now submitted a town planning application to develop the site for a 25 000m2 shopping centre and 204, 4 storey affordable apartments along with a taxi rank and substantial parking to serve the development.
ERA believes that the development will have an impact on our suburb and we invite any residents to read the application and if it impacts you, to please submit an objection. Deadline to submit is 11 July.
While it is encouraging that the site was cleared of illegal occupants ahead of this application, ERA believes that it is important that an appropriate development, that will benefit the wider community, occurs on the site.
In support of our neighbouring RAs, and because of the nature of the application itself, ERA will submit an objection to the application as it stands. This is mainly because of the scale of the commercial rights they have applied for and the consequent likely traffic impacts. The extent of the commercial rights applied for will impact negatively on our local shops and the proposed new shopping centre in Emmarentia (Greenwood Square), causing a decline in the heart of our suburb. The traffic that the development will generate will also be considerable and impact mostly Tana Road and Barry Hertzog Avenue – roads our residents use daily.
Alternatively, JoburgCAN, an organisation that supports resident associations and is a watchdog of clean and transparent local government, is also concerned about this development and has prepared a digital objection form that will make it easier for you to prepare your objection. Find it here: https://forms.joburgcan.org.za/form-6860914/coj-rezone-victory-park-x36
It’s your right to engage with this application and we only have until 11 July 2025 to put in an objection. After that, it will be too late.
The week-end 12-13 April saw clean-ups happening in four different areas of Emmarentia:
· Emmarentia security companies (SCP, Beagle and CAP) together with residents and a youth group, cleaned the green area and the spruit/small dam below the big Emmarentia Dam of litter, illegally dumped rubbish bags and other debris. Next clean-up in July; contact Jenny on 072 348 0578 or Saber on 084 799 7860 (community service letters provided)
Thanks to SCP, Beagle Watch and CAP for sending their green teams; thanks to Sunny Shell for providing three workers to assist; to Eastern Temptations for sponsoring bottles of water and to a number of residents for sponsoring their gardeners to assist.
The bottom dam clean-up
Top dam
· A group of dedicated dog-walkers and weeders with City Parks employees and contractors attacked the banks of the top dam in Emmarentia park – next clean-up will target cleaning the spruit – Meet at Orange Road entrance to the Park, Saturday 10 May 8-12.00; contact Sam on 072 581 0624; Jenny on 072 348 0578 (community service letters provided)· Dabulamanzi Canoe Club cleaned and cleared the banks at Emmarentia Dam. Contact Elandrie 079 588 8918 to find out when the next one is.
The top dam clean-up
· Weed warriors on Melville Koppies are clearing blackjacks, khakibos and other weeds from the nature reserve/heritage site – every Sunday from 8-11.30. More details, contact Elsje – 082 490 4675
A Melville Koppies weed warrior tackles the black jacks
· Dabulamanzi Canoe Club cleaned and cleared the banks at Emmarentia Dam. Contact Elandrie 079 588 8918 to find out when the next one is.
There’s a quiet movement growing in many countries across the world to tackle the environmental crisis weed by weed and plastic bag by plastic bag. In Emmarentia we are lucky to have numerous opportunities to help out just a walk or short ride away.
Not only will you be ridding these special places of litter and invasive alien plants to allow the indigenous flora to come back and thrive, the time you spend is also guaranteed to make you feel better: read here for first-hand experience from someone across the seas. And if you do take part, let us know how it went. Just a warning… many are reporting that they have become weed warrior addicts, needing that fix regularly to keep them going!
Top dam at Emmarentia Park – 1 February
A group of regular dog-walkers at the Emmarentia Park are organising a clean-up of litter and of invasive weeds on 1 February at the top dam. Come and join them and be prepared to get dirty. Wear suitable clothes and bring water and a snack.
More details:
Contact Sam 072 581 0624 Melissa 082 429 4842 – or see here
These are the weeds that are going to be dug up at the top dam in Emmarentia
Melville Koppies Central (Nature Reserve) – most Sunday mornings between 8-11.30am
Currently the team is working along the perimeter of the fence adjacent to Judith Road.
Contact Else on 082 490 4675
Weeders tackling the invasive weeds along the fence on Judith Road so they don’t spread into the nature reserve
Melville Koppies West – 9 February Koppies West Work Party: 9th February 2025 8am – 10am
Two-hour work party on Melville Koppies West Sunday 9th February 8am – 10am. Please join and contribute to sustaining Koppies West’s indigenous ecosystem and beauty.
This work party will focus on clearing invasive species (primarily lantana, but also bugweed, syringa, and wattle) and remove litter, from the western end of the top ridge.
If you can join the work party, please come with gardening gloves, working clothes and strong boots/shoes. If you have, please also bring secateurs, garden loppers, and hand saws. Don’t worry if you don’t have these, we have extra tools. We will also provide bags for collecting litter.
Meet from 7.45am, for a 8am start, at the 3rd Avenue entrance to Koppies West (the normal starting point for Saturday walks). There will be informal security.
If you have any questions, please Whatsapp either Brandon on 071 688 4924 or David on 082 789 1265
A group of regular dog-walkers at the Emmarentia Park are organising a clean-up of litter and of invasive weeds on 1 February at the top dam. Come and join them and be prepared to get dirty. Wear suitable clothes and bring water and a snack.
Through the generous donation of a Louw Geldenhuys Drive (LG) resident, ERA arranged for the clearing of undergrowth on both the corners of LG and Olifants Road and cleared the entire dam embankment of weeds and alien invasive trees.
“Visibility has improved and the area looks way better,” says ERA’s Saber Manjoo. “Thank you to the resident and we encourage others to approach us to see how you can get involved to help improve our area,” says Manjoo.
If you’d like to help in any way, contact Saber Manjoo on 0847997860 or e-mail info@era.org.za
Sipho Ngcobo* slept on the streets and had a substance abuse problem.
“If someone gave me food, clothes or money, I’d sell the food and clothes and use all the money to buy my next fix,” he says.
Then he met U-turn Homeless Organisation and his life changed. They enrolled him in their 4-phase programme. First, they put him through three months of rehab and helped him beat his addiction.
He has been clean now for 13 months. “Phase two helped me understand that I did this to myself. I stopped acting like a victim and started believing in my own ability again.”
The programme also gave him basic computer training and helped him get a driver’s licence. Today he works in the U-turn charity shop and is paid a stipend and has gone back to live with his family in Soweto.
Buy vouchers
U-turn encourages people to buy vouchers for people living on the street instead of giving them money, clothes or food directly which can just feed their substance addiction.
A pack of four vouchers costs R50 and each voucher gives a person a choice of a shower, clothing or a meal which they can redeem at a U-turn branch in Northcliff. You can purchase these vouchers at Tshepo Community Development Initiative in Northcliff or U-turn in Melville.
Donate
See here to find out about some organisations that are supporting the homeless in our area and what kinds of help they need. (This list excludes the big, well-known organisations e.g. Gift of the Givers etc.)
Then there’s the Let’s Work project in Ward 88 that is continuing with their daily parks patrols “advising [those sleeping there] that it is against the bylaws to live/bathe/cook in a park or public open space and that if anyone is needing assistance with going to a shelter, we are there to help,” says Let’s Work’s Felicity Gratz-Lawlor.
The Let’s Work team employs people who were once on the street and helps to move on those breaking the bylaws in the parks
Recently they also organised their team to do a night patrol in the open green spaces below the Emmarentia Dam.
The NPO always welcomes donations so that they can continue to help clean up suburbs and keep educating the homeless.
Shelters
There are shelters that you can refer the homeless to but these are in short supply. The two closest are: Immaculata Hall at 17 Sturdee Road, Rosebank (011 447 9801) and the government’s Windsor West shelter, 21 Knights Ave. (073 253 1524/011 478 7009)
Ideas?
If anyone knows other organisations that help, please e-mail us on info@era.org.za and we will add them to the list on the website.
* Not his real name.
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What’s inside
At ERA’s AGM in October, we were asked many questions by those that attended. Much of this newsletter tries to answer some of these.
One of the biggest concerns people raised is how to deal with the homeless and those less fortunate than ourselves, especially after the vast majority of people who were living illegally at the Parkhurst Bowls Club were evicted.
The authorities are encouraging us not to help those sleeping rough.
This doesn’t sit well with many of us. Most of us have been taught from Day 1 that we must help others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. The message has been reinforced by all the diverse religions that we belong to.
And that makes it difficult for us not to give when someone comes to our gate needing food, money or clothes. Ngcobo’s story on this page tells us that this may not be the best response.
Instead we’ve given you other ideas of how you can help without exacerbating a person’s substance abuse problem.
And if you see someone camped illegally in the open green spaces at night, call your security company, JMPD on 011 490 1538/011 375 5911 or SAPS on 071 675 6065.
ERA newsletter
Great news is that experienced copy writer, editor and trainer, Felicity Levine, has joined ERA’s EXCO and is helping to edit and write stories and is willing to give free writing and editing help to anyone that submits. Send us your stories to info@era.org.za or contact Felicity directly on 082 859 3118.
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Water woes continue – time to be active
As many suburbs (including Emmarentia) sit for the fourth day without water or just a trickle, a protest took place on Wednesday 27 in Westbury and another is planned for Thursday 28 November. (see the poster)
Read JoburgCAN’s Julia Fish’s succinct analysis of why Joburg has a water crisis in its March 2024 newsletter.
Ferrial Adam, herself an Emmarentia resident and CEO of WaterCAN, told residents at the recent ERA AGM that the time for sitting back and waiting for the water problems to be solved was over. Her graphics on the right put it clearly.
Since the AGM, Emmarentia’s Vaunn Kelly has agreed to work with ERA and focus on the water issue to try and get to the bottom of the particular problems that we experience in this suburb and to try and find solutions.
Kelly sent key questions to the MMC of environment and infrastructure, Cllr Jack Sekwaila. See the brief answers that were received Emmarentia water blues below.
Help needed
Contact us on info@era.org.za if you’d like to help us get on top of our water crisis or join a water action.
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Mute, mute Marks Park!
Emmarentia residents have been up in arms about noisy weekend concerts held at Marks Park. This emerged strongly at the ERA AGM in October. Who gets the revenue and what would happen if we clamped down on weekend concerts, residents wanted to know. Emmarentia Post spoke to Marks Park’s treasurer and acting manager, Antony Brady.
The beautiful old Marks Park clubhouse was once the home of Frans Geldenhuys and his family. Built in 1904 it has heritage status. Today it is an NPO, Marks Park Sports Club (MPSC), with a 20-year lease from the City. Sports on offer range from kettlebells, wrestling, tennis, LSM cricket, cricket, rugby, croquet, archery, baseball, and recently padel tennis.
Here is the rub: Like all old buildings Marks Park needs maintenance and it is struggling to pay the bills. About a quarter of its annual income (close to R7m in 2023) comes from the City of Johannesburg, says MPSC acting manager and treasurer, Antony Brady. The rest needs to be raised from Club membership fees, individual clubhouse rental and hire of sports facilities.
Budgeted income goes to maintaining the historical building with its ageing infrastructure, sewerage and water pipes and roads. The balance goes to paying staff and insurance on the buildings and utilities.
“Since 2019 we have spent more than R2m maintaining underground infrastructure, buildings and roads,” maintains Brady. “City Parks depot, adjacent to Marks Park, brings in heavy trucks and tractors which damage our roads.”
Budgeting for “improved water management” is also on their future spending agenda given the problems the entire Emmarentia is facing.
Lucrative events
According to Brady weekend concerts and large sporting events like the Spar Race are lucrative events. However even here, “sometimes the COJ informs us they are ‘in partnership’ with the event organiser and they take the entire usage fee or reduce it considerably. He estimates that Marks Park loses approximately R500 000 a year from subsidising events.
While the new Padel courts look like a good income earner, Brady says the courts were financed and developed by a private company which pays a monthly usage fee to Marks Park. Other clubs with Padel courts rely on income from the sale of alcohol to these players to boost the Club’s income. However Brady believes the vast majority of Padel players are non-drinkers.
Ban the concerts?
“The Club would battle to survive without the concerts that take place,” says Brady. Moreover, COJ is “bankrupt and is giving less and less assistance while making more demands for use of facilities without paying fees,” he says. Without income from the concerts, “The Club would have to push up the membership fees considerably, and increase the venue hire fees to try and cover any shortfall. All of this would impact the sporting sections. Perhaps people can leave an endowment in their Will to the Club?”
Brady says that concert organisers are amenable to investing money to try and lessen the impact of concerts on residents, more specifically the noise.
ERA is working hard to ensure big events manage illegal carguards who often encourage attendees to park illegally
Best practice
In the meantime, ERA is working hard to get event organisers to comply with best practice: proper management of parking and illegal carguards, litter, noise etc. to reduce the impact on residents.
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Events—Nov/Dec 2024
Botanic Gardens
30 Nov-1 Dec – Linden Market
Marks Park
30 November – J Cooper
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Where does Johannesburg Botanic Gardens income from events go?
Dr. Vuyokazi Nkomo, executive manager, business development, Joburg City Parks, responds
All revenue generated in the City and not limited to events, is deposited in a central account managed by the CoJ’s treasury department. On an annual basis, the city then allocates a fixed budget for operations and capital infrastructure. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo cannot utilise the income generated from the leasing out of its facilities and this is the same for income generated from burials, cremations, entrance to the zoo, etc.
While the City is not dependent on revenue generated from events, it is critical that effective use of public spaces is encouraged to foster cohesion, celebrate the arts, provide residents with outdoor entertainment for their well-being and to seek partnerships to alleviate the financial burden by JCPZ, of hosting well-managed events.
Limit events
In the case of the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens (JBG), the events team has supported the call to limit events and only one large event is allowed per quarter. We are however going into the festive season and anticipate an increase in visitor numbers over the next two months. All gatherings of over 20 people need to apply and pay the required minimum to secure a letter of approval.
Residents living in close proximity to the JBG are kindly requested to be tolerant. JCPZ has increased the number of security personnel deployed to the facility and will act decisively on transgressions.
Residents can report transgressions to JMPD on 011 375 5911.
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Why do residents still pay a fee to the Louw Geldenhuys Family?
Where does the money go?
Emmarentia suburb was established as a township on 28 April 1937 on land owned by Lourens Geldenhuys. After he passed away, his widow and heir, Emmarentia Margaretha Geldenhuys (nee Botha) and her successors developed the land, becoming the “township owner” as recorded in the Deeds Office.
Each property in Emmarentia contained title deed conditions that stated that the township owner must give permission for certain things. Over the years the successors in township title were various Geldenhuys family members.
Township owner rights
As each property is sold and transferred to a new owner, our national title deeds system carries over the previous conditions and so to this day, the Geldenhuys Family (for convenience we call it the Louw Geldenhuys Family or LGF) retains rights in the title deeds as the “township owner”. In your title deeds you will see that the township owner is referred to as the ‘applicant’.
Conditions
While it is the legal responsibility of the City to approve building plans, there are conditions in each of our title deeds that require the township owner to grant permission first. One condition is that plans for house alterations must first be taken to the Louw Geldenhuys Family for ‘approval’ and thereafter submitted to the local authority.
There are also conditions stipulating that the roofing material must be slate, tiles, thatch or shingles unless the township owner gives consent to other materials. Other clauses prescribe the position of outbuildings and the distance you may erect a structure from the street boundary.
All these conditions have contributed to the way the suburb has developed and is maintained to this day. Importantly, the title deed conditions give us extra protection of our property rights compared to an area that does not have an active township owner.
ERA acts on behalf of the LGF / township owner/ applicant and endorses the building plans for the convenience of residents. The process takes time, expertise to assess the conditions that will be applicable, and consultation. The LGF, even before ERA began assisting them, has always charged a fee for this.
Fees
Other areas that still have active township owners charge much higher fees than the LGF. The fee is calculated based on floor area of the alterations you are adding; the minimum fee is R1 400.00. This fee is then shared by the LGF, ERA and the expert who assesses the plans on their behalf.
ERA uses the funds for improvements in Emmarentia e.g. for paying to clear invasive alien plants in the Adopt a Park area.
New Stop signs took years of emails / accident reports and a petition to JRA – supported by Cllr at the time, Bridget Steer.
From Judith Ancer, Greenside RA.
What can be done about the revving and racing of cars late at night?
Please share any video or photo evidence of licence plates of transgressors with info@era.org.za and report to JMPD and SAPS.
Updates
· Top dam repairs
Emmarentia residents expressed concerns to City Parks that the outflow on the top dam was not level so water was favouring the lower side and risked undermining the new dam wall. The high amount of debris from the construction was also registered.
Jane Eagle, a retired City official says “the project engineers are aware of the minor adjustment required to the spillway level to ensure even flow and has advised on an additional gabion for reinforcement.”
We will be keeping an eye on it to see if the adjustments are done. Let us know if you have any other concerns.
· Beware—more fraud
The Parkview CPF is warning that fraudsters are now contacting those who have once before been the victims of fraud. They pretend they want to help the victim get back the money they lost. In doing so, they defraud the victims again! Be careful out there.
· Get rid of old appliances responsibly
If you’ve got an old fridge, washing machine etc. please do not put it on your pavement or give it to waste-pickers. They can’t recycle all of it and what they can’t sell often ends up in our green spaces. Rather call Pikitup on 011 375 5555. They will come and remove it for free.
· Adopt a Park
While ERA waits for official feedback from the City about its request to adopt the open space below Emmarentia Dam, “ERA is pushing ahead with projects to improve the park,” reports ERA’s Saber Manjoo.
Together with City Parks, overgrown trees were trimmed down and City Parks is mowing the grass every 6 weeks. Residents have cut down a grove of invasive bamboo and are keeping it short. Special thanks to Moe Omarjee on Limpopo and his gardener.
Thanks also to Erica, Nadia and Suresh who have been clearing up overgrowth on trees in the park in front of their homes. As a result “the park looks much neater and visibility has improved tremendously, and the spruit is in full flow!”
“Take a walk, go for a run, ride a MTB, take the dogs out and soak in the beauty of the area,” he urges.
Any sponsors e.g. sponsor your gardener, or if you’d like to join a clean-up day, please contact Saber Manjoo 084 799 7860 info@era.org.za
****
Louw Geldenhuys (1864 – 1929) wreath laying on 31 August 2024
Emmarentia’s founder remembered
By: Felicity Levine
As children, we used to peek through the wrought iron gate of the Geldenhuys family cemetery, on our way home from Emmarentia Primary School. We were overawed by all the infant graves, touched by the one that cradled Baba Geldenhuys. I can still see the grey marble and the cherub on the tombstone.
Then over half a century later I received an electronic invitation to a wreath laying at the same small cemetery. It was to commemorate the death of family head and philanthropist, Louw Geldenhuys.
Louw died suddenly of a heart attack on 31 August 1929. He was only 65, yet well above the average age of male death at the time which was 56.
Now on a chilly Saturday morning at the end of August, a group of about 20 is gathering around his tombstone to pay tribute to the man who owned the land that became Emmarentia and Greenside.
Louw’s grandchildren
Fittingly Louw’s great grandchildren are present. There is Anchen Dreyer, Thomas Dreyer and Deon van der Merwe with his son, Francois.
Louw’s great grandchildren, Anchen Dreyer and Thomas Dreyer, stand near the family’s graves with the priest, Charles Rademeyer
There are members of civil society organisations – Jenny Grice and Gemey Abrahams of the Emmarentia Resident’s Association and Wendy Carstens, chairperson of the Friends of Melville Koppies Nature Reserve and Heritage Site.
The little cemetery is stark, but the experience profoundly unifying. Charles Rademeyer, event organiser and spokesperson for the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations (FAK) opens the ceremony. Anchen Dreyer, his great-granddaughter makes an impassioned speech.
“I feel proud and sad at the same time,” she says. “I am proud of my great-grandfather’s legacy of giving and helping others. I am inspired to live up to it. But I am sad when I think of all the suffering they endured.”
Louw gave agency and restored dignity to many Afrikaners left destitute. After the war he employed landless farmers to construct Emmarentia Dam. He also portioned off plots for 100 families to build houses and cultivate produce on what is now Emmarentia and Greenside.
Geldenhuys family history
Back at the little cemetery there are many infant graves with faded plaques and cracked tombstones. The 1918 flu epidemic may seem far removed, but you can see it in this graveyard. Louw and his wife Emmarentia had 15 children, but only eight survived. Imagine parents who have buried child after child after child, and suddenly diphtheria and whooping cough and infant mortality are real.
Louw himself was one of three sons of Lourens Geldenhuys, a gold prospector, farmer and land owner. It was 1886 and gold had been discovered on the Witwatersrand, on a farm called Langlaagte. Prospectors flocked to the area and it was the start of early Johannesburg.
The farm, Braamfontein had been acquired by Bezuidenhout in the 1860s. This was a huge chunk of land stretching from Victory Park and Rosebank in the north, across to Killarney in the east and then down to Commissioner Street in the south, southwest to Mayfair and Coronationville and north-west up to the base of Northcliff ridge.
Part of the Braamfontein Farm
Lourens bought the eastern part of the farm for £4 500 in 1886 and gave it to his two sons, Frans and Louw. The Marks Park Clubhouse, on the slopes of Melville Koppies, was originally the home of Frans Geldenhuys and his wife Judith (Grobbelaar); Lourens’s son Louw, married Emmarentia Margaretha Botha and built a large house which still stands on Greenhill Road.
After Louw’s death in 1929, his family sold the farm to developers. Greenside was laid out in 1931 and Emmarentia in 1937.
Now the ceremony is ending. Wreaths are laid on Emmarentia and Louw Geldenhuys’s graves. The tombstones are balanced on top of one another. Seeing he passed away first, Louw’s is below, supporting that of his wife, Emmarentia. She passed away in 1938.
Charles Rademeyer reads Psalm 18 and prays. “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge……”
Keeping a watchful eye
Behind one of the graves two Spotted Thick Knee birds (Burhinus Capensis) stare at us unblinkingly. They have intense, large yellow eyes, round speckled bodies and long yellow legs. Spiritually they signify vigilance and awareness. Jungian psychologist, Dr Elena M Rivera, says Spotted Thick Knees encourage us to delve into our own depths, awaken our intuitive abilities and become conscious of unseen energies and opportunities.
These two enigmatic night birds keep watchful eyes over the tombstones.
Come and listen to guest speaker and Emmarentia resident, Dr Ferrial Adam from WaterCAN delve into the water crisis and what we can do.
Help us build a shared vision of the Emmarentia of the future.
ERA AGM AGENDA, Marks Park, 18h30-20h00
1. Welcome and apologies
2. Adoption of the 2023 AGM Minutes
3. Chairperson’s report
Finance
Adopt a Park
Building, Planning and Heritage
Infrastructure
Security
Events
Communications
4. Community engagement
5. How we may defeat our water pain forever: Guest speaker, Dr Ferrial Adam WaterCAN
6. Nominees and volunteers for ERA committees
******
An interactive AGM
ERA Exco has been struggling to find a way to bring more people into ERA. At the beginning of September, Emmarentia resident and organisational development specialist, Christa Swart, volunteered to facilitate ERA Exco’s strategy session. She encouraged us to reflect on who, what and why ERA existed.
‘I’ve lived in Emmarentia for many years, but I have to confess that I don’t know what ERA does,’ she said. Yes, she’s on the Emmarentia whatsapp groups and that’s how she responded to our request for someone to facilitate our strategy session. And yes, she had also taken part in cleaning the park that ERA is in the process of adopting. But she’d never read an ERA newsletter and knew nothing else about the organisation.
Does this sound like your experience too?
Now is your chance. Come and join us at the AGM. Our chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula will give brief reports for all of us (read the full reports here).
Christa will be there too to facilitate and help us get your views so that together we can determine our priorities. And Emmarentia resident, Dr Ferrial Adam, will be there to give us an update on all things water.
Hope to see you there.
*****
‘Water, the bane of our lives’ — ERA chairperson
‘It is very painful to pay the same average bill for less water received and to be asked to use less water when you have not necessarily increased your consumption,’ says ERA chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula.
In a report to ERA’s upcoming AGM on October 9, he blames the so-called ‘excess demand’ on ‘extensive leakages, upward of 42%, and illegal connections.’
While noting that there has been a bit of a reprieve recently on the water and power fronts, he decries the fact that there is still ‘ad hoc deprivation of both water and electricity in certain households/areas’. No reasons have been given why some areas continue to receive no water at certain times of the day and why certain households regularly have no power.
He encourages all Emmarentia residents to join ERA so that together we can hold the municipality legally accountable.
Guest speaker at the AGM, Dr Ferrial Adam from WaterCAN will give us insights into what we can do to ease our current water crisis.
See the Chairperson’s full report here and join us on 9 October.
*****
What’s inside this newsletter?
We give you a glimpse into what ERA has done over the past year:
* it’s just a year since ERA decided to ’Adopt a Park’- how far are we?
* ERA has been working hard with event organisers to try and lessen the impact of events on residents. Are we making any progress?
* making additions/alterations to your home must adhere to the law: hear what ERA does to keep residents talking to each other.
Our next newsletter will cover:
decisions from the AGM
we’ll peek behind the stone walls on Hill Road opposite Emmarentia Primary and give you some history
And more…
We always welcome your stories. E-mail info@era.org.za or whatsapp Jenny on 072 348 0578
Editor
*****
Finances improve
ERA’s Treasurer, Brian Askew, continues to keep ERA’s finances in check. This past year ERA showed a small improvement in ‘profit’. Sadly it’s not because of an increase in income or membership (in fact membership has fallen since last year) but is largely due to the fact that our expenses have diminished.
We have a current membership of 35 households and given that there are more than 1500 households in Emmarentia, this is a very poor figure. Anyone want to offer to help increase our membership?
Our expenses have been fewer as we have saved money on the ERA newsletter through advertising/sponsorship. When this was not forthcoming we released an electronic version of the newsletter instead of printing it.
And we have not had to spend huge amounts fighting developers as we did with the large mixed-use development on Barry Hertzog/Gleneagles Road.
*****
Progress with Adopt a Park
Under the guidance of ERA’s Saber Manjoo, an extensive mapping and analysis of the area was undertaken. With the help of Zayne Shaikh who volunteered at last year’s AGM, assisted by Stuart Dunsmore, they put together a comprehensive plan.
ERA met with City Parks who agreed that we could begin work while waiting for the formal adoption to be confirmed.
ERA’s Saber Manjoo organised a successful community clean-up on April 27, and since then has supervised the clearing of patches of invasive alien bushes and trees. Private companies donated their green teams while ERA and residents funded NPOs. If you’d like to donate, please pay:Emmarentia Residents Association, Nedbank; A/c: 1975051173; Branch Code: 198765, reference PARK.
*****
Coping with ageing infrastructure
We know that Emmarentia residents are active citizens. When it comes to reporting water leaks, sewerage leaks, power outages and such, Emmarentia comes tops. And with the help of Cllr Nicolene Jonker’s escalation efforts, we can ensure that failures are rectified as soon as possible. As an engineer, ERA’s Rob Cass is well-qualified to head this portfolio.
However, earlier this year when we suffered more than 10 days without water, reporting was not enough. ERA salutes the residents that gathered the community together to show the City what we were experiencing.
We need more actions like these to make ourselves heard. Sometimes the quality of the workmanship is poor and the contractors are repeatedly called back to rectify.
ERA is investigating how we can hold the City to account for its failure to deliver quality services.
Some of the protestors at the water protest earlier in the year
Building, planning and heritage—keeping things legal
Gemey Abrahams holds this portfolio, assisted by Bienfait Bula. They give crucial advice to residents wanting to extend/renovate their homes and assess and endorse building plans before residents submit to the City.
Gemey’s regular stories in ERA’s newsletter advise residents on building, title deeds and planning aspects—e.g. home offices, second dwellings, boreholes—so that they keep within the law.
Sadly some residents do not comply with the law so ERA assists and encourages residents to report seemingly illegal land uses to the authorities on complaintsleregionb@joburg.org.za
Gemey and Exco member Mohamed Motala have also helped in situations where residents are in dispute with their neighbours.
‘Please talk to your neighbours before doing any renovation,’ Gemey advises. ‘It is their right to be consulted since they are living in close proximity to you.’
Almost all houses in Emmarentia are more than 60 years old – any renovation, alteration or addition must be approved by the Provincial Heritage Authority in Gauteng.
Gemey continues to provide the required letters and undertakes extensive research on each property to establish its heritage.
ERA proposes that this AGM adopts some Shared Goals. Here are some initial thoughts:
Emmarentia is a suburb we all love and care about because:
We know what the laws and regulations are and we try to abide by them
We want a residential area that is safe, relaxing, green and residential
We want an Emmarentia that our children will have good memories growing up here
We encourage respect between all neighbours in the suburb
We do not want to do things to our properties that will be detrimental to our properties and those of our neighbours
Keeping our eyes peeled
ERA Chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula, holds ERA’s security portfolio and frequently attends the Parkview Stakeholder Forum (PSF) Wednesday morning meetings. The PSF brings together SAPS, the Parkview CPF, security companies and other residents’ associations in the area as well as JMPD.
The PSF is able to gauge the extent of crime in the area and to hone in on hotspots.
One of the security hotspots identified by the PSF is Checkers both inside the store, outside in the parking area and on Luzi Lane. ERA has been putting pressure on Checkers’ landlord to enlarge its miniscule loading zone which results in congested and potentially dangerous conditions on Komatie Road. There have been discussions with Checkers and business owners to see how safety in the area can be improved.
*****
Events — Holding event organisers to account
Since taking on this portfolio, Saber Manjoo has called meetings with various event organisers to ensure they respect residents. He has stressed that organisers must ‘clearly demarcate parking, have adequate security to deal with illegal parking and illegal carguards and ensure that sound is kept within limits.’
He has also begun to invite event organisers to donate to ERA’s Adopt a Park initiative to help us build a cleaner and safer area. Spar (the races on 6 October) is the first event organiser to agree to do this and has donated R5000 to this initiative.
ERA tries to warn residents in advance of what to expect, how to move in the area when there is an event and who to complain to on the day. And it follows up with event organisers afterwards.
ERA is also busy engaging with Marks Park to see how large noisy events can be limited each year.
*****
How we communicate
Claire Hoffmann and Jenny Grice have continued to run ERA’s communication.
Claire is in charge of Facebook, e-mailing to subscribers while Jenny does the newsletter and website. Five newsletters have been produced in the past year. Both of us share the responsibility of putting messages on the whatsapp groups.
In the past year, our Facebook page has grown its followers to almost 3000, our website gets on average 1800 views per month and we share information with more than 12 community Whatsapp groups.
How we communicate
*****
Thanks!
We have other Exco members that don’t necessarily hold portfolios but their help is invaluable in supporting the collective that is the ERA Exco. Thanks to Kerensa Millard (our legal expert), Shameme Manjoo and Zaahid Kadjeee who fill in when they are available.
Why join ERA:
You can raise your concerns and help us decide how to take them up
A Residents’ Association with few members will not have a strong voice to push for what you want
We need your membership fee to fund important programmes that we want to carry out with your help
You can help us decide what our priorities should be
Together we can build our community and generate positive energy amongst ourselves.
Your help needed:
We need new volunteers, especially with these skills:
Someone to support our current treasurer to do the finances. Must know QuickBooks and preferably have their own copy of the programme.
Someone to update the website (knowledge of WordPress useful)
Some enthusiastic youngsters with social media skills to improve our social media presence
Someone to upload our extensive building and heritage records into the Cloud
People to write stories for the newsletter — we’ll help you
Someone to attend CPF security forums every Wednesday
*****
Concert in the Park – 13 October, Johannesburg Botanic Gardens – Lloyiso and Shekinah
We have just been advised of this concert. No road closures. We are awaiting details of security, parking and will post these as and when we receive them.
Times: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Doors open at 12h00. Event ends at 18h00.
They will start set up on Friday 11 October with structures and fencing.
It has come to our attention that an application has been made to rezone 2 properties on the Greenside side of Barry Hertzog Avenue, between Troon Rd and the Braids Road (but closer to Troon Rd intersection). Emmarentia shares a common boundary with Greenside along Barry Hertzog Avenue and our residents travel this road daily, so it is likely to impact on Emmarentia.
The application is to allow the two houses on these sites to be used for businesses and to consolidate the two plots into one development. The application calls it “a small-scale neighbourhood retail site”. The businesses will be in the existing houses.
This is what they are applying for:
To permit the rezoning from “Residential 1” to “Special” (offices, medical suites, showrooms (excluding motor showrooms) and business purposes including hair and beauty salons and related ancillary retail – subject to conditions).
The Greenside Residents’ Association (GRA) and residents of Greenside will be objecting to this application. Due to its location, Emmarentia residents may also have good reason to object and ERA also intends to object to this application. We are therefore bringing it to your attention and provide all the necessary information, should you wish to object to it.
We attach the application from Breda Lombard, the notice that is up on the site and a layout of the parking and the land use study they did, for your information.
Again, this is an encroachment of businesses into the residential area as all except 2 properties along that side of Barry Hertzog Ave in that same block that the development is in, are zoned Residential (with one being Residential 3 for the townhouses), with the two exceptions being Residential 1 with the right to have offices within the existing residential house.
ERA and the GRA are of the view that such uses must be located in business nodes and not along mobility roads such as Barry Hertzog Ave. Checkers and our commercial node is one block away.
We also feel that the property if used for the rights they are applying for is not ideally suited to handle the parking and circulation that the uses will generate and this
could cause problems for the traffic on Barry Hertzog Ave.
We are also not wanting it to obtain the rights that go with ‘Business Purposes’ as they have applied for because it opens up the property to be used for many uses and includes restaurant. If they get ‘business purposes’ rights, this is what it allows (in the Johannesburg Land Use Scheme):
‘Business Purposes’ defined as:
Means the use of a building/s and/or land from which business is conducted and the related use of buildings including offices, restaurants, motor showrooms, showrooms, medical consulting rooms, domestic service industries, self-storage; funeral parlours, call centers, financial institutions, dry cleaners, launderettes and buildings for similar uses not elsewhere defined as well as uses which are ancillary, directly related to and subservient to the main use such as caretakers accommodation, but does not include uses such as places of assembly, institutions, public garages, industries, noxious trades or places of amusement.
Many of these uses are not suitable (even if they don’t use them now, the properties will have these rights to use in the future) for the sites.
It would also appear that it is an existing illegal use that they are trying to get business rights for but that should not stop you from objecting as it does not mean that what they are currently using it for is the best use for those sites and that is why an application is made and we get the opportunity to object.
If you would like to object please do so using the Guidance template that is attached, but add in your own reasons in your own words (we do need to provide reasons but they do not have to be fully detailed at this stage) and make sure you have your address, cell phone number and your email address. Objections MUST be sent out by WEDNESDAY 14 AUGUST 2024. Please copy ERA in, in your objection and email it to us (info@era.org.za).
It is your right to object to developments that impact on you and on Emmarentia so that your voice is heard.
If you need further information or want more reasons for objecting please contact the ERA at info@era.org.za and we will gladly assist.
Last Updated: 15th December 2025 by Kim Dare Leave a Comment
ERA mourns the loss of Gemey Abrahams
The Emmarentia Residents Association (ERA) is mourning the tragic passing of Gemey Abrahams, a professional town planner and one of ERA’s key Executive Committee members, who was killed in a car accident on 13 December. Gemey had served on ERA’s executive committee for more than 25 years as a vital and active member. For some years she served as its chairperson, but mostly held the heritage, town planning and building portfolio always giving wise advice on all ERA matters and acting on behalf of the Louw Geldenhuys Trust. She believed passionately that everyone should follow the law and the municipal bylaws and persistently followed up with the City’s institutions to ensure that illegal land uses, illegal building/renovations, illegal advertising boards were dealt with. Nor was she afraid to take on developers, drawing up solid, lengthy arguments on behalf of residents and defending these arguments at the City’s Tribunal hearings. She shared her expertise widely and generously with other Residents’ Associations and with the JoburgCAN team with JoburgCAN’s Julia Fish describing this assistance to community groups as “irreplaceable”. Gemey was a passionate and natural runner. She loved living in Emmarentia, its spaces to run in, and particularly its history, and that of its buildings. When they were young, her children, Jess and Stirling, atttended Emmarentia Primary School (EPS) and later moved on to Parktown Girls and Boys respectively. Gemey was an active parent, serving on the School Governing Body at EPS and at Parktown Boys while her children were there. Her wide range of skills even stretched to designing costumes for the annual EPS school play and guided by her expertise, less skilled mothers sewed the required costumes ranging from pirates and the ‘lost children’ in Peter Pan to giant rats! Nothing was ever too much for Gemey. She always had a smile for everyone and despite working full-time on her own professional town planning work, always found space to represent residents, almost entirely at her own cost. ERA extends our sincere condolences to her family, particularly to Jess and Stirling, her partner Will and to all who knew and worked with her. We have lost a friend, an adviser and a fighter for justice. May her soul rest in peace.
Posted: 22nd July 2025 by Kim Dare Leave a Comment
ERA Objects to the City of Johannesburg application to develop land given to the people of Johannesburg
AS OUTLINE IN THE APPLICATION IN TERMS OF SECTION 26 OF THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG MUNICIPAL PLANNING BY LAW, 2016, AS AMENDED 2023, FOR THE TOWNSHIP ESTABLISHMENT ON PORTIONS 246 AND 247 OF THE FARM BRAAMFONTEIN 53-IR – NO REFERENCE NUMBER PROVIDED BY APPLICANT
The Emmarentia Residents’ Association (ERA) hereby objects to the above application. The ERA is a
long-standing Residents’ Association and has an interest in, and strong bona fides for the planning and
development of the suburb for and with our residents. This interest includes ensuring that our suburb
is not prejudiced by the impact of developments in nearby areas.
Our understanding is that application is to establish a township on two portions of farmland that are
owned by the City of Johannesburg and are zoned Public Open Space. The proposed sites also include
part of the Braamfontein Spruit, which part is designated as a critical biodiversity area on City Plans.
We are aware that the City has had difficulties implementing its bylaws on the illegal occupation and
the protection and management of its Public Open Space (POS) zoned land, which resulted in the sites
having illegal occupants and the consequential ecological degradation of parts of the sites. These sites
were the former Parkhurst Bowls Club.
1) While the ERA is objecting to this specific application, as advertised for public comment, it is not
opposed to the appropriate development of part of the site in the future. We recognise that the sites
are part of an important network of public and natural open spaces that traverse across Emmarentia
(and Melville, Greenside, Linden, Parkhurst) and are of benefit to local residents, to the wider
ecosystem and to future generations, but that parts of these sites, possibly those portions which were
previously developed as the bowls club, may be suitable for a sustainable infill development, in
keeping with the local area.
On this basis, ERA submits the following key points of objection to the application, as advertised. We
note that these are summarised points and reasons, and we reserve our right to elaborate more fully
on these at the Tribunal hearing and to add further points.
type of development intended through the exercise of the proposed rights is not suitable for
the site. The reasons for this include:
a) that the application sites are not located on a main arterial or key transit route which
would be required for a regional shopping centre and housing development of this
scale;
b) that the location of the site adjacent to public open spaces to the north and south, a
low density Residential 1 row of houses along the east boundary and a gated office
park to the west, making this a low key, largely residential area;
c) The location of the site as part of a greenbelt indicates that the extent of the rights
applied for should take cognisance of this open space context;
d) That the locational context shows that within a radius of 2,5km, there are already
several shopping facilities including Victory Park Shopping Centre, the proposed
Greenwood Square Shopping Centre, the Greenside Shopping Strip along Gleneagles
Road, the Greenside Shopping Centre, the Parkhurst Village, and the Emmarentia
local Shopping node at Greenhill Road;
e) The application to include 4-storey residential units abutting a low-height, single
Residential (Residential 1 zoning) area is contrary to City planning policies and
guidelines.
nature of the rights applied for are not in keeping with the location as mentioned in Point 1
above, the scale or intensity of the rights applied for are also not appropriate for the sites:
a) Erf 1 is only 26 306m2 in extent, and the application is for 25 000m2 of Gross Leasable
Area for business zoning. This is excessive for the site, given that the ground
conditions do not allow for any basement parking and parking is to be
accommodated;
b) Likewise, the application on Erf 2 for affordable housing at 200 units per hectare is
not in keeping with its surrounds, nor is this density aligned to City planning policies.
c) It is unclear why the sites require such excessive rights given that there is a functional
hierarchy of shopping centres already operating in the wider Region and this will this
development does not fit with this, resulting in a disruptive, negative impact on this
hierarchy which will undoubtedly negatively impact the existing urban fabric,
including the local Emmarentia shopping areas.
application has several inconsistencies, making it difficult to understand exactly what is being
applied for, in terms of the land use rights and development concept:
a) Specialist reports describe the development differently (e.g. the geotechnical report
says 2 storey walk-ups for the residential component and single storey shopping, but
the application says ‘as per scheme’ which allows 2 storey Business 1); Also, Erf 2
cannot achieve 4 storeys if the as per scheme conditions in the application are
applied)
b) The land uses applied for are not all defined in the Johannesburg Land Use Scheme –
a drive through taxi rank is not in the scheme; plant nursery is also not in the scheme;
c) Certain rights applied for as primary rights are not compatible with Business 1 uses –
builders yard uses are found in Industrial zones: ERA cannot support such an anomaly
that will introduce industrial-related uses into our wider, mostly residential area;
d) No attempt is made to tailor any of the land uses to the site: ERA objects to the
inclusion of land uses such as motor car sales lots, motor showrooms, warehousing,
funeral parlour and shebeen/tavern either as primary or secondary rights. These need
to be specifically excluded;
e) Floor area, coverage and density calculation are confusing and obscure: ERA has tried
unsuccessfully to do the calculations for these. The application should simply explain
these more clearly so that everyone understands the extent of the rights applied for;
f) NO draft conditions of establishment are included which would confirm more clearly
the development intentions and the conditions that will direct the development. This
is an unprofessional omission;
g) The exclusion of covered parking from the coverage is not supported: the overall site
is environmentally sensitive and to cover the extent proposed with covered, paved
parking areas will be detrimental to the area, affecting not only the environmental
aspects of stormwater runoff but the site’s amenity (and its compliance with the
Bylaw Section 5).
h) The parking requirements as applied for, are not aligned to the Land Use Scheme and
unlikely to be met on site;
i) Importantly, both sites are the subject of a township establishment application, yet
no attempt is made to subdivide the open space areas from the ‘development
portions’, resulting in 2 erven that were zoned Public Open Space now being
designated as Business 1 and Residential 3. No consideration is given to subdividing
off the sensitive floodline, riverine and critical biodiversity areas and keeping them
zoned as Public Open Space to protect them and bring greater coherence to the
development intent and rights applied for. On this basis alone, the application should
fail.
information. There are several shortcomings in the Motivational Memorandum including:
a) The absence of any motivation of the NEED for this land use in this location as required
by the Bylaw Section 5. This is a peremptory legal requirement, not a request.
b) There is NO empirical evidence provided on the nearby shopping facilities, their floor
areas and composition and target market segment to support any need for additional
retail facilities;
c) By the same token, there is NO evidence provided that the local area requires this
amount, typology and density of housing at this location;
d) There is NO motivation for the need for the drive through taxi rank or the plant
nursery;
e) There is NO evidence provided that this development will not affect the amenity of
the surrounding area, as required in Section 5 of the Bylaw.
contravention is distressing to residents who need to comment on the application within a
short period and had to wait to obtain the full set of reports.
a) ERA had to request the title deeds which did not seem to form part of the application;
b) The Traffic Impact Study and the Outline Scheme Report were only sent to interested
parties well into the advertising period;
c) The application includes no market study which would be necessary for a shopping
centre of this magnitude.
a) The application incorrectly states that there are NO title deed restrictions and as a
result does not include a (simultaneous) removal of restrictions application;
b) The land forming the river and adjacent riverine land has rights in favour of another
party;
c) The use of the land is for recreational purposes only.
and the whole western sector of Johannesburg:
a) Tana Road – Victory Road form a crucial part of the east-west traffic network in
Johannesburg. These links are very weak compared to the north-south network
(Oxford/Jan Smuts/Barry Hertzog/Beyers Naude) and subject to increasing congestion
and need to continue to provide this function unimpeded;
b) A development such as this will add significant traffic at this point, to the route,
contrary to its function as a link road to move traffic east-west;
c) The Traffic Impact Study, recognises the failing intersections of Tana and Victory roads
with Barry Hertzog Ave, indicating a high impact once the development is completed,
yet insignificant measures are proposed to address this problem;
d) The Traffic Impact Study and the application propose a hypothetical, speculative (and
probably highly impractical) additional entrance onto Rustenburg Road (Barry Hertzog
Ave) to serve the development. This may well be required and will seriously impact
on the traffic flow to and from Emmarentia and be unsafe for all users of this section
of Barry Hertzog Avenue, if implemented. It would seem that the developer would
not make contributions to any road improvements.
additional strain on municipal infrastructure services: the application is misleading and
lacking in any accurate information on the services in the area:
a) The residents of Emmarentia and Greenside have had to suffer inordinate deprivation
of services over the past 3 years, due to failures of supply and maintenance by the
City. The City should not support any application without clear evidence that it will
not negatively impact existing residents and businesses;
b) Victory Park, Greenside, Parkhurst are areas that were established back to the 1940’s
and early 1950’s so the existing infrastructure is 70 – 80 years’ old and may not be
able to support the additional stress, even if the capacity is sufficient.
The Emmarentia Residents’ Association is appreciative of the opportunity to comment on this
application. Unfortunately, in its current form the application has several fatal flaws, in addition to
lacking any sound town planning merits for it to be supported by ERA.
ERA reserves its rights to present more detailed reasons in due course and remains committed to
supporting development in our area that is sustainable and results in the improved quality of life for our residents and neighbouring communities.
Gemey Abrahams – Professional Planner A/1270/2003
The Emmarentia Residents’ Association (ERA)
The Head of the Planning
Building and Heritage Portfolio of EXCO
Tel: 082 459 5266
gemeyabrahams60@gmail.com
On behalf of Saber Manjoo
Chairman
Emmarentia Residents’ Association
tel: 084 799 7860
saber@directrewards.co.za
ERA email contact: info@era.org.za
cc. nicolene@ward88jhb.net
Posted: 3rd July 2025 by Kim Dare Leave a Comment
We are losing our precious green spaces. Have your say.
Dear Emmarentia Residents
The Emmarentia Residents’ Association (ERA), in partnership with the Greenside Residents’ Association (GRA) and several other neighbouring RAs have been engaging with the developers on the proposed Victory Park Ext 36 (Old Parkhurst Bowls Club that was invaded by squatters), in connection with the development application they have submitted to the City of Johannesburg.
The site is owned by the City (managed by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC)) who put it out to tender for development. The successful bidder has now submitted a town planning application to develop the site for a 25 000m2 shopping centre and 204, 4 storey affordable apartments along with a taxi rank and substantial parking to serve the development.
ERA believes that the development will have an impact on our suburb and we invite any residents to read the application and if it impacts you, to please submit an objection. Deadline to submit is 11 July.
While it is encouraging that the site was cleared of illegal occupants ahead of this application, ERA believes that it is important that an appropriate development, that will benefit the wider community, occurs on the site.
In support of our neighbouring RAs, and because of the nature of the application itself, ERA will submit an objection to the application as it stands. This is mainly because of the scale of the commercial rights they have applied for and the consequent likely traffic impacts. The extent of the commercial rights applied for will impact negatively on our local shops and the proposed new shopping centre in Emmarentia (Greenwood Square), causing a decline in the heart of our suburb. The traffic that the development will generate will also be considerable and impact mostly Tana Road and Barry Hertzog Avenue – roads our residents use daily.
Please see the full application (the Motivation Report) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CSmt-6Ft4JHQrx5ksQEhWVlhLeNby8Q_?usp=drive_link and how to submit your objection. The documents also give advice on possible reasons for objections, based on facts in the application. If you have objections or comments, you can submit them to:
objectionsplanning@joburg.org.za and Cc info@lindtiztownplanners.co.za and victoryparkx36@gmail.com Please add your full name, address and contact details (email and phone) and cc info@era.org.za Note that personal objections carry more weight.
Alternatively, JoburgCAN, an organisation that supports resident associations and is a watchdog of clean and transparent local government, is also concerned about this development and has prepared a digital objection form that will make it easier for you to prepare your objection. Find it here: https://forms.joburgcan.org.za/form-6860914/coj-rezone-victory-park-x36
It’s your right to engage with this application and we only have until 11 July 2025 to put in an objection. After that, it will be too late.
ERA EXCO
Posted: 4th May 2025 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Clean-ups make an impact
The week-end 12-13 April saw clean-ups happening in four different areas of Emmarentia:
· Emmarentia security companies (SCP, Beagle and CAP) together with residents and a youth group, cleaned the green area and the spruit/small dam below the big Emmarentia Dam of litter, illegally dumped rubbish bags and other debris. Next clean-up in July; contact Jenny on 072 348 0578 or Saber on 084 799 7860 (community service letters provided)
Thanks to SCP, Beagle Watch and CAP for sending their green teams; thanks to Sunny Shell for providing three workers to assist; to Eastern Temptations for sponsoring bottles of water and to a number of residents for sponsoring their gardeners to assist.
The bottom dam clean-up
Top dam
· A group of dedicated dog-walkers and weeders with City Parks employees and contractors attacked the banks of the top dam in Emmarentia park – next clean-up will target cleaning the spruit – Meet at Orange Road entrance to the Park, Saturday 10 May 8-12.00; contact Sam on 072 581 0624; Jenny on 072 348 0578 (community service letters provided)· Dabulamanzi Canoe Club cleaned and cleared the banks at Emmarentia Dam. Contact Elandrie 079 588 8918 to find out when the next one is.
The top dam clean-up
· Weed warriors on Melville Koppies are clearing blackjacks, khakibos and other weeds from the nature reserve/heritage site – every Sunday from 8-11.30. More details, contact Elsje – 082 490 4675
A Melville Koppies weed warrior tackles the black jacks
· Dabulamanzi Canoe Club cleaned and cleared the banks at Emmarentia Dam. Contact Elandrie 079 588 8918 to find out when the next one is.
Teams clean the main Emmarentia Dam
Last Updated: 29th January 2025 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Become a weed warrior
There’s a quiet movement growing in many countries across the world to tackle the environmental crisis weed by weed and plastic bag by plastic bag. In Emmarentia we are lucky to have numerous opportunities to help out just a walk or short ride away.
Not only will you be ridding these special places of litter and invasive alien plants to allow the indigenous flora to come back and thrive, the time you spend is also guaranteed to make you feel better: read here for first-hand experience from someone across the seas. And if you do take part, let us know how it went. Just a warning… many are reporting that they have become weed warrior addicts, needing that fix regularly to keep them going!
A group of regular dog-walkers at the Emmarentia Park are organising a clean-up of litter and of invasive weeds on 1 February at the top dam. Come and join them and be prepared to get dirty. Wear suitable clothes and bring water and a snack.
More details:
Contact Sam 072 581 0624 Melissa 082 429 4842 – or see here
These are the weeds that are going to be dug up at the top dam in Emmarentia
Currently the team is working along the perimeter of the fence adjacent to Judith Road.
Contact Else on 082 490 4675
Weeders tackling the invasive weeds along the fence on Judith Road so they don’t spread into the nature reserve
Two-hour work party on Melville Koppies West Sunday 9th February 8am – 10am. Please join and contribute to sustaining Koppies West’s indigenous ecosystem and beauty.
This work party will focus on clearing invasive species (primarily lantana, but also bugweed, syringa, and wattle) and remove litter, from the western end of the top ridge.
If you can join the work party, please come with gardening gloves, working clothes and strong boots/shoes. If you have, please also bring secateurs, garden loppers, and hand saws. Don’t worry if you don’t have these, we have extra tools. We will also provide bags for collecting litter.
Meet from 7.45am, for a 8am start, at the 3rd Avenue entrance to Koppies West (the normal starting point for Saturday walks). There will be informal security.
If you have any questions, please Whatsapp either Brandon on 071 688 4924 or David on 082 789 1265
Last Updated: 22nd January 2025 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Join a top dam clean up – 1 February – 8.00-11.00 am
A group of regular dog-walkers at the Emmarentia Park are organising a clean-up of litter and of invasive weeds on 1 February at the top dam. Come and join them and be prepared to get dirty. Wear suitable clothes and bring water and a snack.
More details:
Contact Sam 072 581 0624 Melissa 082 429 4842
Posted: 22nd January 2025 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
ERA gets undergrowth cleared
Through the generous donation of a Louw Geldenhuys Drive (LG) resident, ERA arranged for the clearing of undergrowth on both the corners of LG and Olifants Road and cleared the entire dam embankment of weeds and alien invasive trees.
“Visibility has improved and the area looks way better,” says ERA’s Saber Manjoo. “Thank you to the resident and we encourage others to approach us to see how you can get involved to help improve our area,” says Manjoo.
If you’d like to help in any way, contact Saber Manjoo on 0847997860 or e-mail info@era.org.za
Last Updated: 27th November 2024 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Emmarentia Post, No 4, November 2024
How can we help the homeless?
Sipho Ngcobo* slept on the streets and had a substance abuse problem.
“If someone gave me food, clothes or money, I’d sell the food and clothes and use all the money to buy my next fix,” he says.
Then he met U-turn Homeless Organisation and his life changed. They enrolled him in their 4-phase programme. First, they put him through three months of rehab and helped him beat his addiction.
He has been clean now for 13 months. “Phase two helped me understand that I did this to myself. I stopped acting like a victim and started believing in my own ability again.”
The programme also gave him basic computer training and helped him get a driver’s licence. Today he works in the U-turn charity shop and is paid a stipend and has gone back to live with his family in Soweto.
Buy vouchers
U-turn encourages people to buy vouchers for people living on the street instead of giving them money, clothes or food directly which can just feed their substance addiction.
A pack of four vouchers costs R50 and each voucher gives a person a choice of a shower, clothing or a meal which they can redeem at a U-turn branch in Northcliff. You can purchase these vouchers at Tshepo Community Development Initiative in Northcliff or U-turn in Melville.
Donate
See here to find out about some organisations that are supporting the homeless in our area and what kinds of help they need. (This list excludes the big, well-known organisations e.g. Gift of the Givers etc.)
Then there’s the Let’s Work project in Ward 88 that is continuing with their daily parks patrols “advising [those sleeping there] that it is against the bylaws to live/bathe/cook in a park or public open space and that if anyone is needing assistance with going to a shelter, we are there to help,” says Let’s Work’s Felicity Gratz-Lawlor.
Recently they also organised their team to do a night patrol in the open green spaces below the Emmarentia Dam.
The NPO always welcomes donations so that they can continue to help clean up suburbs and keep educating the homeless.
Shelters
There are shelters that you can refer the homeless to but these are in short supply. The two closest are: Immaculata Hall at 17 Sturdee Road, Rosebank (011 447 9801) and the government’s Windsor West shelter, 21 Knights Ave. (073 253 1524/011 478 7009)
Ideas?
If anyone knows other organisations that help, please e-mail us on info@era.org.za and we will add them to the list on the website.
* Not his real name.
*****
What’s inside
At ERA’s AGM in October, we were asked many questions by those that attended. Much of this newsletter tries to answer some of these.
One of the biggest concerns people raised is how to deal with the homeless and those less fortunate than ourselves, especially after the vast majority of people who were living illegally at the Parkhurst Bowls Club were evicted.
The authorities are encouraging us not to help those sleeping rough.
This doesn’t sit well with many of us. Most of us have been taught from Day 1 that we must help others, especially those less fortunate than ourselves. The message has been reinforced by all the diverse religions that we belong to.
And that makes it difficult for us not to give when someone comes to our gate needing food, money or clothes. Ngcobo’s story on this page tells us that this may not be the best response.
Instead we’ve given you other ideas of how you can help without exacerbating a person’s substance abuse problem.
And if you see someone camped illegally in the open green spaces at night, call your security company, JMPD on 011 490 1538/011 375 5911 or SAPS on 071 675 6065.
ERA newsletter
Great news is that experienced copy writer, editor and trainer, Felicity Levine, has joined ERA’s EXCO and is helping to edit and write stories and is willing to give free writing and editing help to anyone that submits. Send us your stories to info@era.org.za or contact Felicity directly on 082 859 3118.
*********
Water woes continue – time to be active
As many suburbs (including Emmarentia) sit for the fourth day without water or just a trickle, a protest took place on Wednesday 27 in Westbury and another is planned for Thursday 28 November. (see the poster)
Read JoburgCAN’s Julia Fish’s succinct analysis of why Joburg has a water crisis in its March 2024 newsletter.
Ferrial Adam, herself an Emmarentia resident and CEO of WaterCAN, told residents at the recent ERA AGM that the time for sitting back and waiting for the water problems to be solved was over. Her graphics on the right put it clearly.
Since the AGM, Emmarentia’s Vaunn Kelly has agreed to work with ERA and focus on the water issue to try and get to the bottom of the particular problems that we experience in this suburb and to try and find solutions.
Kelly sent key questions to the MMC of environment and infrastructure, Cllr Jack Sekwaila. See the brief answers that were received Emmarentia water blues below.
Help needed
Contact us on info@era.org.za if you’d like to help us get on top of our water crisis or join a water action.
****
Mute, mute Marks Park!
Emmarentia residents have been up in arms about noisy weekend concerts held at Marks Park. This emerged strongly at the ERA AGM in October. Who gets the revenue and what would happen if we clamped down on weekend concerts, residents wanted to know. Emmarentia Post spoke to Marks Park’s treasurer and acting manager, Antony Brady.
The beautiful old Marks Park clubhouse was once the home of Frans Geldenhuys and his family. Built in 1904 it has heritage status. Today it is an NPO, Marks Park Sports Club (MPSC), with a 20-year lease from the City. Sports on offer range from kettlebells, wrestling, tennis, LSM cricket, cricket, rugby, croquet, archery, baseball, and recently padel tennis.
Here is the rub: Like all old buildings Marks Park needs maintenance and it is struggling to pay the bills. About a quarter of its annual income (close to R7m in 2023) comes from the City of Johannesburg, says MPSC acting manager and treasurer, Antony Brady. The rest needs to be raised from Club membership fees, individual clubhouse rental and hire of sports facilities.
Budgeted income goes to maintaining the historical building with its ageing infrastructure, sewerage and water pipes and roads. The balance goes to paying staff and insurance on the buildings and utilities.
“Since 2019 we have spent more than R2m maintaining underground infrastructure, buildings and roads,” maintains Brady. “City Parks depot, adjacent to Marks Park, brings in heavy trucks and tractors which damage our roads.”
Budgeting for “improved water management” is also on their future spending agenda given the problems the entire Emmarentia is facing.
Lucrative events
According to Brady weekend concerts and large sporting events like the Spar Race are lucrative events. However even here, “sometimes the COJ informs us they are ‘in partnership’ with the event organiser and they take the entire usage fee or reduce it considerably. He estimates that Marks Park loses approximately R500 000 a year from subsidising events.
While the new Padel courts look like a good income earner, Brady says the courts were financed and developed by a private company which pays a monthly usage fee to Marks Park. Other clubs with Padel courts rely on income from the sale of alcohol to these players to boost the Club’s income. However Brady believes the vast majority of Padel players are non-drinkers.
Ban the concerts?
“The Club would battle to survive without the concerts that take place,” says Brady. Moreover, COJ is “bankrupt and is giving less and less assistance while making more demands for use of facilities without paying fees,” he says. Without income from the concerts, “The Club would have to push up the membership fees considerably, and increase the venue hire fees to try and cover any shortfall. All of this would impact the sporting sections. Perhaps people can leave an endowment in their Will to the Club?”
Brady says that concert organisers are amenable to investing money to try and lessen the impact of concerts on residents, more specifically the noise.
Best practice
In the meantime, ERA is working hard to get event organisers to comply with best practice: proper management of parking and illegal carguards, litter, noise etc. to reduce the impact on residents.
*****
Events—Nov/Dec 2024
Botanic Gardens
30 Nov-1 Dec – Linden Market
Marks Park
30 November – J Cooper
******
Where does Johannesburg Botanic Gardens income from events go?
Dr. Vuyokazi Nkomo, executive manager, business development, Joburg City Parks, responds
All revenue generated in the City and not limited to events, is deposited in a central account managed by the CoJ’s treasury department. On an annual basis, the city then allocates a fixed budget for operations and capital infrastructure. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo cannot utilise the income generated from the leasing out of its facilities and this is the same for income generated from burials, cremations, entrance to the zoo, etc.
While the City is not dependent on revenue generated from events, it is critical that effective use of public spaces is encouraged to foster cohesion, celebrate the arts, provide residents with outdoor entertainment for their well-being and to seek partnerships to alleviate the financial burden by JCPZ, of hosting well-managed events.
Limit events
In the case of the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens (JBG), the events team has supported the call to limit events and only one large event is allowed per quarter. We are however going into the festive season and anticipate an increase in visitor numbers over the next two months. All gatherings of over 20 people need to apply and pay the required minimum to secure a letter of approval.
Residents living in close proximity to the JBG are kindly requested to be tolerant. JCPZ has increased the number of security personnel deployed to the facility and will act decisively on transgressions.
Residents can report transgressions to JMPD on 011 375 5911.
*****
Why do residents still pay a fee to the Louw Geldenhuys Family?
Where does the money go?
Emmarentia suburb was established as a township on 28 April 1937 on land owned by Lourens Geldenhuys. After he passed away, his widow and heir, Emmarentia Margaretha Geldenhuys (nee Botha) and her successors developed the land, becoming the “township owner” as recorded in the Deeds Office.
Each property in Emmarentia contained title deed conditions that stated that the township owner must give permission for certain things. Over the years the successors in township title were various Geldenhuys family members.
Township owner rights
As each property is sold and transferred to a new owner, our national title deeds system carries over the previous conditions and so to this day, the Geldenhuys Family (for convenience we call it the Louw Geldenhuys Family or LGF) retains rights in the title deeds as the “township owner”. In your title deeds you will see that the township owner is referred to as the ‘applicant’.
Conditions
While it is the legal responsibility of the City to approve building plans, there are conditions in each of our title deeds that require the township owner to grant permission first. One condition is that plans for house alterations must first be taken to the Louw Geldenhuys Family for ‘approval’ and thereafter submitted to the local authority.
There are also conditions stipulating that the roofing material must be slate, tiles, thatch or shingles unless the township owner gives consent to other materials. Other clauses prescribe the position of outbuildings and the distance you may erect a structure from the street boundary.
All these conditions have contributed to the way the suburb has developed and is maintained to this day. Importantly, the title deed conditions give us extra protection of our property rights compared to an area that does not have an active township owner.
ERA acts on behalf of the LGF / township owner/ applicant and endorses the building plans for the convenience of residents. The process takes time, expertise to assess the conditions that will be applicable, and consultation. The LGF, even before ERA began assisting them, has always charged a fee for this.
Fees
Other areas that still have active township owners charge much higher fees than the LGF. The fee is calculated based on floor area of the alterations you are adding; the minimum fee is R1 400.00. This fee is then shared by the LGF, ERA and the expert who assesses the plans on their behalf.
ERA uses the funds for improvements in Emmarentia e.g. for paying to clear invasive alien plants in the Adopt a Park area.
For more details on the actual costs see here
By ERA’s town planning specialist, Gemey Abrahams
********
MORE QUESTIONS
How did Greenside get new Stop signs on Greenway?
New Stop signs took years of emails / accident reports and a petition to JRA – supported by Cllr at the time, Bridget Steer.
From Judith Ancer, Greenside RA.
What can be done about the revving and racing of cars late at night?
Please share any video or photo evidence of licence plates of transgressors with info@era.org.za and report to JMPD and SAPS.
Updates
· Top dam repairs
Emmarentia residents expressed concerns to City Parks that the outflow on the top dam was not level so water was favouring the lower side and risked undermining the new dam wall. The high amount of debris from the construction was also registered.
Jane Eagle, a retired City official says “the project engineers are aware of the minor adjustment required to the spillway level to ensure even flow and has advised on an additional gabion for reinforcement.”
We will be keeping an eye on it to see if the adjustments are done. Let us know if you have any other concerns.
· Beware—more fraud
The Parkview CPF is warning that fraudsters are now contacting those who have once before been the victims of fraud. They pretend they want to help the victim get back the money they lost. In doing so, they defraud the victims again! Be careful out there.
· Get rid of old appliances responsibly
If you’ve got an old fridge, washing machine etc. please do not put it on your pavement or give it to waste-pickers. They can’t recycle all of it and what they can’t sell often ends up in our green spaces. Rather call Pikitup on 011 375 5555. They will come and remove it for free.
· Adopt a Park
While ERA waits for official feedback from the City about its request to adopt the open space below Emmarentia Dam, “ERA is pushing ahead with projects to improve the park,” reports ERA’s Saber Manjoo.
Together with City Parks, overgrown trees were trimmed down and City Parks is mowing the grass every 6 weeks. Residents have cut down a grove of invasive bamboo and are keeping it short. Special thanks to Moe Omarjee on Limpopo and his gardener.
Thanks also to Erica, Nadia and Suresh who have been clearing up overgrowth on trees in the park in front of their homes. As a result “the park looks much neater and visibility has improved tremendously, and the spruit is in full flow!”
“Take a walk, go for a run, ride a MTB, take the dogs out and soak in the beauty of the area,” he urges.
Any sponsors e.g. sponsor your gardener, or if you’d like to join a clean-up day, please contact Saber Manjoo 084 799 7860 info@era.org.za
****
Louw Geldenhuys (1864 – 1929) wreath laying on 31 August 2024
Emmarentia’s founder remembered
By: Felicity Levine
As children, we used to peek through the wrought iron gate of the Geldenhuys family cemetery, on our way home from Emmarentia Primary School. We were overawed by all the infant graves, touched by the one that cradled Baba Geldenhuys. I can still see the grey marble and the cherub on the tombstone.
Then over half a century later I received an electronic invitation to a wreath laying at the same small cemetery. It was to commemorate the death of family head and philanthropist, Louw Geldenhuys.
Louw died suddenly of a heart attack on 31 August 1929. He was only 65, yet well above the average age of male death at the time which was 56.
Now on a chilly Saturday morning at the end of August, a group of about 20 is gathering around his tombstone to pay tribute to the man who owned the land that became Emmarentia and Greenside.
Louw’s grandchildren
Fittingly Louw’s great grandchildren are present. There is Anchen Dreyer, Thomas Dreyer and Deon van der Merwe with his son, Francois.
There are members of civil society organisations – Jenny Grice and Gemey Abrahams of the Emmarentia Resident’s Association and Wendy Carstens, chairperson of the Friends of Melville Koppies Nature Reserve and Heritage Site.
The little cemetery is stark, but the experience profoundly unifying. Charles Rademeyer, event organiser and spokesperson for the Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Organisations (FAK) opens the ceremony. Anchen Dreyer, his great-granddaughter makes an impassioned speech.
“I feel proud and sad at the same time,” she says. “I am proud of my great-grandfather’s legacy of giving and helping others. I am inspired to live up to it. But I am sad when I think of all the suffering they endured.”
South African War
Louw and his older brother, Frans fought in the South African War , 1899 – 1902. The British scorched earth policy ravaged farms and put women and children in concentration camps. Many died of sickness and starvation.
Louw gave agency and restored dignity to many Afrikaners left destitute. After the war he employed landless farmers to construct Emmarentia Dam. He also portioned off plots for 100 families to build houses and cultivate produce on what is now Emmarentia and Greenside.
Geldenhuys family history
Back at the little cemetery there are many infant graves with faded plaques and cracked tombstones. The 1918 flu epidemic may seem far removed, but you can see it in this graveyard. Louw and his wife Emmarentia had 15 children, but only eight survived. Imagine parents who have buried child after child after child, and suddenly diphtheria and whooping cough and infant mortality are real.
Louw himself was one of three sons of Lourens Geldenhuys, a gold prospector, farmer and land owner. It was 1886 and gold had been discovered on the Witwatersrand, on a farm called Langlaagte. Prospectors flocked to the area and it was the start of early Johannesburg.
The farm, Braamfontein had been acquired by Bezuidenhout in the 1860s. This was a huge chunk of land stretching from Victory Park and Rosebank in the north, across to Killarney in the east and then down to Commissioner Street in the south, southwest to Mayfair and Coronationville and north-west up to the base of Northcliff ridge.
Part of the Braamfontein Farm
Lourens bought the eastern part of the farm for £4 500 in 1886 and gave it to his two sons, Frans and Louw. The Marks Park Clubhouse, on the slopes of Melville Koppies, was originally the home of Frans Geldenhuys and his wife Judith (Grobbelaar); Lourens’s son Louw, married Emmarentia Margaretha Botha and built a large house which still stands on Greenhill Road.
After Louw’s death in 1929, his family sold the farm to developers. Greenside was laid out in 1931 and Emmarentia in 1937.
Now the ceremony is ending. Wreaths are laid on Emmarentia and Louw Geldenhuys’s graves. The tombstones are balanced on top of one another. Seeing he passed away first, Louw’s is below, supporting that of his wife, Emmarentia. She passed away in 1938.
Charles Rademeyer reads Psalm 18 and prays. “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge……”
Keeping a watchful eye
Behind one of the graves two Spotted Thick Knee birds (Burhinus Capensis) stare at us unblinkingly. They have intense, large yellow eyes, round speckled bodies and long yellow legs. Spiritually they signify vigilance and awareness. Jungian psychologist, Dr Elena M Rivera, says Spotted Thick Knees encourage us to delve into our own depths, awaken our intuitive abilities and become conscious of unseen energies and opportunities.
These two enigmatic night birds keep watchful eyes over the tombstones.
Posted: 25th November 2024 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Emmarentia Post, No 3, September 2024
Come to the AGM; come and contribute to change in Emmarentia
Dear Residents
You are all invited to join us at ERA’s AGM on 9 October at 18h30 in the Pavilion Room at Marks Park.
Come and hear what we’ve done (very brief reports, you can look at them here)
Let’s discuss together what we should be doing, how we should do it and how you can help.
If you can’t attend the AGM, please write and let us know:
E-mail to info@era.org.za:
Come and listen to guest speaker and Emmarentia resident, Dr Ferrial Adam from WaterCAN delve into the water crisis and what we can do.
Help us build a shared vision of the Emmarentia of the future.
ERA AGM AGENDA, Marks Park, 18h30-20h00
1. Welcome and apologies
2. Adoption of the 2023 AGM Minutes
3. Chairperson’s report
4. Community engagement
5. How we may defeat our water pain forever: Guest speaker, Dr Ferrial Adam WaterCAN
6. Nominees and volunteers for ERA committees
******
An interactive AGM
ERA Exco has been struggling to find a way to bring more people into ERA. At the beginning of September, Emmarentia resident and organisational development specialist, Christa Swart, volunteered to facilitate ERA Exco’s strategy session. She encouraged us to reflect on who, what and why ERA existed.
‘I’ve lived in Emmarentia for many years, but I have to confess that I don’t know what ERA does,’ she said. Yes, she’s on the Emmarentia whatsapp groups and that’s how she responded to our request for someone to facilitate our strategy session. And yes, she had also taken part in cleaning the park that ERA is in the process of adopting. But she’d never read an ERA newsletter and knew nothing else about the organisation.
Does this sound like your experience too?
Now is your chance. Come and join us at the AGM. Our chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula will give brief reports for all of us (read the full reports here).
Christa will be there too to facilitate and help us get your views so that together we can determine our priorities. And Emmarentia resident, Dr Ferrial Adam, will be there to give us an update on all things water.
Hope to see you there.
*****
‘Water, the bane of our lives’ — ERA chairperson
‘It is very painful to pay the same average bill for less water received and to be asked to use less water when you have not necessarily increased your consumption,’ says ERA chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula.
In a report to ERA’s upcoming AGM on October 9, he blames the so-called ‘excess demand’ on ‘extensive leakages, upward of 42%, and illegal connections.’
While noting that there has been a bit of a reprieve recently on the water and power fronts, he decries the fact that there is still ‘ad hoc deprivation of both water and electricity in certain households/areas’. No reasons have been given why some areas continue to receive no water at certain times of the day and why certain households regularly have no power.
He encourages all Emmarentia residents to join ERA so that together we can hold the municipality legally accountable.
Guest speaker at the AGM, Dr Ferrial Adam from WaterCAN will give us insights into what we can do to ease our current water crisis.
See the Chairperson’s full report here and join us on 9 October.
*****
What’s inside this newsletter?
We give you a glimpse into what ERA has done over the past year:
* it’s just a year since ERA decided to ’Adopt a Park’- how far are we?
* ERA has been working hard with event organisers to try and lessen the impact of events on residents. Are we making any progress?
* making additions/alterations to your home must adhere to the law: hear what ERA does to keep residents talking to each other.
Our next newsletter will cover:
We always welcome your stories. E-mail info@era.org.za or whatsapp Jenny on 072 348 0578
Editor
*****
Finances improve
ERA’s Treasurer, Brian Askew, continues to keep ERA’s finances in check. This past year ERA showed a small improvement in ‘profit’. Sadly it’s not because of an increase in income or membership (in fact membership has fallen since last year) but is largely due to the fact that our expenses have diminished.
We have a current membership of 35 households and given that there are more than 1500 households in Emmarentia, this is a very poor figure. Anyone want to offer to help increase our membership?
Our expenses have been fewer as we have saved money on the ERA newsletter through advertising/sponsorship. When this was not forthcoming we released an electronic version of the newsletter instead of printing it.
And we have not had to spend huge amounts fighting developers as we did with the large mixed-use development on Barry Hertzog/Gleneagles Road.
*****
Progress with Adopt a Park
Under the guidance of ERA’s Saber Manjoo, an extensive mapping and analysis of the area was undertaken. With the help of Zayne Shaikh who volunteered at last year’s AGM, assisted by Stuart Dunsmore, they put together a comprehensive plan.
ERA met with City Parks who agreed that we could begin work while waiting for the formal adoption to be confirmed.
ERA’s Saber Manjoo organised a successful community clean-up on April 27, and since then has supervised the clearing of patches of invasive alien bushes and trees. Private companies donated their green teams while ERA and residents funded NPOs. If you’d like to donate, please pay:Emmarentia Residents Association, Nedbank; A/c: 1975051173; Branch Code: 198765, reference PARK.
*****
Coping with ageing infrastructure
We know that Emmarentia residents are active citizens. When it comes to reporting water leaks, sewerage leaks, power outages and such, Emmarentia comes tops. And with the help of Cllr Nicolene Jonker’s escalation efforts, we can ensure that failures are rectified as soon as possible. As an engineer, ERA’s Rob Cass is well-qualified to head this portfolio.
However, earlier this year when we suffered more than 10 days without water, reporting was not enough. ERA salutes the residents that gathered the community together to show the City what we were experiencing.
We need more actions like these to make ourselves heard. Sometimes the quality of the workmanship is poor and the contractors are repeatedly called back to rectify.
ERA is investigating how we can hold the City to account for its failure to deliver quality services.
Building, planning and heritage—keeping things legal
Gemey Abrahams holds this portfolio, assisted by Bienfait Bula. They give crucial advice to residents wanting to extend/renovate their homes and assess and endorse building plans before residents submit to the City.
Gemey’s regular stories in ERA’s newsletter advise residents on building, title deeds and planning aspects—e.g. home offices, second dwellings, boreholes—so that they keep within the law.
Sadly some residents do not comply with the law so ERA assists and encourages residents to report seemingly illegal land uses to the authorities on complaintsleregionb@joburg.org.za
Gemey and Exco member Mohamed Motala have also helped in situations where residents are in dispute with their neighbours.
‘Please talk to your neighbours before doing any renovation,’ Gemey advises. ‘It is their right to be consulted since they are living in close proximity to you.’
Almost all houses in Emmarentia are more than 60 years old – any renovation, alteration or addition must be approved by the Provincial Heritage Authority in Gauteng.
Gemey continues to provide the required letters and undertakes extensive research on each property to establish its heritage.
ERA proposes that this AGM adopts some Shared Goals. Here are some initial thoughts:
Emmarentia is a suburb we all love and care about because:
Keeping our eyes peeled
ERA Chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula, holds ERA’s security portfolio and frequently attends the Parkview Stakeholder Forum (PSF) Wednesday morning meetings. The PSF brings together SAPS, the Parkview CPF, security companies and other residents’ associations in the area as well as JMPD.
The PSF is able to gauge the extent of crime in the area and to hone in on hotspots.
One of the security hotspots identified by the PSF is Checkers both inside the store, outside in the parking area and on Luzi Lane. ERA has been putting pressure on Checkers’ landlord to enlarge its miniscule loading zone which results in congested and potentially dangerous conditions on Komatie Road. There have been discussions with Checkers and business owners to see how safety in the area can be improved.
*****
Events — Holding event organisers to account
Since taking on this portfolio, Saber Manjoo has called meetings with various event organisers to ensure they respect residents. He has stressed that organisers must ‘clearly demarcate parking, have adequate security to deal with illegal parking and illegal carguards and ensure that sound is kept within limits.’
He has also begun to invite event organisers to donate to ERA’s Adopt a Park initiative to help us build a cleaner and safer area. Spar (the races on 6 October) is the first event organiser to agree to do this and has donated R5000 to this initiative.
ERA tries to warn residents in advance of what to expect, how to move in the area when there is an event and who to complain to on the day. And it follows up with event organisers afterwards.
ERA is also busy engaging with Marks Park to see how large noisy events can be limited each year.
*****
How we communicate
Claire Hoffmann and Jenny Grice have continued to run ERA’s communication.
Claire is in charge of Facebook, e-mailing to subscribers while Jenny does the newsletter and website. Five newsletters have been produced in the past year. Both of us share the responsibility of putting messages on the whatsapp groups.
In the past year, our Facebook page has grown its followers to almost 3000, our website gets on average 1800 views per month and we share information with more than 12 community Whatsapp groups.
*****
Thanks!
We have other Exco members that don’t necessarily hold portfolios but their help is invaluable in supporting the collective that is the ERA Exco. Thanks to Kerensa Millard (our legal expert), Shameme Manjoo and Zaahid Kadjeee who fill in when they are available.
Why join ERA:
Together we can build our community and generate positive energy amongst ourselves.
Your help needed:
We need new volunteers, especially with these skills:
*****
Concert in the Park – 13 October, Johannesburg Botanic Gardens – Lloyiso and Shekinah
We have just been advised of this concert. No road closures. We are awaiting details of security, parking and will post these as and when we receive them.
Times: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Doors open at 12h00. Event ends at 18h00.
They will start set up on Friday 11 October with structures and fencing.
Between 2200 and 2500 people.
Contact persons on the day:
Anel – 082 854 4711
Hendrie – 078 098 0159
Posted: 2nd August 2024 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Your chance to object
Dear Emmarentia Residents
It has come to our attention that an application has been made to rezone 2 properties on the Greenside side of Barry Hertzog Avenue, between Troon Rd and the Braids Road (but closer to Troon Rd intersection). Emmarentia shares a common boundary with Greenside along Barry Hertzog Avenue and our residents travel this road daily, so it is likely to impact on Emmarentia.
The application is to allow the two houses on these sites to be used for businesses and to consolidate the two plots into one development. The application calls it “a small-scale neighbourhood retail site”. The businesses will be in the existing houses.
This is what they are applying for:
To permit the rezoning from “Residential 1” to “Special” (offices, medical suites, showrooms (excluding motor showrooms) and business purposes including hair and beauty salons and related ancillary retail – subject to conditions).
The Greenside Residents’ Association (GRA) and residents of Greenside will be objecting to this application. Due to its location, Emmarentia residents may also have good reason to object and ERA also intends to object to this application. We are therefore bringing it to your attention and provide all the necessary information, should you wish to object to it.
We attach the application from Breda Lombard, the notice that is up on the site and a layout of the parking and the land use study they did, for your information.
Again, this is an encroachment of businesses into the residential area as all except 2 properties along that side of Barry Hertzog Ave in that same block that the development is in, are zoned Residential (with one being Residential 3 for the townhouses), with the two exceptions being Residential 1 with the right to have offices within the existing residential house.
ERA and the GRA are of the view that such uses must be located in business nodes and not along mobility roads such as Barry Hertzog Ave. Checkers and our commercial node is one block away.
We also feel that the property if used for the rights they are applying for is not ideally suited to handle the parking and circulation that the uses will generate and this
could cause problems for the traffic on Barry Hertzog Ave.
We are also not wanting it to obtain the rights that go with ‘Business Purposes’ as they have applied for because it opens up the property to be used for many uses and includes restaurant. If they get ‘business purposes’ rights, this is what it allows (in the Johannesburg Land Use Scheme):
‘Business Purposes’ defined as:
Means the use of a building/s and/or land from which business is conducted and the related use of buildings including offices, restaurants, motor showrooms, showrooms, medical consulting rooms, domestic service industries, self-storage; funeral parlours, call centers, financial institutions, dry cleaners, launderettes and buildings for similar uses not elsewhere defined as well as uses which are ancillary, directly related to and subservient to the main use such as caretakers accommodation, but does not include uses such as places of assembly, institutions, public garages, industries, noxious trades or places of amusement.
Many of these uses are not suitable (even if they don’t use them now, the properties will have these rights to use in the future) for the sites.
It would also appear that it is an existing illegal use that they are trying to get business rights for but that should not stop you from objecting as it does not mean that what they are currently using it for is the best use for those sites and that is why an application is made and we get the opportunity to object.
If you would like to object please do so using the Guidance template that is attached, but add in your own reasons in your own words (we do need to provide reasons but they do not have to be fully detailed at this stage) and make sure you have your address, cell phone number and your email address. Objections MUST be sent out by WEDNESDAY 14 AUGUST 2024. Please copy ERA in, in your objection and email it to us (info@era.org.za).
It is your right to object to developments that impact on you and on Emmarentia so that your voice is heard.
If you need further information or want more reasons for objecting please contact the ERA at info@era.org.za and we will gladly assist.
Gemey Abrahams
ERA EXCO
info@era.org.za
082 459 5266
Application-Motivation-and-TD BL4703-Notice-Erven-845-and-846-Greenside-Extension Land-use-map Annexure-B-parking-layout Annexure-c-Suburban-Zone Erven-845-and-846-Greenside-Guidance-for-objectors-ERA-August-2024-finalSearch
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