Since October 2022 we’ve come to realise that there’s no guarantee that water will come out of our taps when we turn them on. Last year we were told that it was because users were filling their pools and watering their gardens, that there was excessive water use and that when the rains came, it would all be sorted out.
The rain fell, the Vaal Dam was overflowing but still we were subjected to intermittent water outages. In frustration ERA joined with Councillor Nicolene Jonker and invited Joburg Water and other entities to a Town Hall meeting that was eventually held on May 16. See here for the questions that we sent Joburg Water. https://era.org.za/event/town-hall-meeting/
But Joburg Water sent apologies. When our taps ran dry again in June, we again received no details of what Joburg Water was doing to resolve the situation. Instead each day we were told— “Hursthill 2 reservoir critically low to empty.”
Finally in frustration, when some residents had had no water for 10 days, we drafted a letter to the City Manager demanding to know what was going on and what plans were in place to resolve the situation. As we were about to send the letter, we heard via our councillor that Joburg Water and Rand Water had been in discussions and that finally more water would be pumped into the reservoir to build its capacity.
See the letter below. The City Manager acknowledged receipt and said he had forwarded to Joburg Water.
We need your views on the following issue. So far this year we have had very few events but brace yourselves, they are about to start… If you can’t bear the noise and the bustle and you’ve got options on when to go on holiday, choose August – it’s going to be our busiest month.
Now we need your views on one issue. We have been approached by City Parks and Councillor Nicolene Jonker on an upcoming event in August at Botanic Gardens. On the 5th August there is a planned concert called Liefde by die Dam. Apparently, when the notice of the concert went live on the net, tickets sold out within 30 minutes. Because of this, the concert organisers are keen to have another concert on 6th August at the same venue because the stage will still be in place. However, City Parks and the councillor want to find out from residents what your views are.
Things to consider:
Last year there were a lot of complaints about the Liefde by die Dam concert because of one of the performers, Jack Parow, who uses a lot of swear words in his songs. Jack Parow is not performing this time. (See the attached flier to see who is performing.)
Botanic Gardens tries to limit big concerts to 4 per year – if we agree to Liefde by die Dam on 5 and 6 August and the Women’s Tribute Concert on 12 August, then there could be just one other big event for this year.
These are the other big events planned at Marks Park (MP) and Botanic Gardens (BG) until the end of the year (some are not yet confirmed). 702 has booked with Marks Park but there is nothing on 702’s website. Apparently, they are still looking for sponsors.
18 July (BG) International Mandela Day – unconfirmed
5 August (BG) Liefde by die Dam concert
9 Aug (MP) Women’s Day road race
12 Aug (BG) Women’s Tribute concert
20 Aug (MP) 702 Walk the Talk (MP) – unconfirmed
2 Sept (BG) Jhb Day – unconfirmed
1 Oct (MP) Spar Ladies Race
Please bear in mind that we do not have the final say. The City is the ultimate decision maker. Nevertheless, if you could let us know your views by Tuesday 6 June we’d really appreciate it so that we can share these views with those concerned.
The official publication of the Emmarentia Residents Association
Water Interruptions – Another Crisis
“No water” has become a common cry from us all. What is going on? Rob Cass who holds ERA’s infrastructure portfolio takes a look.
A Perfect Storm
A significant part of the problem stems from the worst and most protracted bout of load-shedding the country has experienced. Electricity is required at each stage of the journey of our water from the source, through the treatment facility, through the bulk supply pumps to the reservoirs, and on to our houses. Electricity interruptions to treatment and pumping facilities mean reservoir levels are compromised and outflows need to be restricted to prevent issues that arise from running them dry. This management of reservoir water levels means that even when bulk supply has recovered, it can take days or weeks for reservoir levels to recover to a sufficient extent for normal water supply to resume.
Aging Infrastructure
As we have experienced with load-shedding, ongoing interruptions to water supply place a huge strain on infrastructure. Water infrastructure in our area (and Joburg in general) was already under severe pressure from years of underinvestment and neglect of maintenance, coupled with increased demand from densification. As water interruptions continue, they will only increase the rate of deterioration of the infrastructure and create further supply issues.
High Demand
The third factor in the current crisis is demand for water. These interruptions have coincided with our peak summer months where demand is highest.
Joburg Water has placed much of the blame for the crisis at the door of the consumer, claiming that our estimated average domestic water usage of 237 litres per person per day is 64 litres (or 37%) higher than the international average of 173 litres. What they conveniently forget to mention is that their estimate includes ‘non-revenue’ water – which includes losses from leaks, water theft from tampered meters, and unbilled supply to fire departments and similar services. This non-revenue water is estimated to be 41% of the bulk supply – more than covering the deviation of our per capita consumption from the international average.
Will Things Improve?
There are a few factors that will hopefully improve the outlook in the short and medium term.
* Government is paving the way for some critical infrastructure (such as the bulk water pumps) to be exempt from loadshedding. This should significantly improve the short-term outlook, especially as there is lower demand as we move into the winter months.
* A new reservoir is planned for Brixton which is intended to add capacity to the system, yet this will only be completed in a minimum of 18 months.
* A new Rand Water supply line is planned – which will increase the bulk supply to Joburg Water – as well as a new pumping station and pipeline to improve supply to the Hursthill supply zone. However, there is not yet a timeline for these projects.
The greatest risk remains in the long-term outlook as water infrastructure continues to degrade at an alarming rate. Without a commitment from Joburg Water to properly plan for, upgrade, and provide additional infrastructure, we are likely to suffer from water supply issues long into the future.
The complicated diagram that shows how water gets to us (or doesn’t)
What can we do?
Sadly, both Joburg Water and Rand Water have failed to even admit that there is a crisis and instead have chosen to point fingers and avoid responsibility. As they have been pushed for solutions from various sectors of society, the plans they have put in place lack clarity, transparency, and urgency.
Two years ago, after ERA motivated for the replacement of continually leaking pipes in the suburb, Joburg Water agreed to replace 7590 metres. We are still waiting. Recently the entity told us that it is “allocated to the Project Management Unit who will assess and implement when funds become available”.
ERA will continue to follow up with Joburg Water and engage with our councillor and relevant municipal officials to push for this and other local infrastructure upgrades.
Advocacy groups
Meanwhile, several advocacy groups have been formed to engage with the responsible parties and attempt to force action and ensure accountability.
What now?
We all need to hold government and its agencies accountable.
* Send your questions about service delivery problems you are experiencing and that you want answers to, to nicolene@ward88jhb.net by 24 April or info@era.org.za. Or fill in this google form https://forms.gle/qc84s8nFiSLbLJDLA and attend the Town Hall meeting on 3 May to hear the entities’ responses.
* Please consider joining and supporting ERA. The more members we have, the bigger our voice
* Support, involve yourself in organisations working to improve the situation.
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Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
Judging by whatsapp chatter on the Emmarentia groups, many people’s glasses are half-empty (and NO it’s not just because of Joburg Water’s water shedding!).
A survey done in February this year of individuals earning more than R10 000 per month, (i.e. tax-payers – 30% of the population) asked respondents: How does load shedding affect you personally?
82% of respondents answered: “It makes me feel despondent about the future of the country.”
Are you feeling the same way? How do we keep positive amid all these negatives? How do we make the glass half full again?
Staying positive
* Join a Whatsapp group in the suburb—you get a chance to vent your frustrations and find out what’s going on.
* Join ERA and help us report complaints and make the City accountable.
* Help to keep our suburb clear of litter and weeds:
– One group regularly clean litter and weeds on Olifants Road on the bridge.
– Others donate regularly to Let’s Work who rely on donations to pay a group of workers to keep our open parks clean, our mini-subs clear of verdant undergrowth and numerous other things;
– another group have repaired potholes themselves.
There is hope
For others like Saber Manjoo, it’s all about pestering City of Joburg until they deliver. When he first moved to Emmarentia he was frustrated at an open trench just outside his property, no streetlights along the road outside his house and bushes that were obscuring the Spruit just next to him and providing hiding spaces for criminals.
Months of complaining, getting references and escalating to the councillor where necessary, have finally borne fruit.
“We must log calls and keep escalating until the issue is resolved,” he says. “It is tiring and onerous but we have to persist to get things done. There is hope.”
Keep reporting water leaks, streetlight outages so that the City fixes things up
Help with street names
ERA echoes Manjoo’s sentiments. We want to engage with JRA to replace missing or damaged road names in Emmarentia, and we need your help.
Please report any road names which are missing from kerbs as well as sign posts and e-mail info@era.org.za so that we can send a list to JRA.
Please include the correct intersection and the name which is missing.
We’ll keep you updated.
Updates from last newsletter
* ‘Homeless’ at Parkhurst Bowling Club
SAPS and JMPD continue to move people off the old Parkhurst bowling club opposite the dump site at Pirates only for them to return a day later.
Parkview CPF’s Geraldine Connell says that the “CPF, SAPS and residents associations are in discussion about the best practice for residents who want to assist the ‘homeless’.”
Watch this space.
* Desilting and repair of top and middle dam walls in Emmarentia Park
We are keeping our fingers crossed that work will soon start on desilting the top two dams and removing invasive alien plants that threaten to completely throttle the top dam.
There are also plans to shift the outflow of the top dam to the western side and to repair both bridges.
More on Whatsapp Groups.
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Briefs
* ERA helps keep SAPS Parkview’s lights on
Early this year ERA donated R3000 to CPF Parkview towards the costs of an inverter so that Parkview SAPS can continue fighting crime during loadshedding.
Together with other donations from a handful of residents, the CPF managed to raise R18 100.
However the CPF’s Geraldine Connell says that “after paying for professional installation and purchasing a security camera and burglar bars to secure the installation, the total cost came in at just over R28 000.”
The CPF is still short of R10 000. ERA challenges any business or residents to contribute. Section 18A certificates provided on request.
Pay to:
Name: PARKVIEW COMMUNITY POLICING FORUM Bank: FNB Branch: Craighall Account No: 62082896899 Reference: Name + inverter
* Upcoming Events
3-4JuneLinden Market, Joburg Botanic Gardens
23 July Walk the Talk, Marks Park (NB: numbers will be limited to 20 000)
5 Aug Liefde by die Dam, Joburg Botanic Gardens
2-3 SeptLinden Market, Joburg Botanic Gardens
1 Oct Spar Ladies Race, Marks Park (10 000 runners)
Or if you are an artist, musician, entertainer and want to perform at the Linden Market – see here:about:blankEmbed URLPaste a link to the content you want to display on your site.EmbedLearn more about embeds(opens in a new tab)Sorry, this content could not be embedded.Try again Convert to link
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How many people are allowed to live on a residential property?
In previous editions ERA has shone the spotlight on home enterprises and heritage and building regulations. Today ERA’s Gemey Abrahams looks at what the town planning rules are around occupancy of your home.
IN terms of town planning, the City has a Municipal Planning Bylaw (2016) and under this falls the City’s Land Use Scheme (2018). The Land Use Scheme provides information on zoning and what you can legally do with a property in each zone.
In Emmarentia, most of our homes are zoned Residential 1. The Land Use Scheme has many important definitions of land uses and planning terms that apply to properties. Your Residential 1 property has the automatic or primary zoning right for a “dwelling house”. A “dwelling house” is intended for a “household”.
Dwelling house or household
A dwelling house is defined as “a detached, self-contained, inter-connected suite of rooms containing a kitchen and the applicable ablutions, used for the living accommodation and housing of one household”.
A household is defined as “a singular person or group of persons that are biologically or legally related to one another and live together”. A household can include parents and in-laws (or any related family) living in the house with you. This can include the two cottages (subsidiary dwellings) that you are permitted on your Residential 1 property (with limitations set out in the Land Use Scheme).
What this means is a residential home or dwelling house must have 1 kitchen and be the home of 1 household.
Anything more than this could be illegal and we are reminded that the Municipal Planning bylaw, Section 2 (3) is very clear that “No person may use or develop land unless the use or land development is permitted in terms of the City’s land use scheme …” and Section 2(40) that says that the “By law binds every owner of land and any successor-in-title of such land and every user of the land…..” Fines and penalties (higher rates) can be enforced.
What is a commune?
If you rent out rooms or cottages on your property you may be contravening these regulations because you may be running an illegal commune. The City of Johannesburg has a Communes Policy (2009) and it states that “when there are two or more unrelated people living under one roof who are being charged for accommodation on one property, with or without the owners living on the property” it is considered to be a commune. You may not have more than 8 persons living in a commune according to the definition of Commune in the Land Use Scheme.
You need to apply for planning Consent to have a commune and applying may avoid immediate prosecution but it does not guarantee that approval will be granted.
The ERA encourages all residents and owners of property to be informed of their property rights and to strive to be compliant so that we remain the best and most compliant suburb in Joburg.
Need more info, want to report an illegal building? mail info@era.org.za
Did you know?
YOU cannot sell your house unless you have up to date, approved building plans. Up to date means that what is on the ground on your property must be the same as what is on your plans.
If you need to update your plans contact ERA for more guidance and information because your updated plans will need to be signed off by ERA (on behalf of the Lourens Geldenhuys Family in terms of your title deeds). Contact info@era.org.za or Gemey Abrahams on 082 459 5266
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The Geldenhuys Cemetery
BEHIND a beautiful stone wall on Hill Road, just across the road from the parking area for Emmarentia Primary School lies the Geldenhuys Cemetery.
It’s the resting place of many family members of Lourens Geldenhuys, the man who initially bought parts of the Braamfontein Farm from Bezuidenhout in 1886.
His sons, Louw and Frans soon took over ownership of the farm from their father. Louw built his house on 14 Greenhill Road and Frans at Marks Park.
Louw married Emmarentia Botha, after whom Emmarentia is named. Frans married Judith Grobbelaar – hence Judith Road.
There are 70 graves in this cemetery, many of them unnamed. 49 of the graves are children’s, the vast majority of whom died of diphtheria, a bacterial infection that is virtually unheard of today because of routine vaccinations given to babies. The last person was laid to rest there in 1942.
Other graves bear the names of Botha, Viljoen, Pienaar, Swanepoel, Steyn, Ayres, Heyneke, McGrath, Olivier, Joubert and Hopley, some of whom were family members and others who are believed to have been tenant farmers on the property .
The imposing gates of the Geldenhuys Cemetery
No history of the cemetery would be complete without a visit to Melville Koppies where you can still see a blasthole where the Geldenhuys brothers tried to find gold as well as evidence that people have been living where we live for thousands and thousands of years.
If you’d like to visit the cemetery, or if you can tell us more, e-mail info@era.org.za
Visit Melville Koppies Heritage Site on Sunday mornings—8-11.30am—more www.mk.org.za
The renewed history board on Melville Koppies that explains the Geldenhuys history
Councillor’s corner
* W88 Whatsapp group
Councillor Nicolene Jonker has set up a new whatsapp group for Emmarentia residents in Ward 88 so that she can better inform residents of problems with infrastructure, circulate City news, public meetings etc.
If your power doesn’t come back more than 30 minutes after the scheduled end of load shedding:
· Check with your neighbours to see if they are also off.
· Check whatsapp groups for any messages: perhaps others in your street are off and there’s a message from Nicolene or Felicity to say that ‘City Power is aware, don’t report’.
· If you are the only one off, then check your own distribution board to see if it’s tripped. If it hasn’t:
(register first if you are using the system for the first time) (Tel (011) 490-7484)
You will be sent a CPWeb reference number. Please then send details to Nicolene in this format:
▶ Your Name:
▶ Your Number:
▶ Address of issue:
▶ Date logged:
▶ Time Logged:
▶ Ref nr:
▶ Short description:
Sometimes Nicolene creates a google form for everyone to add their outage to.
* Keep the City accountable
ERA is working closely with the Councillor and her ward committee to try to keep the City accountable. We need your help to report issues when you see them and escalate with the reference number in the format above to Nicolene if there is no response from the entity. Attend the Town Hall meeting on 12 April.
Who to call?
* JMPD – for all by-law infringements—(011 375 5911)
e.g. Noise complaints – The City’s by-laws say that there is to be no construction work of any kind on a Sunday or public holiday (this includes cutting trees). – get a reference number; if no response escalate to Nicolene.
* Joburg Water– log all water and sewer-related issues, including holes in pavements/roads dug to fix leaking pipes and not filled with tarmac
ERA and Councillor Nicolene Jonker are organising a Town Hall meeting just for Emmarentia residents so you can find out:
why there is consistently no water coming out of our taps and what the plans are to improve this
why the pothole you reported two months ago is still not fixed
why fixing a leaking pipe in the road makes another problem – a gaping hole in the road that is never fixed, despite numerous requests and complaints
Send all those questions you want Joburg Water, City Power, Rand Water, JRA etc etc etc to answer and we will try and get them all to come to Marks Park on 12 April at 18h00.
Send all your questions to nicolene@ward88jhb.net and copy in info@era.org.za by 3 April so that the different entities have time to prepare their answers.
The Official Publication of the Emmarentia Residents’ Association
Meet our new ERA Exco team
19 November 10am – 1pm, outside Checkers
We are delighted to welcome new members to our Emmarentia Residents Association Exco team. Ayanda Mjekula has once again been elected chairperson.
Come and meet us outside Checkers. Find out who we are and what we are trying to do. Let us know what you think we should be doing. Give us ideas on how we can do this. There are not many of us — we’d really like you to join us and lend a hand.
Our new ERA Exco team
Exco Member
Portfolio
Ayanda Mjekula
Chairperson
Rob Cass
Infrastructure
Kerensa Millard
Legal advice
Bienfait Bula and Gemey Abrahams
Town planning, heritage, building support
Rudesh Patel
Security
Claire Hoffmann
Communication
Jenny Grice
Newsletter
Brian Askew
Treasurer
Shameme Manjoo, Zaahid Kajee, Matt Evans
Support to all portfolios
We also have a history sub-committee which is gathering more information about the suburb and an environmental sub-committee that is mostly concerned with the park.
We welcome volunteers – you don’t have to sit on the Exco to form part of these sub-committees. Join us – https://era.org.za/join-era/ or e-mail us for more info on info@era.org.za
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A big, big thank you
ERA is so grateful to our ward councillor and our ward committee for keeping us informed, enforcing bylaws and helping us out during these challenging times of failing electricity, water, waste collection and and and. Keep it up. Our lives would be so much more difficult without you.
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Water, water in the Vaal, but not a drop to drink!
We thought things couldn’t get worse when our days were darkened by Stage 6 load-shedding. But they did… We opened our taps and nothing came out.
Once again, the community showed their generosity. The mosque offered everyone access to their filtered borehole water as did numerous other residents. Many residents and business owners also ferried water to the Eventide Home. A big thanks to all those that assisted.
And Brian Jossell, the landlord of many of the properties around the Greenhill shops precinct, has also offered his filtered borehole water in one of the blocks of flats on Komatie, when the next time comes, which it almost certainly will. Email info@era.org.za for details.
Puzzling
We were all puzzled. While other parts of the country have had their day-zeros because of devastating droughts, our major source, the Vaal Dam, was 92% full.
Rand Water laid the blame at the door of Joburg residents who “use too much water – average of 300 litres per person per day is consumed as against the global average of 173 per day per person.”
Mike Muller, ex Dept Water Affairs Director General, told SAFM listeners on 18 October a different story. “40 per cent of water is lost (in Johannesburg); about 25 per cent from water leaks, 15 per cent is not being billed.”
Once this is factored into the equation, he said, “Joburg residents’ average consumption comes right down to 180 litres per day per person” almost the same as the global average.
Failure of electricity infrastructure and vandalism
Joburg Water general manager of operations, Etienne Hugo, told a public water crisis meeting at Marks Park on 26 October that the problems were because of the failure of “electricity infrastructure and vandalism” which had led to “continuous power interruptions that caused the Commando system to collapse. This affected Rand Water and Joburg Water” and the system wasn’t able to recover.
He also revealed that the water and sewerage infrastructure backlog currently stood at R2.9bn. Just recently the current DA administration announced that R900m will be spent in this financial year to begin to address the backlog.
The bigger picture
Meanwhile Muller warned that Joburg residents are at “the limit of what can reliably be supplied to the region until Lesotho phase 2 is providing water.” Phase 2 could take five more years to complete.
He said that over the next 5 years “we will all have to get used to having the same amount of water even though the population will continue growing,” – i.e. there will be less for each of us.
The one hope he said was that if water losses can be reduced to 25 per cent, “we might just make it.”
Muller also warned of complacency around boreholes. “For the moment there is water but as everyone uses it, it will run out, it is not a long term reliable back up and I get worried by people who seem to think it is… we must get people to use water more efficiently.”
Keep asking questions
The final message comes from Dr Ferrial Adam, environmental activist, manager at WaterCan, who urged residents at a water crisis public meeting at Marks Park on 26 October to “keep asking questions of authorities.”
“The issue is not going away. We need to watch the budget. We are not spending enough on infrastructure… Democracy doesn’t end when we’ve voted. We must find ways of making sure that there is active citizenry.”
Harvest our rainwater and use it to water our gardens/fill up our swimming pools
We welcome residents to share good practice and to add to this list. Water is a scarce resource.
Please share on info@era.org.za or on your WhatsApp groups. Those dry years are coming again soon!
REMEMBER!
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Unpacking the homelessness problem
“If you came here expecting a quick fix, there isn’t one.” These were the words of Parkview CPF Chair, Geraldine Connell, who chaired the public meeting on the problem of homelessness on September 21 at Marks Park.
She said that it was estimated that about 400 people live in public open spaces in the Parkview precinct – in Zoo Lake, Delta Park, Keith Fleming Park, along the rivers and in the old Parkhurst Bowling Club.
Even though they are occupying these spaces illegally, if entities that own these public spaces want to evict those living there, they must follow the law. However, even if these processes are followed and occupiers are removed, often they “return several days later.”
She acknowledged that residents were concerned about “the degradation of the green belt running through Joburg” and the impact that these informal settlements was having on their properties.
Equally concerning though was that some were forced into homelessness because they are “either not paid enough for their labours or… do not have any way of earning a living.” SA’s constitution “confers many rights on all our people: right to dignity, adequate housing and food, which the State is tasked with meeting” so a “just and compassionate solution was needed.”
The Constitution also guarantees everyone’s rights to just administrative action and so residents’ rights need to be weighed against the rights of the displaced people.
Homeless and crime
SAPS Parkview Station Commander, Colonel Govender, admitted that displaced people in the precinct contribute to contact crimes: theft in general, especially of wall lights and dustbins, common assault, gender-based violence (GBV) and attempted murder. However, most often these violent crimes were between the displaced people themselves and didn’t involve residents in the neighbouring suburbs.
A major concern was the old Parkhurst bowling club where some have occupied the building while others have built illegal structures on the land owned by the Johannesburg Property Company. Liquor is sold there illegally and consumption of alcohol and drugs is prevalent. Suspects are untraceable since they have no fixed address.
Join hands
Thabo Thipe, from the City’s Department of Community Safety warned that we need “to join hands” to tackle the problem of the homeless, otherwise our areas will become like Rhodes Park and Bez Valley Park which “used to be beautiful”.
He also criticised some government departments that don’t always attend joint activities like cleaning the spruit. “You’ll see JMPD and SAPS but you also need Home Affairs there.” Ward 88 Residents Association member, Mike Styer, echoed Thipe’s concern.
Views of the community
Some attendees said that homeless people are the cause of crime or were working hand in hand with crime syndicates. Many expressed concern over the Wastepreneurs project which they said had encouraged the mushrooming of the homeless settlement on the Parkhurst bowling club and that this was “attracting criminal elements.”
Others said that most homeless people are not criminals, “they just want a job and want to do something useful.” They urged residents to support initiatives that help the homeless sort out their CVs, get work-ready etc. so that they can be kept “away from criminalisation”.
Part of the crowd that attended the public meeting on homelessness at Marks Park
They stressed that one of the worst things that can happen to homeless people is for them to be raided by authorities and their possessions confiscated or burnt. “Then they are left without IDs and other personal effects” and this can further delay them getting back on their feet.
The City needed to assist by providing land and buildings, much more transitional housing and increase its capacity to address mental illness which was prevalent amongst the homeless.
Finding solutions
Connell said that several NPOs operating in the Parkview precinct have been invited to try and come up with action plans to deal with the problem. She undertook to organise a follow up public meeting soon.
Did you know that Emmarentia, named after the wife of Louw Geldenhuys, comprises two townships – Emmarentia and Emmarentia Extension 1? Buffalo Road is the divide between the two townships.
Emmarentia was proclaimed a township on 24 April 1937 (Proclamation 63, Gov Gazette 1458). It was surveyed by the famous land surveyor HJEW Halberstadt in 1936 after the death of Louw Geldenhuys in 1929. He did not want his land developed while he was alive.
The upper part of Emmarentia until Buffalo Road was proclaimed a township in 1937
Much open space was retained around Emmarentia because it was donated by Louw Geldenhuys and his family. Today it forms part of the Melville Koppies, Marks Park, Emmarentia Dam/Botanical Gardens and the West Park Cemetery and provides Emmarentia with a park-like setting and important public land.
Later in 1937, the City Council considered the application for Emmarentia Ext 1 and it was proclaimed in 1938.
Second World War
The Second World War slowed the development of the suburb, but several homes were built during the war. Apart from Louw Geldenhuys’s original farmhouse at 44 Greenhill Road built in the 1880s, we have some homes in Emmarentia dating back to 1937, while others were built towards the end of the war. In Emmarentia Ext 1, most homes were built from the 1950s.
The characteristic yellow face-brick cottages in Emmarentia are mostly in the mid-century modern architectural style but there are also some noteworthy homes designed by well-known architects, such as Moerdyk, Cowan, Ellis, Abramowitch, Percik, van Achterberg and Watermeyer. Many of them were pioneers of the modernist style in South Africa.
ERA has begun to build up information on our suburb’s architectural history, the architects and residents who first built homes in our area. ERA does investigations when residents apply to do renovations because it is required to provide a letter to the Provincial Heritage Authority of Gauteng (PHRAG) if a house is over 60 years’ old or if there will be demolition required.
Be mindful of our heritage
We urge residents to be mindful of our heritage when renovating. Always try to retain original elements of the house and please call ERA for advice before finalizing building plans.
Please share any early history of your family in Emmarentia, photos and names of people we can interview, to help us add to this history. We also welcome any interested residents who may want to help with this aspect.
Send us an email at info@era.org.za Call ERA’s expert Gemey Abrahams, for planning, heritage or building plans advice: 082 459 5266
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Briefs
Outdoor Advertising
The CoJ recently held a public meeting at Marks Park to consult with residents on updating its Outdoor Advertising Bylaw. See the draft here:
ERA attends City’s CBP session
ERA members worked with other Ward 88 residents under the guidance of City representatives on 29 October to agree that the City must prioritise water pipes and roads in the Ward and fence Waterfall Recreation Centre.
Councillor Nicolene Jonker with ERA Exco members and others from Wards 88 and 117at the CBP session
Building or garden rubble
Dumping building or garden rubble on your sidewalk is NOT permitted because the sidewalk is owned by Johannesburg Roads Agency. Only building materials can be stored on your sidewalk if you obtain a Wayleave Permit from the City first.
You must get a wayleave if you want to store building material on the pavement
Building plans and heritage
Remember, building renovations that require a plan to be submitted must be signed off by ERA who acts on behalf of the Lourens Geldenhuys Family.
Moreover most properties in Emmarentia are over 60 years’ old and are subject to the National Heritage Resources Act which requires permission when you want to alter the house or demolish it.
Be on the lookout for large (A3 size) white notices on properties that indicate a planning application. This will give details of how you can comment or object to any application. Please take a photo and send to info@era.org.za.
The City policies and the Nodal Review Policy are promoting greater densification and mixed use in the suburbs and have done away with Emmarentia’s Precinct Plan that previously gave us assurance and confidence on the future of our area.
ERA believes that Emmarentia and neighbouring suburbs urgently need local Precinct Plans so that development and land use changes can be directed to suitable parts of the suburb. We are collaborating with other RAs, councillors and the City on this matter.
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New rules for Mosque traffic flow on Friday lunchtime
To accommodate worshippers who attend the mosque on Fridays at lunch-time, a new arrangement has been agreed with the mosque, JRA, the Councillor and directly affected residents. Komatie between Muirfield and Ingalele will be a one-way going south while Marico between Muirfield and Ingalele will be a one-way going north.
See the new road directions on Komatie and Marico for traffic flow to the mosque on Friday lunchtimes
Donate cellphones to Parkview CPF
Parkview CPF is in urgent need of cellphones valued at almost R3000 to enable volunteer patrollers to do their work more efficiently. If you can help, e-mail chair@parkviewcpf.co.za
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Support the new car guards at Greenhill shops
Greenhill Road shopowners are piloting a new car guard initiative to bring safety to residents and customers, especially over the upcoming festive season.
Park Dynamics Safety (PDS) will be supervising the new venture with each shopowner contributing financially to the project. PDS runs a similar successful business in Fordsburg with the support of SAPS.
Each guard is given training, uniforms (orange and yellow jackets), radios, communication with zone managers and back up from SAPS if necessary.
A basic payment is made to the car guards, “car guards will rely on the public for the bulk of their income,” says ERA Exco member, Shameme Manjoo, who attended the briefing on the new initiative. Please give generously to support them and make the project sustainable.
Give generously to the new PDSI car guards in their orange-yellow uniforms
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Botanical garden briefs
· Security in the park
Opening times of the Botanic Gardens and the dog-walking section remain at 6am – 6pm. If you are locked inside, exit through Olifants Road entrance.
Note:
· There is a guard with a dog at the top end of the park at Judith; at Olifants Rd entrance and at rose garden entrance
· 2 guards patrol on the top path adjacent to Marks Park
Please email us on info@era.org.za if you don’t see the guards.
· Toilets at Botanical Gardens
ERA followed up with the manager, Sandra Viljoen, after receiving complaints about the state of the toilets. They promised to attend to it. Please continue reporting any problems to ERA – info@era.org.za
· Park Rangers to patrol the park
In a pilot project, Park Rangers (dressed in dark khaki with the City Parks emblem embroidered on their uniforms) will be clamping down on illegal events and enforcing bylaws in the park like:
– Dog-owners to pick up after their dog
– Dogs must be on leads inside the park
– Dogs NOT allowed in rose garden and other designated areas, even if they are on leads
· Restaurant at Botanical Gardens
This is still being renovated. We will keep you posted of opportunities to tender for the lease of the property.
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Updates from last newsletter
· Back to square one for Parkhurst Bowling Club
The proposal to convert the area into a soccer academy reported on in the last newsletter is off the table. The owner, Johannesburg Property Company, issued another Request for Proposals (RFP) for “the development and long-term lease” of the area. (RFP now closed.)
· Events
We’re still waiting for your views, both negative and positive, on events in our suburb. Those events are coming back next year and we need to know your views so we can share them with the relevant authorities and the councillor. E-mail to info@era.org.za
see here for the previous newsletter, No 3 of August 2022.
The City will be holding its annual outreach through the Community Based Planning process to residents in Wards 87, 88, 98, 117 at Marks Park on 29 October 2022. The CBP is a process that feeds into the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) which is the most strategic document for the City.
ERA will be attending the meeting along with the Ward 88 Committee. We have just been sent the agenda for the meeting and it is a little different from normal. As a resident of Emmarentia, and to assist the ERA to make inputs to the City’s Community Based Planning session tomorrow, please can you take a few minutes to give your views on the questions below and send it back to us on info@era.org.za before tomorrow morning:
What do you think are the STRENGTHS of Emmarentia:…………………………………
What do you think are opportunities that Emmarentia offers?…………….
In an ideal world, how would you like to see Emmarentia in the future? (you can dream here)……
What are some things (and projects) that the City should do now and the next 3 years to improve Emmarentia or to reach your dream of Emmarentia in the future?…… What would be your priority?
What assets does our beautiful suburb have (social/human; buildings; open space; intellectual and so on)?….
We thank you for your participation and interest and contribution to improving our suburb.
The Official Publication of the Emmarentia Residents’ Association
Message from ERA chairperson to ERA AGM – Let’s fix this broken country together
Our country is broken. Our roads, railways, water, power infrastructure etc. are crumbling. We all need to be active citizens to fix this broken country.
This past year, residents have helped ERA put pressure on Checkers to stop its sewerage leaking into Emmarentia Dam. In 2021 ERA made submissions to the City’s IDP process. Joburg Water agreed to a project to replace very old water pipes in the suburb.
We are worried by Telkom’s wish to install a giant 20m 5G mast in a resident’s front garden in Marico Road. ERA gave the neighbours of the property our support to resist this. Telkom must now reapply to the City for permission. Support us in ensuring that the City consults with us.
Does crime give you sleepless nights? Link up with the effective security initiatives in the suburb and the precinct.
Do you worry about the problem of the homeless who are living in green spaces and with government seemingly having no solution?
Are you concerned with the ever-increasing annual CoJ tariffs?
Join us, it’s time to get this broken society working again; let’s fix it together.
Volunteer for the SAPS Parkview Victim Support Unit (VSU) and support those who are victims of trauma-More info VSU: 073–280–4453
Be an active citizen: Report streetlights out of order/potholes/water leaks/illegal signs/illegal building/land invasion/cable theft/tampering of electricity infrastructure etc. etc. Get references and escalate to Cllr Nicolene Jonker (check here for details of how to report https://era.org.za/report-outages-and-follow-up-with-cllr-jonker/ Remember any wasted water is paid for by us.
Watch out for white A3 notices stuck to the gates of a property that talk about proposed demolition of a property or a change in the property zoning. If you are in doubt, e-mail info@era.org.za
Help those that may have suicidal thoughts (it could even be you); put them in touch with those that can help them
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Events… how do you feel?
We are lucky to live in a green belt with a huge park which people from across Joburg use, and to have Marks Park sports club that has many facilities available to users across Joburg. But… it does mean that on certain days of the year, residents are inconvenienced when big events happen.
Joburg Botanic Gardens restricts its big concerts to four per year (we’ve had all 4 for 2022). Marks Park has no such restrictions, but its events are smaller.
After the recent concerts and the Women’s Day race, which ERA was notified of about 10 days beforehand, residents sent in numerous complaints. Councillor Steer likewise received complaints from Greenside residents and wrote to the City to ask if RAs and councillors could meet with the City to discuss how to have more say in events. We are still awaiting a response but in the meantime, please feel free to write and tell us how we can manage these events better so that we can tell them your views:
These were the kinds of complaints we received:
Liefde by die Dam music was way too loud and over the sound limit
At the Women’s Day race, gazebos with loud music were too close to the mosque, and was insensitive to religious rituals that were happening in the mosque
Race-goers parked across driveways and three abreast on Hill Road and totally jammed up traffic
Shops complained that racegoers parked their cars in the available shopping spaces and prevented shoppers from visiting their shops etc. etc.
Racegoers parked three abreast on Hill Road
Are there other problems you experienced? What solutions do you suggest for the problems that you have identified.
We’d like to hear all views, negative and positive, so that we can put a balanced perspective to the City. Please e-mail info@era.org.za
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New broom sweeps briskly at SAPS Parkview
News reports are full of the increases in various crimes. It’s easy to block our ears, sell up and move or just give up.
But wait… there is some positive news.
Geraldine Connell, Parkview CPF chairperson, told ERA’s AGM that the new SAPS leadership at Parkview under Colonel Govender, are “very alert, very dedicated and prepared to go the extra mile” and that she was having to run to keep up.
Although crime appeared to be worse “than it was this time last year,” she said, it is “under control”.
She appealed to more residents to join the community patrollers. 80 people had signed up, 40 had been fingerprinted and 10-15 now go on patrols regularly. “We are looking for more people to go on patrols,” she said. Anyone interested please email secretary@parkviewcpf.co.za
Key issues of concern
There were four issues in the area which were of most concern to SAPS and the CPF she said:
Illegal occupants of state land, especially in the open spaces e.g. under the bridge on Emmarentia Dam, along the spruit and in Keith Fleming Park near Virgin Active. The CPF was waiting for the mayor to set up a public meeting to discuss the problem. Connell explained that in terms of the law, the entity owning the land on which there were illegal occupiers first needed to get a court order and find those people alternative accommodation before they could be moved off. Keep your eyes open for this public meeting.
A house on John MacKenzie Road where many people are living on the property. The electricity and the water has already been disconnected.
SAPS and the CPF have their eyes on illegal activities taking place on the corner of Olifants and 5th Avenue.
Big events that take place in Marks Park and Jhb Botanic Gardens. Two vehicles were stolen at recent events.
*****
Suicide on the rise… GET HELP!
On the day that you read this news- letter, 23 people will have committed suicide and another 10 will have tried to across the country.
SAPS requested the Parkview CPF to inform the community about the warning signs of people wanting to commit suicide:
thinking about or idealising the act of suicide
giving away cherished belongings
sleeping too much/too little
withdrawing and/or isolating yourself and no longer talking about things
fluctuating between extremes of emotional states unlike normal
If you, or someone you know, experience any of these thoughts, GET HELP.
Call the SA Depression and Anxiety Group on their 24-hour hotline on 0800 567 567.
Alternatively contact a counsellor on 011 234-4837 or the Victim Support Unit at the Parkview SAPS on 073 280-4453.
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Updates
Dam upgrades
With winter almost over, it’s looking like these upgrades will only start in 2023.
Botanical Gardens Fountain – work in progress.
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Traffic problems on Judith/Barry Hertzog
Two Emmarentia residents have complained about the intersection of Judith with Barry Hertzog:
· It is very difficult for drivers entering and exiting their properties on Judith Road because there is never a gap between cars and drivers are not courteous. The Niger Road boom has intensified this problem.
· Drivers are disregarding the red light and continue going north on Barry Hertzog because it is green for those turning left and disregard those coming south who want to turn right onto Judith Road.
E-mail info@era.org.za, if you have any traffic problems you want ERA to take up. The more voices, the louder the noise we can make.
*****
Grappling with the problems of the homeless in green spaces
THE City of Joburg has admitted that it has a housing backlog of 500 000 units which would take it 100 years to deal with.
This makes resolving the issue of the numerous people living illegally in green spaces even more difficult because legally you cannot move them unless alternative accommodation is provided.
ERA invited representatives from two different initiatives that are trying to tackle the problem of homelessness to speak to ERA’s AGM in August.
Friends of Albert’s Farm Committee (FOAFC) chair, Colleen Rood, spoke of how FOAFC had tried to remove those living in the park previously and had found that “you can’t just destroy people’s belongings and homes and expect them to respect you.”
Now they are working with Mary Gillett de Klerk from Joburg Organisation for Services to the Homeless (JOSH) and with government to try and find a long-term solution.
“You can’t just destroy people’s belongings and homes and expect them to respect you,” Colleen Rood, chairperson of Friends of Alberts Farm Committee, told ERA’s AGM
Reasons for homelessness
According to De Klerk, more than 90% of those that are homeless are South African citizens. Various reasons lead to people ending up homeless:
a disaster like a flood, a fire etc.
migrants come from Eastern Cape, KZN and other provinces to Gauteng to find a job, then lose their job and have no money to go home
rough sleepers have 1 or 2 jobs a week but don’t earn enough to get transport home to where they live
recyclers have an income but need to sleep where they can collect and store their goods safely
many have experienced family breakdowns because of gender-based violence or substance abuse
are chronically homeless with undiagnosed mental illnesses and have been poorly treated by their families.
Supporting the homeless
JOSH and FOAFC have set up a once a week drop-in day centre in Albert’s Farm with a social worker and an overnight safe space.
The social worker assesses the skills that people already have, tries and mends broken family relationships and reconnects them where possible and tries to put those with mental problems in touch with those that can help them.
JOSH plans to work with government to set up many more centres like this that will also offer showers, safe spaces and skills development programmes.
Let’s Work
Michelle Wecke from Ward 88 told the AGM of NPO Let’s Work’s approach to those living illegally in our green spaces. The bulk of them are recyclers. Shelters provide no safe space to store their recycling material nor do the shelter’s rules fit with their way of living. Some are undocumented foreigners and shelters are not open to them.
Recyclers are also under threat from criminals who are not averse to stealing the recyclers’ materials that they have worked hard to collect.
Let’s Work’s approach is to give them a ‘hands up’ not a ‘handout’ and had so far helped 250 previously homeless get back on their feet; some have been reunited with family while others have been reintegrated into society.
Watch this space.
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Homeless living on the old Parkhurst Bowling Club—a solution in sight?
COUNCILLOR Tim Truluck has announced the City has a possible solution to the problematic land opposite Pikitup garden refuse centre and the Wastepreneurs recycling centre. ‘
For many years now the number of people living illegally on this land that once housed the Parkhurst Bowling Club, has mushroomed and residents have expressed alarm at the crime threat and threat to their property prices.
Truluck said that in terms of a new proposal, the land could revert back to the City’s Sport and Recreation department. RCD ESPANYOL de BARCELONA ACADEMY has indicated that it would be prepared to lease the land from the City for a period of 3-5 years and turn it in to an international football academy by 2023. However, this plan will only succeed if alternative accommodation is found for all the current illegal occupants.
The CPF will hold a public meeting on 15 September at 10h00 at Marks Park to discuss the vexing issue of alternative accommodation for those currently living there illegally. All welcome. More details, contact secretary@parkviewcpf.co.za
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Preserving the heritage of Emmarentia’s old houses
Almost all houses in Emmarentia are over 60 years of age because the township was laid down in 1938. This means that any alterations, additions or demolitions must get heritage approval from heritage authorities before they can go ahead.
Gemey Abrahams does this work in Emmarentia and as a result of the many applications that are coming forward, she has come to appreciate what heritage means in the case of houses in the suburb.
The recent approval of the 5-storey mixed use development opposite Doppio Zero will result in the demolition of seven different houses.
Visiting all of these houses and examining them inside and out Gemey came up with a number of recommendations on what the developer should somehow retain in the future development. She mentioned common things across almost all these seven houses which are also reflected across many homes in the rest of Emmarentia like:
herring bone parquet flooring
slate, slasto and stone accents used in the original houses and garden
wood panelling, wooden beams, wooden doors and jams
How Emmarentia looked in 1933 when it was full of fruit orchards and market gardens
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Blue plaques
Blue plaques have been given to Frans Geldenhuys’s old farmhouse at Marks Park and to Marks Parks Sports Club.
Frans Geldenhuys lived on the farm Braamfontein with his brother Louw from the 1800s. The farm stretched from Albertina Sisulu St (Market St) in town to Delta Park and east to Rosebank. Frans built his home in what is now the Marks Park Pavilion in the late 1800s. The Geldenhuys family gave 13 hectares to the City in 1900. In 1951 it became a municipal sports club, Marks Park.
ERA’s Gemey Abrahams stands next to the new plaque for Frans Geldenhuys’s house
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City’s nodal review policy… more density in the suburb?
Despite Emmarentia having its own precinct plan (PP) that provides a guideline as to usage of existing land, current town planning legislation says that “any PP over five years old is redundant and that the nodal review stands in its place,” ERA’s Gemey Abrahams told ERA’s recent AGM.
The City’s nodal review policy divides up the whole of Joburg into nodes or development zones. Half of Emmarentia is classified as a General Urban Zone (GUZ) (the creamy-yellow patches in the diagram on the right) while the other half is classified as Suburban Zone (the grey areas). Suburban zones are “Medium to low density residential areas”. Check www.bit.ly/nodal-council
If your property falls in a GUZ, a density of 60 dwelling units/hectare is allowed; the City could approve a development of 5-storeys on this land. And mixed-use developments, such as the one recently approved below the Shell garage, will also be allowed. Any proposed development must get the neighbouring properties to sign off on it.
If you are concerned about a new proposed development near you, e-mail info@era.org.za
The new nodal review policy declares areas of Emmarentia GUZs or suburban zones
Gemey Abrahams who holds ERA’s town planning and heritage portfolio, recently submitted a comprehensive report to the provincial heritage authorities on the history of the seven properties that will be demolished to make way for the mixed use development. These properties are below the Shell Garage and the adjacent group of townhouses and stretch down Linden Road to Gleneagles and across to Barry Hertzog.
In her report, Abrahams recommends to the Heritage authorities that:
In order to ameliorate the loss of the homes and to keep their memory alive, ERA strongly recommends that PHRA-G supports the view that elements of the ‘DNA’ of these homes is honoured and reflected in the new design of the development. ERA recommends that:
More research and careful consideration be given to the houses on Erven 1100, 1099 and 1102 before a decision is taken to demolish them, as they have established historical importance for Emmarentia;
The essence of the Mid-Century modern architecture found in several of the houses must be reflected in the new development: these modernist influences include block patterning, repeated square or rectangular window banks;
The yellow and dark face brick elements of the old homes find their way into features in the new development;
The slate, slasto and stone accents used in the original houses and garden be incorporated into the new design through clad feature wall, pillars, flooring;
The herring bone parquet flooring which is found in every one of the homes to be demolished and is a strong heritage element, be repeated in the design of the new development, possibly at entrance foyers to each level of the apartment component;
The solid wood accents inside most of the original homes such as the wood paneling, wooden beams, wooden doors and jams find expression in the new development;
An annotated photo gallery of the original plans and elevations of each of the homes is incorporated into the design, in a public space, illustrating the heritage of the site;
Palm trees be incorporated into the landscaping design, despite being alien species, to honour the heritage of the vegetation on the site and in the area;
The landscaping treatment on the lowest point of the site, corner of Gleneagles and Linden Roads be sensitively considered to break up a potential monolithic parking garage wall facing residential sites;
The impact of the building facing onto Barry Hertzog Avenue streetscape be re-considered to break up the ‘hard’ frontage. This in addition to sensitive landscaping to ‘break up’ the alienating frontage on this important pedestrian interface;
That the streetscape along Linden Road be such that it enhances the existing open, grassy feel and contributes positively to this street.
Posted: 19th June 2023 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
ERA demands answers from Joburg Water
Since October 2022 we’ve come to realise that there’s no guarantee that water will come out of our taps when we turn them on. Last year we were told that it was because users were filling their pools and watering their gardens, that there was excessive water use and that when the rains came, it would all be sorted out.
The rain fell, the Vaal Dam was overflowing but still we were subjected to intermittent water outages. In frustration ERA joined with Councillor Nicolene Jonker and invited Joburg Water and other entities to a Town Hall meeting that was eventually held on May 16. See here for the questions that we sent Joburg Water. https://era.org.za/event/town-hall-meeting/
But Joburg Water sent apologies. When our taps ran dry again in June, we again received no details of what Joburg Water was doing to resolve the situation. Instead each day we were told— “Hursthill 2 reservoir critically low to empty.”
Finally in frustration, when some residents had had no water for 10 days, we drafted a letter to the City Manager demanding to know what was going on and what plans were in place to resolve the situation. As we were about to send the letter, we heard via our councillor that Joburg Water and Rand Water had been in discussions and that finally more water would be pumped into the reservoir to build its capacity.
See the letter below. The City Manager acknowledged receipt and said he had forwarded to Joburg Water.
letter-to-City-Manager-re-water.15-June-2023Posted: 3rd June 2023 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Events – we need your views
Dear residents
We need your views on the following issue. So far this year we have had very few events but brace yourselves, they are about to start… If you can’t bear the noise and the bustle and you’ve got options on when to go on holiday, choose August – it’s going to be our busiest month.
Now we need your views on one issue. We have been approached by City Parks and Councillor Nicolene Jonker on an upcoming event in August at Botanic Gardens. On the 5th August there is a planned concert called Liefde by die Dam. Apparently, when the notice of the concert went live on the net, tickets sold out within 30 minutes. Because of this, the concert organisers are keen to have another concert on 6th August at the same venue because the stage will still be in place. However, City Parks and the councillor want to find out from residents what your views are.
Things to consider:
18 July (BG) International Mandela Day – unconfirmed
5 August (BG) Liefde by die Dam concert
9 Aug (MP) Women’s Day road race
12 Aug (BG) Women’s Tribute concert
20 Aug (MP) 702 Walk the Talk (MP) – unconfirmed
2 Sept (BG) Jhb Day – unconfirmed
1 Oct (MP) Spar Ladies Race
Please bear in mind that we do not have the final say. The City is the ultimate decision maker. Nevertheless, if you could let us know your views by Tuesday 6 June we’d really appreciate it so that we can share these views with those concerned.
Send to info@era.org.za
Last Updated: 5th April 2023 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Emmarentia Post, No 1 April 2023
The official publication of the Emmarentia Residents Association
Water Interruptions – Another Crisis
“No water” has become a common cry from us all. What is going on? Rob Cass who holds ERA’s infrastructure portfolio takes a look.
A Perfect Storm
A significant part of the problem stems from the worst and most protracted bout of load-shedding the country has experienced. Electricity is required at each stage of the journey of our water from the source, through the treatment facility, through the bulk supply pumps to the reservoirs, and on to our houses. Electricity interruptions to treatment and pumping facilities mean reservoir levels are compromised and outflows need to be restricted to prevent issues that arise from running them dry. This management of reservoir water levels means that even when bulk supply has recovered, it can take days or weeks for reservoir levels to recover to a sufficient extent for normal water supply to resume.
Aging Infrastructure
As we have experienced with load-shedding, ongoing interruptions to water supply place a huge strain on infrastructure. Water infrastructure in our area (and Joburg in general) was already under severe pressure from years of underinvestment and neglect of maintenance, coupled with increased demand from densification. As water interruptions continue, they will only increase the rate of deterioration of the infrastructure and create further supply issues.
High Demand
The third factor in the current crisis is demand for water. These interruptions have coincided with our peak summer months where demand is highest.
Joburg Water has placed much of the blame for the crisis at the door of the consumer, claiming that our estimated average domestic water usage of 237 litres per person per day is 64 litres (or 37%) higher than the international average of 173 litres. What they conveniently forget to mention is that their estimate includes ‘non-revenue’ water – which includes losses from leaks, water theft from tampered meters, and unbilled supply to fire departments and similar services. This non-revenue water is estimated to be 41% of the bulk supply – more than covering the deviation of our per capita consumption from the international average.
Will Things Improve?
There are a few factors that will hopefully improve the outlook in the short and medium term.
* Government is paving the way for some critical infrastructure (such as the bulk water pumps) to be exempt from loadshedding. This should significantly improve the short-term outlook, especially as there is lower demand as we move into the winter months.
* A new reservoir is planned for Brixton which is intended to add capacity to the system, yet this will only be completed in a minimum of 18 months.
* A new Rand Water supply line is planned – which will increase the bulk supply to Joburg Water – as well as a new pumping station and pipeline to improve supply to the Hursthill supply zone. However, there is not yet a timeline for these projects.
The greatest risk remains in the long-term outlook as water infrastructure continues to degrade at an alarming rate. Without a commitment from Joburg Water to properly plan for, upgrade, and provide additional infrastructure, we are likely to suffer from water supply issues long into the future.
What can we do?
Sadly, both Joburg Water and Rand Water have failed to even admit that there is a crisis and instead have chosen to point fingers and avoid responsibility. As they have been pushed for solutions from various sectors of society, the plans they have put in place lack clarity, transparency, and urgency.
Two years ago, after ERA motivated for the replacement of continually leaking pipes in the suburb, Joburg Water agreed to replace 7590 metres. We are still waiting. Recently the entity told us that it is “allocated to the Project Management Unit who will assess and implement when funds become available”.
ERA will continue to follow up with Joburg Water and engage with our councillor and relevant municipal officials to push for this and other local infrastructure upgrades.
Advocacy groups
Meanwhile, several advocacy groups have been formed to engage with the responsible parties and attempt to force action and ensure accountability.
What now?
We all need to hold government and its agencies accountable.
* Send your questions about service delivery problems you are experiencing and that you want answers to, to nicolene@ward88jhb.net by 24 April or info@era.org.za. Or fill in this google form https://forms.gle/qc84s8nFiSLbLJDLA and attend the Town Hall meeting on 3 May to hear the entities’ responses.
* Report water leaks to
customer@jwater.co.za and escalate to Nicolene on 063 479 4234
* Please consider joining and supporting ERA. The more members we have, the bigger our voice
* Support, involve yourself in organisations working to improve the situation.
******
Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
Judging by whatsapp chatter on the Emmarentia groups, many people’s glasses are half-empty (and NO it’s not just because of Joburg Water’s water shedding!).
A survey done in February this year of individuals earning more than R10 000 per month, (i.e. tax-payers – 30% of the population) asked respondents: How does load shedding affect you personally?
82% of respondents answered: “It makes me feel despondent about the future of the country.”
Are you feeling the same way? How do we keep positive amid all these negatives? How do we make the glass half full again?
Staying positive
* Join a Whatsapp group in the suburb—you get a chance to vent your frustrations and find out what’s going on.
* Join ERA and help us report complaints and make the City accountable.
* Help to keep our suburb clear of litter and weeds:
– One group regularly clean litter and weeds on Olifants Road on the bridge.
– Others donate regularly to Let’s Work who rely on donations to pay a group of workers to keep our open parks clean, our mini-subs clear of verdant undergrowth and numerous other things;
– another group have repaired potholes themselves.
There is hope
For others like Saber Manjoo, it’s all about pestering City of Joburg until they deliver. When he first moved to Emmarentia he was frustrated at an open trench just outside his property, no streetlights along the road outside his house and bushes that were obscuring the Spruit just next to him and providing hiding spaces for criminals.
Months of complaining, getting references and escalating to the councillor where necessary, have finally borne fruit.
“We must log calls and keep escalating until the issue is resolved,” he says. “It is tiring and onerous but we have to persist to get things done. There is hope.”
Help with street names
ERA echoes Manjoo’s sentiments. We want to engage with JRA to replace missing or damaged road names in Emmarentia, and we need your help.
Please report any road names which are missing from kerbs as well as sign posts and e-mail info@era.org.za so that we can send a list to JRA.
Please include the correct intersection and the name which is missing.
We’ll keep you updated.
Updates from last newsletter
* ‘Homeless’ at Parkhurst Bowling Club
SAPS and JMPD continue to move people off the old Parkhurst bowling club opposite the dump site at Pirates only for them to return a day later.
Parkview CPF’s Geraldine Connell says that the “CPF, SAPS and residents associations are in discussion about the best practice for residents who want to assist the ‘homeless’.”
Watch this space.
* Desilting and repair of top and middle dam walls in Emmarentia Park
We are keeping our fingers crossed that work will soon start on desilting the top two dams and removing invasive alien plants that threaten to completely throttle the top dam.
There are also plans to shift the outflow of the top dam to the western side and to repair both bridges.
More on Whatsapp Groups.
*****
Briefs
* ERA helps keep SAPS Parkview’s lights on
Early this year ERA donated R3000 to CPF Parkview towards the costs of an inverter so that Parkview SAPS can continue fighting crime during loadshedding.
Together with other donations from a handful of residents, the CPF managed to raise R18 100.
However the CPF’s Geraldine Connell says that “after paying for professional installation and purchasing a security camera and burglar bars to secure the installation, the total cost came in at just over R28 000.”
The CPF is still short of R10 000. ERA challenges any business or residents to contribute. Section 18A certificates provided on request.
Pay to:
Name: PARKVIEW COMMUNITY POLICING FORUM
Bank: FNB
Branch: Craighall
Account No: 62082896899
Reference: Name + inverter
* Upcoming Events
3-4 June Linden Market, Joburg Botanic Gardens
23 July Walk the Talk, Marks Park (NB: numbers will be limited to 20 000)
5 Aug Liefde by die Dam, Joburg Botanic Gardens
2-3 Sept Linden Market, Joburg Botanic Gardens
1 Oct Spar Ladies Race, Marks Park (10 000 runners)
25-26 Nov Linden Market, Joburg Botanic Gardens
* For creatives
Are you a local maker, creator, side hustler or business owner that would like to hire a stall at the Linden Market, see here for details: https://thelindenmarket.com/maker-applications-2023
Or if you are an artist, musician, entertainer and want to perform at the Linden Market – see here:about:blankEmbed URLPaste a link to the content you want to display on your site.EmbedLearn more about embeds(opens in a new tab)Sorry, this content could not be embedded.Try again Convert to link
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How many people are allowed to live on a residential property?
In previous editions ERA has shone the spotlight on home enterprises and heritage and building regulations. Today ERA’s Gemey Abrahams looks at what the town planning rules are around occupancy of your home.
IN terms of town planning, the City has a Municipal Planning Bylaw (2016) and under this falls the City’s Land Use Scheme (2018). The Land Use Scheme provides information on zoning and what you can legally do with a property in each zone.
In Emmarentia, most of our homes are zoned Residential 1. The Land Use Scheme has many important definitions of land uses and planning terms that apply to properties. Your Residential 1 property has the automatic or primary zoning right for a “dwelling house”. A “dwelling house” is intended for a “household”.
Dwelling house or household
A dwelling house is defined as “a detached, self-contained, inter-connected suite of rooms containing a kitchen and the applicable ablutions, used for the living accommodation and housing of one household”.
A household is defined as “a singular person or group of persons that are biologically or legally related to one another and live together”. A household can include parents and in-laws (or any related family) living in the house with you. This can include the two cottages (subsidiary dwellings) that you are permitted on your Residential 1 property (with limitations set out in the Land Use Scheme).
What this means is a residential home or dwelling house must have 1 kitchen and be the home of 1 household.
Anything more than this could be illegal and we are reminded that the Municipal Planning bylaw, Section 2 (3) is very clear that “No person may use or develop land unless the use or land development is permitted in terms of the City’s land use scheme …” and Section 2(40) that says that the “By law binds every owner of land and any successor-in-title of such land and every user of the land…..” Fines and penalties (higher rates) can be enforced.
What is a commune?
If you rent out rooms or cottages on your property you may be contravening these regulations because you may be running an illegal commune. The City of Johannesburg has a Communes Policy (2009) and it states that “when there are two or more unrelated people living under one roof who are being charged for accommodation on one property, with or without the owners living on the property” it is considered to be a commune. You may not have more than 8 persons living in a commune according to the definition of Commune in the Land Use Scheme.
You need to apply for planning Consent to have a commune and applying may avoid immediate prosecution but it does not guarantee that approval will be granted.
The ERA encourages all residents and owners of property to be informed of their property rights and to strive to be compliant so that we remain the best and most compliant suburb in Joburg.
Need more info, want to report an illegal building? mail info@era.org.za
Did you know?
YOU cannot sell your house unless you have up to date, approved building plans. Up to date means that what is on the ground on your property must be the same as what is on your plans.
If you need to update your plans contact ERA for more guidance and information because your updated plans will need to be signed off by ERA (on behalf of the Lourens Geldenhuys Family in terms of your title deeds). Contact info@era.org.za or Gemey Abrahams on 082 459 5266
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The Geldenhuys Cemetery
BEHIND a beautiful stone wall on Hill Road, just across the road from the parking area for Emmarentia Primary School lies the Geldenhuys Cemetery.
It’s the resting place of many family members of Lourens Geldenhuys, the man who initially bought parts of the Braamfontein Farm from Bezuidenhout in 1886.
His sons, Louw and Frans soon took over ownership of the farm from their father. Louw built his house on 14 Greenhill Road and Frans at Marks Park.
Louw married Emmarentia Botha, after whom Emmarentia is named. Frans married Judith Grobbelaar – hence Judith Road.
There are 70 graves in this cemetery, many of them unnamed. 49 of the graves are children’s, the vast majority of whom died of diphtheria, a bacterial infection that is virtually unheard of today because of routine vaccinations given to babies. The last person was laid to rest there in 1942.
Other graves bear the names of Botha, Viljoen, Pienaar, Swanepoel, Steyn, Ayres, Heyneke, McGrath, Olivier, Joubert and Hopley, some of whom were family members and others who are believed to have been tenant farmers on the property .
No history of the cemetery would be complete without a visit to Melville Koppies where you can still see a blasthole where the Geldenhuys brothers tried to find gold as well as evidence that people have been living where we live for thousands and thousands of years.
If you’d like to visit the cemetery, or if you can tell us more, e-mail info@era.org.za
Visit Melville Koppies Heritage Site on Sunday mornings—8-11.30am—more www.mk.org.za
Councillor’s corner
* W88 Whatsapp group
Councillor Nicolene Jonker has set up a new whatsapp group for Emmarentia residents in Ward 88 so that she can better inform residents of problems with infrastructure, circulate City news, public meetings etc.
Here is the link if you want to join – https://chat.whatsapp.com/Evp9RA473q4KRMgHEAz9g5
* Electricity outages – when to report?
If your power doesn’t come back more than 30 minutes after the scheduled end of load shedding:
· Check with your neighbours to see if they are also off.
· Check whatsapp groups for any messages: perhaps others in your street are off and there’s a message from Nicolene or Felicity to say that ‘City Power is aware, don’t report’.
· If you are the only one off, then check your own distribution board to see if it’s tripped. If it hasn’t:
– Log your fault with City Power on https://za4.forcelink.net/forcelink/customportal/cp_mdt/customerportal.html#
(register first if you are using the system for the first time) (Tel (011) 490-7484)
You will be sent a CPWeb reference number. Please then send details to Nicolene in this format:
▶ Your Name:
▶ Your Number:
▶ Address of issue:
▶ Date logged:
▶ Time Logged:
▶ Ref nr:
▶ Short description:
Sometimes Nicolene creates a google form for everyone to add their outage to.
* Keep the City accountable
ERA is working closely with the Councillor and her ward committee to try to keep the City accountable. We need your help to report issues when you see them and escalate with the reference number in the format above to Nicolene if there is no response from the entity. Attend the Town Hall meeting on 12 April.
Who to call?
* JMPD – for all by-law infringements— (011 375 5911)
e.g. Noise complaints – The City’s by-laws say that there is to be no construction work of any kind on a Sunday or public holiday (this includes cutting trees). – get a reference number; if no response escalate to Nicolene.
* Joburg Water – log all water and sewer-related issues, including holes in pavements/roads dug to fix leaking pipes and not filled with tarmac
(011) 375-5555; customer@jwater.co.za
* City Parks
(011) 375-5555 or 0860 562 874
trees@jhbcityparks.com
* Fallen Tree?
WhatsApp details, address & photo to (082) 803-0748
* JRA –
hotline@jra.org.za
Not sure who to report to, check https://era.org.za/report-a-fault/
Posted: 24th March 2023 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Your chance to find out about service delivery failures – come to a Town Hall meeting – 12 April 18h00, Marks Park
ERA and Councillor Nicolene Jonker are organising a Town Hall meeting just for Emmarentia residents so you can find out:
Send all those questions you want Joburg Water, City Power, Rand Water, JRA etc etc etc to answer and we will try and get them all to come to Marks Park on 12 April at 18h00.
Send all your questions to nicolene@ward88jhb.net and copy in info@era.org.za by 3 April so that the different entities have time to prepare their answers.
More info – contact nicolene@ward88jhb.net or info@era.org.za
Posted: 13th December 2022 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Top security tips for the festive season
Posted: 25th November 2022 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
FAQs on General Valuation Roll
The City of Joburg is currently engaged in a process to value all properties in Joburg. See FAQs below explaining all the processes.
FAQs.nov-2022Last Updated: 11th November 2022 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
The Emmarentia Post, No 4, November 2022
The Official Publication of the Emmarentia Residents’ Association
Meet our new ERA Exco team
19 November 10am – 1pm, outside Checkers
We are delighted to welcome new members to our Emmarentia Residents Association Exco team. Ayanda Mjekula has once again been elected chairperson.
Come and meet us outside Checkers. Find out who we are and what we are trying to do. Let us know what you think we should be doing. Give us ideas on how we can do this. There are not many of us — we’d really like you to join us and lend a hand.
Our new ERA Exco team
We also have a history sub-committee which is gathering more information about the suburb and an environmental sub-committee that is mostly concerned with the park.
We welcome volunteers – you don’t have to sit on the Exco to form part of these sub-committees. Join us – https://era.org.za/join-era/ or e-mail us for more info on info@era.org.za
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A big, big thank you
ERA is so grateful to our ward councillor and our ward committee for keeping us informed, enforcing bylaws and helping us out during these challenging times of failing electricity, water, waste collection and and and. Keep it up. Our lives would be so much more difficult without you.
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Water, water in the Vaal, but not a drop to drink!
We thought things couldn’t get worse when our days were darkened by Stage 6 load-shedding. But they did… We opened our taps and nothing came out.
Once again, the community showed their generosity. The mosque offered everyone access to their filtered borehole water as did numerous other residents. Many residents and business owners also ferried water to the Eventide Home. A big thanks to all those that assisted.
And Brian Jossell, the landlord of many of the properties around the Greenhill shops precinct, has also offered his filtered borehole water in one of the blocks of flats on Komatie, when the next time comes, which it almost certainly will. Email info@era.org.za for details.
Puzzling
We were all puzzled. While other parts of the country have had their day-zeros because of devastating droughts, our major source, the Vaal Dam, was 92% full.
Rand Water laid the blame at the door of Joburg residents who “use too much water – average of 300 litres per person per day is consumed as against the global average of 173 per day per person.”
Mike Muller, ex Dept Water Affairs Director General, told SAFM listeners on 18 October a different story. “40 per cent of water is lost (in Johannesburg); about 25 per cent from water leaks, 15 per cent is not being billed.”
Once this is factored into the equation, he said, “Joburg residents’ average consumption comes right down to 180 litres per day per person” almost the same as the global average.
Failure of electricity infrastructure and vandalism
Joburg Water general manager of operations, Etienne Hugo, told a public water crisis meeting at Marks Park on 26 October that the problems were because of the failure of “electricity infrastructure and vandalism” which had led to “continuous power interruptions that caused the Commando system to collapse. This affected Rand Water and Joburg Water” and the system wasn’t able to recover.
He also revealed that the water and sewerage infrastructure backlog currently stood at R2.9bn. Just recently the current DA administration announced that R900m will be spent in this financial year to begin to address the backlog.
The bigger picture
Meanwhile Muller warned that Joburg residents are at “the limit of what can reliably be supplied to the region until Lesotho phase 2 is providing water.” Phase 2 could take five more years to complete.
He said that over the next 5 years “we will all have to get used to having the same amount of water even though the population will continue growing,” – i.e. there will be less for each of us.
The one hope he said was that if water losses can be reduced to 25 per cent, “we might just make it.”
Muller also warned of complacency around boreholes. “For the moment there is water but as everyone uses it, it will run out, it is not a long term reliable back up and I get worried by people who seem to think it is… we must get people to use water more efficiently.”
Keep asking questions
The final message comes from Dr Ferrial Adam, environmental activist, manager at WaterCan, who urged residents at a water crisis public meeting at Marks Park on 26 October to “keep asking questions of authorities.”
“The issue is not going away. We need to watch the budget. We are not spending enough on infrastructure… Democracy doesn’t end when we’ve voted. We must find ways of making sure that there is active citizenry.”
Let’s all keep asking questions…
What can we all do to use water more efficiently:
Please share on info@era.org.za or on your WhatsApp groups. Those dry years are coming again soon!
REMEMBER!
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Unpacking the homelessness problem
“If you came here expecting a quick fix, there isn’t one.” These were the words of Parkview CPF Chair, Geraldine Connell, who chaired the public meeting on the problem of homelessness on September 21 at Marks Park.
She said that it was estimated that about 400 people live in public open spaces in the Parkview precinct – in Zoo Lake, Delta Park, Keith Fleming Park, along the rivers and in the old Parkhurst Bowling Club.
Even though they are occupying these spaces illegally, if entities that own these public spaces want to evict those living there, they must follow the law. However, even if these processes are followed and occupiers are removed, often they “return several days later.”
She acknowledged that residents were concerned about “the degradation of the green belt running through Joburg” and the impact that these informal settlements was having on their properties.
Equally concerning though was that some were forced into homelessness because they are “either not paid enough for their labours or… do not have any way of earning a living.” SA’s constitution “confers many rights on all our people: right to dignity, adequate housing and food, which the State is tasked with meeting” so a “just and compassionate solution was needed.”
The Constitution also guarantees everyone’s rights to just administrative action and so residents’ rights need to be weighed against the rights of the displaced people.
Homeless and crime
SAPS Parkview Station Commander, Colonel Govender, admitted that displaced people in the precinct contribute to contact crimes: theft in general, especially of wall lights and dustbins, common assault, gender-based violence (GBV) and attempted murder. However, most often these violent crimes were between the displaced people themselves and didn’t involve residents in the neighbouring suburbs.
A major concern was the old Parkhurst bowling club where some have occupied the building while others have built illegal structures on the land owned by the Johannesburg Property Company. Liquor is sold there illegally and consumption of alcohol and drugs is prevalent. Suspects are untraceable since they have no fixed address.
Join hands
Thabo Thipe, from the City’s Department of Community Safety warned that we need “to join hands” to tackle the problem of the homeless, otherwise our areas will become like Rhodes Park and Bez Valley Park which “used to be beautiful”.
He also criticised some government departments that don’t always attend joint activities like cleaning the spruit. “You’ll see JMPD and SAPS but you also need Home Affairs there.” Ward 88 Residents Association member, Mike Styer, echoed Thipe’s concern.
Views of the community
Some attendees said that homeless people are the cause of crime or were working hand in hand with crime syndicates. Many expressed concern over the Wastepreneurs project which they said had encouraged the mushrooming of the homeless settlement on the Parkhurst bowling club and that this was “attracting criminal elements.”
Others said that most homeless people are not criminals, “they just want a job and want to do something useful.” They urged residents to support initiatives that help the homeless sort out their CVs, get work-ready etc. so that they can be kept “away from criminalisation”.
They stressed that one of the worst things that can happen to homeless people is for them to be raided by authorities and their possessions confiscated or burnt. “Then they are left without IDs and other personal effects” and this can further delay them getting back on their feet.
The City needed to assist by providing land and buildings, much more transitional housing and increase its capacity to address mental illness which was prevalent amongst the homeless.
Finding solutions
Connell said that several NPOs operating in the Parkview precinct have been invited to try and come up with action plans to deal with the problem. She undertook to organise a follow up public meeting soon.
If anybody wants to assist with finding solutions or to help out, e-mail info@era.org.za or chair@parkviewcpf.co.za
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Heritage snippet
Did you know that Emmarentia, named after the wife of Louw Geldenhuys, comprises two townships – Emmarentia and Emmarentia Extension 1? Buffalo Road is the divide between the two townships.
Emmarentia was proclaimed a township on 24 April 1937 (Proclamation 63, Gov Gazette 1458). It was surveyed by the famous land surveyor HJEW Halberstadt in 1936 after the death of Louw Geldenhuys in 1929. He did not want his land developed while he was alive.
Much open space was retained around Emmarentia because it was donated by Louw Geldenhuys and his family. Today it forms part of the Melville Koppies, Marks Park, Emmarentia Dam/Botanical Gardens and the West Park Cemetery and provides Emmarentia with a park-like setting and important public land.
Later in 1937, the City Council considered the application for Emmarentia Ext 1 and it was proclaimed in 1938.
Second World War
The Second World War slowed the development of the suburb, but several homes were built during the war. Apart from Louw Geldenhuys’s original farmhouse at 44 Greenhill Road built in the 1880s, we have some homes in Emmarentia dating back to 1937, while others were built towards the end of the war. In Emmarentia Ext 1, most homes were built from the 1950s.
The characteristic yellow face-brick cottages in Emmarentia are mostly in the mid-century modern architectural style but there are also some noteworthy homes designed by well-known architects, such as Moerdyk, Cowan, Ellis, Abramowitch, Percik, van Achterberg and Watermeyer. Many of them were pioneers of the modernist style in South Africa.
ERA has begun to build up information on our suburb’s architectural history, the architects and residents who first built homes in our area. ERA does investigations when residents apply to do renovations because it is required to provide a letter to the Provincial Heritage Authority of Gauteng (PHRAG) if a house is over 60 years’ old or if there will be demolition required.
Be mindful of our heritage
We urge residents to be mindful of our heritage when renovating. Always try to retain original elements of the house and please call ERA for advice before finalizing building plans.
Please share any early history of your family in Emmarentia, photos and names of people we can interview, to help us add to this history. We also welcome any interested residents who may want to help with this aspect.
Send us an email at info@era.org.za Call ERA’s expert Gemey Abrahams, for planning, heritage or building plans advice: 082 459 5266
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Briefs
The CoJ recently held a public meeting at Marks Park to consult with residents on updating its Outdoor Advertising Bylaw. See the draft here:
ERA members worked with other Ward 88 residents under the guidance of City representatives on 29 October to agree that the City must prioritise water pipes and roads in the Ward and fence Waterfall Recreation Centre.
Dumping building or garden rubble on your sidewalk is NOT permitted because the sidewalk is owned by Johannesburg Roads Agency. Only building materials can be stored on your sidewalk if you obtain a Wayleave Permit from the City first.
Remember, building renovations that require a plan to be submitted must be signed off by ERA who acts on behalf of the Lourens Geldenhuys Family.
Moreover most properties in Emmarentia are over 60 years’ old and are subject to the National Heritage Resources Act which requires permission when you want to alter the house or demolish it.
See here for more info
The City policies and the Nodal Review Policy are promoting greater densification and mixed use in the suburbs and have done away with Emmarentia’s Precinct Plan that previously gave us assurance and confidence on the future of our area.
ERA believes that Emmarentia and neighbouring suburbs urgently need local Precinct Plans so that development and land use changes can be directed to suitable parts of the suburb. We are collaborating with other RAs, councillors and the City on this matter.
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New rules for Mosque traffic flow on Friday lunchtime
To accommodate worshippers who attend the mosque on Fridays at lunch-time, a new arrangement has been agreed with the mosque, JRA, the Councillor and directly affected residents. Komatie between Muirfield and Ingalele will be a one-way going south while Marico between Muirfield and Ingalele will be a one-way going north.
Donate cellphones to Parkview CPF
Parkview CPF is in urgent need of cellphones valued at almost R3000 to enable volunteer patrollers to do their work more efficiently. If you can help, e-mail chair@parkviewcpf.co.za
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Support the new car guards at Greenhill shops
Greenhill Road shopowners are piloting a new car guard initiative to bring safety to residents and customers, especially over the upcoming festive season.
Park Dynamics Safety (PDS) will be supervising the new venture with each shopowner contributing financially to the project. PDS runs a similar successful business in Fordsburg with the support of SAPS.
Each guard is given training, uniforms (orange and yellow jackets), radios, communication with zone managers and back up from SAPS if necessary.
A basic payment is made to the car guards, “car guards will rely on the public for the bulk of their income,” says ERA Exco member, Shameme Manjoo, who attended the briefing on the new initiative. Please give generously to support them and make the project sustainable.
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Botanical garden briefs
· Security in the park
Opening times of the Botanic Gardens and the dog-walking section remain at 6am – 6pm. If you are locked inside, exit through Olifants Road entrance.
Note:
· There is a guard with a dog at the top end of the park at Judith; at Olifants Rd entrance and at rose garden entrance
· 2 guards patrol on the top path adjacent to Marks Park
Please email us on info@era.org.za if you don’t see the guards.
· Toilets at Botanical Gardens
ERA followed up with the manager, Sandra Viljoen, after receiving complaints about the state of the toilets. They promised to attend to it. Please continue reporting any problems to ERA – info@era.org.za
· Park Rangers to patrol the park
In a pilot project, Park Rangers (dressed in dark khaki with the City Parks emblem embroidered on their uniforms) will be clamping down on illegal events and enforcing bylaws in the park like:
– Dog-owners to pick up after their dog
– Dogs must be on leads inside the park
– Dogs NOT allowed in rose garden and other designated areas, even if they are on leads
· Restaurant at Botanical Gardens
This is still being renovated. We will keep you posted of opportunities to tender for the lease of the property.
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Updates from last newsletter
· Back to square one for Parkhurst Bowling Club
The proposal to convert the area into a soccer academy reported on in the last newsletter is off the table. The owner, Johannesburg Property Company, issued another Request for Proposals (RFP) for “the development and long-term lease” of the area. (RFP now closed.)
· Events
We’re still waiting for your views, both negative and positive, on events in our suburb. Those events are coming back next year and we need to know your views so we can share them with the relevant authorities and the councillor. E-mail to info@era.org.za
see here for the previous newsletter, No 3 of August 2022.
Last Updated: 28th October 2022 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
Have your say on the City’s CBP process
The City will be holding its annual outreach through the Community Based Planning process to residents in Wards 87, 88, 98, 117 at Marks Park on 29 October 2022. The CBP is a process that feeds into the IDP (Integrated Development Plan) which is the most strategic document for the City.
ERA will be attending the meeting along with the Ward 88 Committee. We have just been sent the agenda for the meeting and it is a little different from normal. As a resident of Emmarentia, and to assist the ERA to make inputs to the City’s Community Based Planning session tomorrow, please can you take a few minutes to give your views on the questions below and send it back to us on info@era.org.za before tomorrow morning:
We thank you for your participation and interest and contribution to improving our suburb.
To join ERA, click here https://era.org.za/join-era/
More info and to see the detailed agenda and to find the virtual link see here https://era.org.za/event/cbp-workshop-29-october-2022/
Last Updated: 2nd September 2022 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
The Emmarentia Post, No 3, August 2022
The Official Publication of the Emmarentia Residents’ Association
Message from ERA chairperson to ERA AGM – Let’s fix this broken country together
Our country is broken. Our roads, railways, water, power infrastructure etc. are crumbling. We all need to be active citizens to fix this broken country.
This past year, residents have helped ERA put pressure on Checkers to stop its sewerage leaking into Emmarentia Dam. In 2021 ERA made submissions to the City’s IDP process. Joburg Water agreed to a project to replace very old water pipes in the suburb.
We are worried by Telkom’s wish to install a giant 20m 5G mast in a resident’s front garden in Marico Road. ERA gave the neighbours of the property our support to resist this. Telkom must now reapply to the City for permission. Support us in ensuring that the City consults with us.
Does crime give you sleepless nights? Link up with the effective security initiatives in the suburb and the precinct.
Do you worry about the problem of the homeless who are living in green spaces and with government seemingly having no solution?
Are you concerned with the ever-increasing annual CoJ tariffs?
Join us, it’s time to get this broken society working again; let’s fix it together.
ERA chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula
Read all AGM docs here: https://era.org.za/2022/07/27/era-annual-general-meeting-10-august-2022-18h30-marks-park/ e-mail us on info@era.org.za
Emmarentia residents listen to ERA chairperson, Ayanda Mjekula, at ERA’s August AGM
What can you do to fix our broken country:
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Events… how do you feel?
We are lucky to live in a green belt with a huge park which people from across Joburg use, and to have Marks Park sports club that has many facilities available to users across Joburg. But… it does mean that on certain days of the year, residents are inconvenienced when big events happen.
Joburg Botanic Gardens restricts its big concerts to four per year (we’ve had all 4 for 2022). Marks Park has no such restrictions, but its events are smaller.
After the recent concerts and the Women’s Day race, which ERA was notified of about 10 days beforehand, residents sent in numerous complaints. Councillor Steer likewise received complaints from Greenside residents and wrote to the City to ask if RAs and councillors could meet with the City to discuss how to have more say in events. We are still awaiting a response but in the meantime, please feel free to write and tell us how we can manage these events better so that we can tell them your views:
These were the kinds of complaints we received:
Are there other problems you experienced? What solutions do you suggest for the problems that you have identified.
We’d like to hear all views, negative and positive, so that we can put a balanced perspective to the City. Please e-mail info@era.org.za
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New broom sweeps briskly at SAPS Parkview
News reports are full of the increases in various crimes. It’s easy to block our ears, sell up and move or just give up.
But wait… there is some positive news.
Geraldine Connell, Parkview CPF chairperson, told ERA’s AGM that the new SAPS leadership at Parkview under Colonel Govender, are “very alert, very dedicated and prepared to go the extra mile” and that she was having to run to keep up.
Although crime appeared to be worse “than it was this time last year,” she said, it is “under control”.
She appealed to more residents to join the community patrollers. 80 people had signed up, 40 had been fingerprinted and 10-15 now go on patrols regularly. “We are looking for more people to go on patrols,” she said. Anyone interested please email secretary@parkviewcpf.co.za
Key issues of concern
There were four issues in the area which were of most concern to SAPS and the CPF she said:
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Suicide on the rise… GET HELP!
On the day that you read this news- letter, 23 people will have committed suicide and another 10 will have tried to across the country.
SAPS requested the Parkview CPF to inform the community about the warning signs of people wanting to commit suicide:
If you, or someone you know, experience any of these thoughts, GET HELP.
Call the SA Depression and Anxiety Group on their 24-hour hotline on 0800 567 567.
Alternatively contact a counsellor on 011 234-4837 or the Victim Support Unit at the Parkview SAPS on 073 280-4453.
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Updates
With winter almost over, it’s looking like these upgrades will only start in 2023.
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Traffic problems on Judith/Barry Hertzog
Two Emmarentia residents have complained about the intersection of Judith with Barry Hertzog:
· It is very difficult for drivers entering and exiting their properties on Judith Road because there is never a gap between cars and drivers are not courteous. The Niger Road boom has intensified this problem.
· Drivers are disregarding the red light and continue going north on Barry Hertzog because it is green for those turning left and disregard those coming south who want to turn right onto Judith Road.
E-mail info@era.org.za, if you have any traffic problems you want ERA to take up. The more voices, the louder the noise we can make.
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Grappling with the problems of the homeless in green spaces
THE City of Joburg has admitted that it has a housing backlog of 500 000 units which would take it 100 years to deal with.
This makes resolving the issue of the numerous people living illegally in green spaces even more difficult because legally you cannot move them unless alternative accommodation is provided.
ERA invited representatives from two different initiatives that are trying to tackle the problem of homelessness to speak to ERA’s AGM in August.
Friends of Albert’s Farm Committee (FOAFC) chair, Colleen Rood, spoke of how FOAFC had tried to remove those living in the park previously and had found that “you can’t just destroy people’s belongings and homes and expect them to respect you.”
Now they are working with Mary Gillett de Klerk from Joburg Organisation for Services to the Homeless (JOSH) and with government to try and find a long-term solution.
Reasons for homelessness
According to De Klerk, more than 90% of those that are homeless are South African citizens. Various reasons lead to people ending up homeless:
Supporting the homeless
JOSH and FOAFC have set up a once a week drop-in day centre in Albert’s Farm with a social worker and an overnight safe space.
The social worker assesses the skills that people already have, tries and mends broken family relationships and reconnects them where possible and tries to put those with mental problems in touch with those that can help them.
JOSH plans to work with government to set up many more centres like this that will also offer showers, safe spaces and skills development programmes.
Let’s Work
Michelle Wecke from Ward 88 told the AGM of NPO Let’s Work’s approach to those living illegally in our green spaces. The bulk of them are recyclers. Shelters provide no safe space to store their recycling material nor do the shelter’s rules fit with their way of living. Some are undocumented foreigners and shelters are not open to them.
Recyclers are also under threat from criminals who are not averse to stealing the recyclers’ materials that they have worked hard to collect.
Let’s Work’s approach is to give them a ‘hands up’ not a ‘handout’ and had so far helped 250 previously homeless get back on their feet; some have been reunited with family while others have been reintegrated into society.
Watch this space.
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Homeless living on the old Parkhurst Bowling Club—a solution in sight?
COUNCILLOR Tim Truluck has announced the City has a possible solution to the problematic land opposite Pikitup garden refuse centre and the Wastepreneurs recycling centre. ‘
For many years now the number of people living illegally on this land that once housed the Parkhurst Bowling Club, has mushroomed and residents have expressed alarm at the crime threat and threat to their property prices.
Truluck said that in terms of a new proposal, the land could revert back to the City’s Sport and Recreation department. RCD ESPANYOL de BARCELONA ACADEMY has indicated that it would be prepared to lease the land from the City for a period of 3-5 years and turn it in to an international football academy by 2023. However, this plan will only succeed if alternative accommodation is found for all the current illegal occupants.
The CPF will hold a public meeting on 15 September at 10h00 at Marks Park to discuss the vexing issue of alternative accommodation for those currently living there illegally. All welcome. More details, contact secretary@parkviewcpf.co.za
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Preserving the heritage of Emmarentia’s old houses
Almost all houses in Emmarentia are over 60 years of age because the township was laid down in 1938. This means that any alterations, additions or demolitions must get heritage approval from heritage authorities before they can go ahead.
Gemey Abrahams does this work in Emmarentia and as a result of the many applications that are coming forward, she has come to appreciate what heritage means in the case of houses in the suburb.
The recent approval of the 5-storey mixed use development opposite Doppio Zero will result in the demolition of seven different houses.
Visiting all of these houses and examining them inside and out Gemey came up with a number of recommendations on what the developer should somehow retain in the future development. She mentioned common things across almost all these seven houses which are also reflected across many homes in the rest of Emmarentia like:
You can see all of her recommendations and the full report here https://era.org.za/2022/08/22/era-submits-report-on-heritage-value-of-mixed-use-development-properties/
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Blue plaques
Blue plaques have been given to Frans Geldenhuys’s old farmhouse at Marks Park and to Marks Parks Sports Club.
Frans Geldenhuys lived on the farm Braamfontein with his brother Louw from the 1800s. The farm stretched from Albertina Sisulu St (Market St) in town to Delta Park and east to Rosebank. Frans built his home in what is now the Marks Park Pavilion in the late 1800s. The Geldenhuys family gave 13 hectares to the City in 1900. In 1951 it became a municipal sports club, Marks Park.
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City’s nodal review policy… more density in the suburb?
Despite Emmarentia having its own precinct plan (PP) that provides a guideline as to usage of existing land, current town planning legislation says that “any PP over five years old is redundant and that the nodal review stands in its place,” ERA’s Gemey Abrahams told ERA’s recent AGM.
The City’s nodal review policy divides up the whole of Joburg into nodes or development zones. Half of Emmarentia is classified as a General Urban Zone (GUZ) (the creamy-yellow patches in the diagram on the right) while the other half is classified as Suburban Zone (the grey areas). Suburban zones are “Medium to low density residential areas”. Check www.bit.ly/nodal-council
If your property falls in a GUZ, a density of 60 dwelling units/hectare is allowed; the City could approve a development of 5-storeys on this land. And mixed-use developments, such as the one recently approved below the Shell garage, will also be allowed. Any proposed development must get the neighbouring properties to sign off on it.
If you are concerned about a new proposed development near you, e-mail info@era.org.za
For more on ERA:
www.facebook.com/Emmarentia-Residents-Association-JHB
www.era.org.za
E-mail: info@era.org.za
Last Updated: 22nd August 2022 by Jenny Grice Leave a Comment
ERA submits report on heritage value of mixed use development properties
Gemey Abrahams who holds ERA’s town planning and heritage portfolio, recently submitted a comprehensive report to the provincial heritage authorities on the history of the seven properties that will be demolished to make way for the mixed use development. These properties are below the Shell Garage and the adjacent group of townhouses and stretch down Linden Road to Gleneagles and across to Barry Hertzog.
In her report, Abrahams recommends to the Heritage authorities that:
In order to ameliorate the loss of the homes and to keep their memory alive, ERA strongly recommends that PHRA-G supports the view that elements of the ‘DNA’ of these homes is honoured and reflected in the new design of the development.
ERA recommends that:
Find the full report below:
ERA-submission-to-PHRAG-on-HIA-Erven-1098-1104-Emmarentia-Ext-1-15082022Search
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