June 9, 2003
By Lucille Davie
MAYOR Amos Masondo was treated to the red carpet treatment in Westbury last Thursday. Together with members of his mayoral committee, he spent the day being hosted by Region 4 as part of a broader programme of visiting all 11 regions of Johannesburg this year.
The red carpet, together with banners and flowers, was the welcoming gesture of residents of newly-renovated, council-owned Dyna Flats in Westbury, one of the venues the mayor visited on his tour. The block has recently been given an overhaul - fixing faulty plumbing, laying paving, painting the building - in a collaborative effort between the residents and Region 4 officials, and as a sign of their appreciation, the residents pulled out all the stops.
But this venue came mid-afternoon in a programme designed to give the mayor a look at both the high and low points of how residents live and work in Region 4.
The party met for breakfast in Region 4's offices at ACA Krans Building in Auckland Park. After an overview video of the region, Regional Director Lawrence Boya gave the audience a feel for what works and what doesn't work in his region. He stressed that progress was slow in some areas because of limited resources, always a problem with the huge backlogs that apartheid has created.
But he stressed too that much had been learnt over the past two years of the existence of the regions: top of the list were positive results from community participation and partnerships that have been established and an ongoing review of goals, ensuring a flexible approach. He expressed the hope that in future the regions could be more actively involved in broader decision-making and policy formulation.
Brixton
First stop of the roadshow was a visit to derelict properties in Brixton, for a look at the overcrowded living conditions of some of the city's residents.
An old cinema in High Street in Brixton has been converted into 50 living units of single rooms. Greeted by a smell of Jeyes Fluid and long concrete-floor passages, a room the size of half a school hall has been divided into the units of four metres by four metres, by means of dry walling. The rooms have no windows and therefore no fresh air but are now home to over 100 people. The building is privately-owned and the plans for its conversion were approved by the City.
A young couple with their three-month-old baby have converted their unit into a cosy if stuffy room: they have a fridge, a double bed, a wardrobe, a TV, a kitchen dresser, and a table and two chairs in the middle. They pay R600 a month for their room.
Down the passage is a communal kitchen, clean but well-scrubbed. Next to the kitchen are the bathrooms and toilets.
Up the road in High Street is a set of old semi-detached houses, with attractive moulded pillars supporting the tin roofs over the verandah, with a gable at the end.
The mayor and his entourage were ushered into the end unit, from the back of the house. A stale, unhealthy smell greeted the visitors. This small section of the house houses 15 people, with rooms divided by blankets and pieces of fabric. Each division costs the tenants between R250 and R500 per month.
Next stop was Linden Swimming Pool, a showcase of Region 4. It was recently enclosed to get the full benefits of the heated water, and it offers a sparkling form of relaxation, training and therapy for the many people who use it.
Next, the road show organisers sent the mayoral team to the far reaches of their region in the north - Berario Recreation Centre, just beyond Northcliff. As the mayor walked in the strains of the Shosholoza could be heard - a group of pensioners were going through their easy aerobics exercises to the music. It was a welcome break with warm bowls of soup awaiting the party.
Riverlea
From there it was on to the Western Bypass for a visit to the far southern border of Region 4, to neglected and depressed Riverlea. The bus stopped outside the Zamimpilo Creche and informal settlement, where a set of three metal containers have been converted for use as the crèche.
There's 36 3-6 year-olds in the larger container, sitting obediently on plastic chairs at plastic tables. They're supervised by four teachers and two volunteers, who take a salary from the remainder of the school fees after paying for food for the children and cleaning materials for the creche. Parents pay R70 a month for this supervision, and there's a long waiting list. The other two containers are used for a kitchen and toilets.
The creche takes children from the neighbouring settlement, where most people are unemployed. Enos Dladla, chairperson of the Residents Committee of Zamimpilo, stressed that some progress had been made: tall lights had been installed over the settlement, extra water-saving taps had been positioned around the camp and French drains had been constructed. These measures had made a difference but he added that much more needed to be done, and people needed to be given skills to help them get jobs.
Masondo replied to the appeal for more resources: "We have not come here to give long speeches. There are problems everywhere in South Africa but the resources at our disposal are limited. There are extensive needs and the commitment on our part is to do our best."
From Zamimpilo the group moved to the Riverlea Recreation Centre, where an excited bunch of schoolchildren were waiting for the mayor to present certificates to a group of 10 children who had recently graduated from a computer course.
These children had been invited to learn the basics of finding their way around computers, and they are no longer "scared of computers". It's an example, says Project Manager Kureish Isaacs, of what a dedicated team with a small budget can do. He hopes that they will become entrepreneurs with their new skills.
The mayor presented them with their certificates with the song "Stand up for the Champions" playing gustily in the background. The youngsters posed happily with the mayor and Regional Director Boya on the stage of the hall, with proud smiles.
Dyna Flats
After lunch at the Centre, the group was off again, and made their way to Dyna Flats, where they received their red carpet welcome. Next up was another success story: the Urban Agriculture Project at the Danie van Zyl Recreation Centre in Claremont. Here previously unemployed David Masilo has
learnt a range of gardening skills and is now earning around R700 a month selling bunches of spinach to the local community, from his very healthy vegetable garden.
Mayor Amos Masondo talking to Dyna Flats residents
Photo: Solly van Staden
Then on to Marks Park in Emmarentia for a question and answer session with around 40 local business people. One of the issues discussed was the issue of clearance certificates - before selling property residents have to obtain a clearance certificate showing that they've paid their outstanding rates in full. The business people complained that to takes up to six months for these certificates to be issued.
Executive Director of Finance Roland Hunter addressed the crowd, indicating that the clearance department staff had been fired and a new set of people hired. Once they had learnt the job, the process would be back on track. He promised to meet with them the following week. The meeting ended with much swapping of business cards.
Then, to end the day, the Mayor and his committee went back to Claremont to meet the local community. Whereas 100 people were expected, more than 600 turned up. Issues discussed were housing, hospitals, poverty and unemployment, national issues that are not necessarily within the mayor's control.
The meeting ended with the singing of the national anthem and some residents asking for the mayor's autograph.
The meeting was described by Region 4 officials as having a "wonderful energy", and the whole day as "successful". The next day Regional Director Boya "couldn't get the smile off his face", they said.
