July 25, 2005
By Anish Abraham
BETTER times lie ahead for Ivory Park residents, with City officials drawing up wide-ranging plans to improve living conditions and service delivery, and stimulate economic growth and job creation in the township.
A task team will be formed to ensure the plans are implemented and to draw up a budget to put before the council.
While Ivory Park, the most densely populated area in Region 2, is just outside the fast-growing Midrand node, it has not benefitted from its location.
Region 2 consists mainly of the newly incorporated parts of Midrand, like Vorna Valley, Glen Austin, Halfway Gardens and Halfway House Estate, Kyalami, Ebony Park and Ivory Park.
Its challenges include overcrowding, a lack of basic services, unemployment and its related social problems. Land invasions and the uncontrolled growth of informal settlements have left very little land for further development.
However, the City of Johannesburg is determined to change all that.
Mayoral priorities
In promoting the six mayoral priorities,
the department of development planning, transportation and environment has proposed several projects to improve municipal services, social services, housing, economic development, the environment and post and telecommunications.
Busi Mhaga, the assistant director of programmes and projects for development planning and facilitation, says these developments are in line with the "City Past" vision, whereby the council aims to redress inequalities created by apartheid.
The Regional Spatial Development Framework for Region 2 identifies several key areas where interventions are needed to resolve urban problems and improve service delivery.
"We started such programmes with Soweto and we now want to replicate [them] in other townships," she says.
In a separate report, the department has put together a number of recommendations for improving service delivery and the quality of life of people in Ivory Park.
Substation
The substation in the area has to be upgraded to provide electricity for new developments and street lighting, while the City should ensure residents are afforded 50 units of free electricity each month.
"I was shocked to hear there were no street lights," Mhaga says.
Gravel roads also need upgrading, and the plans call for the construction of pavements and speed humps.
Also important is the construction of a road between the township and Midrand; this will give residents improved access to an area of high-growth economic activity.
The department has proposed houses in the area be given water connections, but has said water saving schemes similar to Operation Gcin'amanzi in Soweto should be enforced.
Housing
"We also have to look at different housing typologies," Mhaga says. "We do not have the resources to have a situation where each stand will have just one house."
Possibilities include multi-storey housing units, though they are unlikely to match the towering heights of the inner city concrete jungle.
In ensuring access to education, the report has found there is a need for a primary school and three communal crèches.
In the Lord Khanyile area of Ivory Park, there is a youth centre and a senior services centre. However, there is a need for a home affairs office and a centre for the disabled.
Turning to libraries, the report notes that though there is a library in Ivory Park, two more need to be built - one in Ward 77 and one in Ward 79.
Policing
In an attempt to improve public safety, the report calls for a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department centre to be set up in the township. The South African Police Service has a station in the area, but it serves a vast area that includes Rabie Ridge, Commercia, Ebony Park, Kaalfontein, Allandale and Duduza.
Street names should be formalised and signage put up to help policing and emergency management services.
"The Kaaspruit, which runs through Ivory Park, is extremely polluted and has been regarded as a health hazard to the community," Mhaga says.
The river needs to be rehabilitated and the open space along its banks developed. Opportunities for urban agriculture that come with a river should be promoted and supported.
Four economic zones have been identified that need to be promoted and supported - the Kopanong business node, the Lord Khanyile social and sports node, the Swazi Inn business node, the Sisonke social facilities node and the Bambanani industrial node.
Team
A team made up of representatives from the various City departments and utilities, agencies and corporatised entities is being put together by the department. It will further assess Ivory Park and give detailed estimates of what resources are needed to implement the proposed changes.
"The team should be operational by August," Mhaga says.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo and the 10 members of the mayoral committee will then discuss a finalised business plan at a lekgotla in October.
Once approved, the projects will be transferred to Region 2. "The region should be able to take ownership of development projects," Mhaga says.
However, the department does not view the report as a "blueprint" for development in the township, but rather as a guiding policy to be used as funds become available.
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