Gillooly’s Farm, once a treasured green space for the Bedfordview community, continues to suffer from severe neglect as delays in finalising a long-term lease leave the property in a state of disrepair.
Despite a public participation meeting held in December 2023, no progress has been made in restoring the farm, which has fallen victim to vandalism, neglect and decaying infrastructure.
Ward 20 Clr Jill Humphreys has raised concerns over the farm’s current state, stressing the need for urgent action.
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“The facilities here, from the horse stables to the restaurant, are in a shambles. We desperately need these leases to go through because the whole area is falling apart,” said Humphreys.
The horse stables, once home to a group of horses that patrolled the farm, are now overgrown and abandoned.
“We used to have six horses patrolling the farm. Now it’s just an empty facility with weeds everywhere.”
Humphreys mentioned that a Bedfordview resident has shown interest in leasing the stables, with plans to turn them into a centre for animal-assisted therapy for children.
“I would love to see that happen,” she added.
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“There’s someone who wants to take over and they have the funding to do so. But nothing can move forward until the lease process is finalised.”
The delay is tied to a pending property valuation by the city’s real estate department, which has yet to be completed.
“At our service delivery meeting, I was told the valuation is in its final stages, but there’s still no clear timeline,” said Humphreys.
Other facilities on the farm have suffered even worse fates.
The former Mississippi Blues restaurant, once fully operational, has been stripped of appliances, windows and doors.
“When the previous tenants left, the kitchen was perfectly functional, but now it’s been totally vandalised.
“The same goes for the conference centre, which was supposed to become a wedding venue.
“We spent R1.5m on a light refurbishment and it’s falling to pieces.”
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Humphreys described this as an example of wasteful expenditure, with money spent on refurbishments only to have the facilities left abandoned.
Humphreys is adamant that private sector involvement is the only way to save Gillooly’s Farm.
“The parks department simply doesn’t have the resources to maintain this place. Our parks across Ekurhuleni are suffering.
“We need private sector investment to turn Gillooly’s Farm into something beautiful again.”
By the time of going to print the City of Ekurhuleni had not commented.
