Decaying Germiston: Why a once flourishing town is slowly dying

Decaying Germiston – once a thriving industrial and railway town in Gauteng’s Ekurhuleni – is fast-degenerating into a slum, with building hijacking, filth and abandoned properties becoming a sanctuary for criminals, rats, drug addicts and tramps.

With its deep history, Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, was established during the early days of the gold rush and in 1921 became the world’s largest gold refinery with 70% of the global gold passing through the town that once housed SA Airways headquarters.

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Former Ekurhuleni MMC for infrastructure Ndzipo Khalipa took The Citizen through the streets of what was once a prosperous middle-class town.

But all we saw were vandalised and dilapidated properties, potholes and sewage running through the central business district.

Against the background of a shaky governing coalition partnership representing the DA, IFP, ACDP and Freedom Front Plus, facing a prospect of being unseated by the ANC-EFF axis, mayor Tanya Campbell’s spokesperson, Warren Gwilt, would not comment on questions about the state of Germiston – a microcosm of collapsing towns since the advent of democracy in 1994.

Among several unfinished projects The Citizen visited was a multi-storey government building under construction at the corner of Queen and Spilsbury Streets, which had gone through four construction companies.

“This building was constructed during the previous term of the ANC administration as a government property.

“But it collapsed and there were no funds to finish the project,” said Khalipa.

“Having gone through four different contractors, mismanagement has happened here, with monies having gone missing. There was no accountability from the accounting officer.”

He said it was not the only incomplete project, with others found in Springs, Brakpan and in Benoni, “pointing to the collapse of governance in Ekurhuleni, something that needs serious attention”.

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A strong stench from urine and sewage is not uncommon when walking through the town’s central business district (CBD).

A frustrated Musa Mkabi, who has lived in Germiston for 15 years, said there was “nothing that is right here and government has to sort out the mess” – a view shared by local grocery shop owner Murshid Alam.

“We are troubled by the sight of people urinating in public near the power substation, with the heavy stench drifting our way.

“It is very bad,” said Alam.

Not only has the filth and random vandalism by copper thieves dealt the town’s economy a blow, arts, culture and tourism have become casualties, if the closure of the Dumisani Masilela Theatre in President Street is anything to go by.

According to a government employee, who did not wish to be named for “fear of being victimised”, the theatre that once hosted popular musicians like Sibongile Khumalo, has not been operating since last year, due to a damaged electricity distribution box located outside the premises.

“Despite inspectors having responded by coming here, nothing has been done to fix the problem. There has not been power in this theatre since November.

“The cables are exposed and people dig them up for copper,” the employee said.

“During the night, we have one security officer who cannot be outside. Cameras don’t work because there is no power.”

In another tragedy, the contractor who was responsible for maintaining the theatre had four electricians killed by a community mob while working at the Graceland informal settlement.

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With a police investigation underway to arrest those behind the mob killing, Khalipa blamed the ineffectiveness of crime intelligence for the failure to protect infrastructure.

“Crime intelligence is not doing its part. Communities should be mobilised to protect their own interests,” said Khalipa.

“Killings like this should not have happened. But we also now that the tendering process contributes to such incidents. He alleged tenders were given to the “most-feared warlord in the area”.

“If he did not get it, he uses the same community to fight those contracted for the job. “Workers become victims of an unfortunate situation.”

Among the vandalised, dilapidated and abandoned buildings is the President Railway Station.

With broken windows and no doors, the building has heaps of rubbish and is infested with rats.

“Prasa and Ekurhuleni had put money in the development of this station – a joint venture agreed upon during the tenure of Prasa CEO Lucky Montana,” Khalipa said.

“We never realised the massive investment put in to revitalise the railway and the town. “It has never happened because of lack of leadership, with things having worsened under the coalition government.

While the ANC inherited “a world-class working infrastructure”, Khalipa said lack of leadership was behind the deterioration.

“Bickering among each other, instead of focusing on infrastructural development, has led us to where we are.

“The ANC inherited a world-class and working infrastructure from apartheid, but now we must accept that we have failed to maintain it – scoring an own goal against ourselves,” Khalipa said.

“People should be taught to take pride and custodianship of their own development, economic recovery, job opportunities and the transformation agenda.”

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