Business owners rebel against neglected Wandellaan

Business owners in the Wandellaan are fed up with the neglected shopping centre in the heart of Potchefstroom and want to stand together to do something about their situation.

Frank Ponte, the owner of Frank’s Sports Bar Mr Chips, says the owners pay rates and taxes, yet nothing is being done about the terrible condition of their business environment. “We hardly have any customers because nobody wants to visit a neglected, dirty and dangerous shopping centre. The Wandellaan is in dire need of a facelift.”

Frank says a broken water pipe at one end of the one-way street has not been fixed in two years and is creating huge water pools. He says all the street lights have been broken and the open wires are live and dangerous for passers-by. “When it rains, the wires start smoking.”

Frank adds that there are no waste facilities for the shopkeepers and most of them dump all their filth in front of the shops.

The large trees are a huge problem because they lift the cobblestone road and street children climb into them and jump on and rob unsuspecting customers walking past. “The drug dealers in the alleys are dangerous, not only to the customers but also to the shop-keepers. I have been threatened by them many times”, Frank says.

I have been to the municipality numerous times, but nothing has been done so far. I have approached the J.B. Marks Consumers and Ratepayer’s Association to help us with possible solutions.

Frank wants to get all the shop owners on board and has many plans to clean-up the Wandellaan. He wants all the owners of the buildings and the landlords, lawyers, and agencies that collect rent from all the shops in the Wandellaan to contact him to arrange a meeting. Call Frank at 072 637 7603.

* The Herald sent an inquiry regarding the situation in the Wandellaan to the municipality. However, no response had been received by the time of going to print.