Potter’s response to issues affecting Randburg and surrounds

The office of Ward 102 Councillor David Potter has been inundated with various questions around land parcels in the Randburg Civic Centre and surrounds.

Randburg Civic Centre

This is a land parcel owned and managed by the City.

The large issue here is that the city departments using the civic centre building are largely “squatting” with no real global plan to manage the common areas.

The Johannesburg Property Company has been contacted and will be cleaning up the property in the next few weeks.

Old court building on Jan Smuts corner Selkirk Avenue, Blairgowrie

This land parcel was once a court which was demolished many years ago.

The city’s housing company (a municipal owned entity), JOSHCO is responsible for the development of the land.The city’s plan is to build rental stock housing on the land which was approved in council many years ago.

It is unfortunate that the local and Provincial Government continue to drag their heels on getting necessary approvals to get the first spade in the soil.

As a result of the non-development of the land, vagrants and informal recyclers have taken over the land.

The city’s various departments, at the request of the councillor, have met on site, have plans on email but fail to implement plans on the ground.

The latest information that has been made available confirms that a tender is being advertised for the clearing and securing of the site.

Old Randburg Taxi Rank, Jan Smuts corner Bram Fischer triangle

This was the site of the old Randburg taxi rank.

The land went for sale to a private property developer.

At this moment, there are disputes between the private property owner and the city in terms of bulk service contributions that the city wants to levy.

Further to this, there are major services of water and power that run through the property.

The office of the councillor at times requests that the property be cleaned.

Derelict building on corner Darnoc Avenue and Bordeaux Drive, Bordeaux

This old supermarket building has been purchased by Vodacom for the development of a data centre.

The building has been stripped of much internal infrastructure by vagrants living in the building.

A site meeting with the councillor and Vodacom took place recently.

There is great concern at the delays that Vodacom is taking to demolish the property and start building.

We all want to see development and improvements in and around the Randburg CBD.

Thanks needs to be given to the Randburg Central Improvement District who work day and night within their boundary, keeping it clean and secure.

The City of Johannesburg has grand plans for Randburg for the next three financial years, as they have had for the last three financial years where they have implemented little of the grand plans.

The councillor will continue to put pressure on the city at various levels and at various forums for the delivery and implementation of basic services and capital projects.

Details: Ward 102 Councillor David Potter david@oursuburb.co.za or 0828859688.