Years of shared purpose and years more of community potential gone in moments.
The clubhouse of the old Florida Lake Tennis Club was destroyed by fire on Friday, August 5. Commonly accused of being a den for drug users and most often used by vagrants for shelter, the fortunes of the structure were taking a positive turn. Community groups had been clamouring to put the building to good use, with active residents and organisations having cleaned and maintained the courts and surrounding area for much of this year.
City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson, Robert Mulaudzi, stated on August 20 that the cause of the fire incident was still a subject of investigations.
Envisioned as a key area to bring community upliftment, the over 60-year-old hardwood floor is no more, but the brick chimney of the fireplace still stands as an ironic reminder of the dangers of allowing municipal assets to rot.
