Mural wall becomes makeshift shelter
The Johannesburg Development Agency, which implemented the mural on Louis Botha, said it was sad to learn that the installed furniture was being taken advantage of.
A Houghton resident has raised concerns about makeshift shelters developing along Louis Botha Avenue’s s-bend mural. The wall has artwork and benches on it which now have blankets covering them. Resident Brendon Naicker wrote to the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), “Three years on and I would like to show you all those who contributed to devaluing our properties in the name of ‘art’. Your clever wall furniture is now a shelter for the homeless. I’m sure you knew this was coming – given that you ignored the residents’ wishes.”
JDA Public Relations and Social Media specialist Elias Nkabinde shared the agency’s response. The JDA said the S-Bend mural is the largest wall painting in Johannesburg. The mural was commissioned by the City of Johannesburg’s Transport Department and implemented by the JDA.
“We are saddened to learn that one of the installed urban furniture has been taken advantage of and is being used as a shelter. Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) personnel are mandated to address public safety issues and urban management challenges. We encourage reporting such incidents to the JMPD’s Urban Management unit which also focuses on people facing homelessness on 011 490 1538,” said the JDA.
The agency revealed that the design process took about six months, and was managed through the #ArtMyJozi campaign which focuses on collaborations with local creatives to create an identity for an area inspired by local stories.
The JDA further said that Art My Jozi has been rolled out in areas such as Noordgesig, Brixton, Orange Grove, and various points along the Empire Perth and Louis Botha Development corridors. The campaign implements functional public art enhancements and facilities in strategic public places in key nodes along the city’s transit corridors.
“Painting the S-Bend Wall Mural offered a unique opportunity for telling Joburg’s multiple histories through social politics, landscape, architecture and mobility. To capture this in graffiti on the wall, the project sourced input from the local community to contribute stories, ideas and personal anecdotes to make up one of the largest murals in the city. Eight community meetings were held to gather input,” said the JDA. The mural was unveiled in October 2019.
The wall runs east-west along the corridor, cross-cutting the suburbs of Yeoville, Observatory and Upper Houghton, and is a significant transport route in Johannesburg. The wall has a 2 800m2 surface area and is 451m long, with the highest point standing 8.5m tall.
As part of the scope, Art My Jozi installed a series of urban furniture benches at intervals along the mural. Upon completion, the S-Bend Mural was handed over to the Department of Community Development and forms part of the City’s public art asset register.
On May 4, JMPD spokesperson officer Xolani Fihla said the JMPD Region E Operations officers received and attended the complaint at Louis Botha Avenue and Acorn Ln, Houghton Estate where homeless people ‘were’ using the mural as a shelter. “The homeless person found at the said location was requested to move and the structure used was removed. The JMPD will also request assistance from the Department of Health and Social Services regarding the homeless people living in the area. JMPD officers will continue to monitor the area,” said Fihla.
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