Kensington stalwart dies

Mr Heine was known for holding authorities accountable, demanding service delivery and not thinking twice about doing everything possible to protect Kensington’s heritage and environment.

Close friend, Ms Elaine Hardwick, was distraught after hearing about his death. “He was the most honest man I have ever known. He cared and fought for justice in all aspects. He was courageous and really cared about Kensington,” said Ms Hardwick.

Ms Hardwick said Mr Heine will be remembered for the number of battles he fought for the community. “He was involved in petitions against development on the then Kensington Golf Course. He did not want the land sold and eventually he fought against the removal of the trees. One of the conditions was that the trees remain behind. The mayor of Johannesburg used to come to Rhodes Park to plant trees with Mr Heine on Arbor Day. He started the Kensington Spring Fair and the Kensington Seniors’ Club,” said Ms Hardwick.

Mr Heine also negotiated the building of the Kensington Community Centre in Rhodes Park with council.

The centre was built in 1996 by a community committee under his chairmanship.

“The Kensington Seniors’ Club had all the finishing’s and paving done. There were a number of other things the club did at the community centre,” said Ms Hardwick. Mr Heine also made sure members of the club went on an outing once a month.

Speaking about Mr Heine’s personality, Ms Hardwick said, “Because of his police background, his conversations were always short and to the point. If someone did not agree with him, he was able to take what he gave,” said Ms Hardwick.

Mr Heine was also chairman of the Jeppe Community Police Forum (JCPF) and worked with members of the Cleveland CPF. He was the first chairman of the Johannesburg Policing Area Board in 1994.

He was instrumental in getting the Kensington community their own newspaper, the Joburg East EXPRESS.

Former editor of the Bedfordview and Edenvale NEWS, Yolanda van der Stoep, said she was sad to hear of Mr Heine’s death. “He kept us on our toes,” she said.

He also served on the ward 66 committee with the councillor at the time, Ms Carol Lewin. Her message was, “Rest in peace Mr Heine. We may not have always seen eye-to-eye, but we certainly always had the bigger picture at heart. I owe a lot of my grey hairs to you. The community of Kensington lost a great philanthropist and gentleman. When you look down on the City of Joburg, you can be proud of your achievements.”

Ms Lornette Joseph, chairperson of the I Love Kensington Association (Ilka), said members were deeply saddened to hear of Mr Heine’s death. “He played a huge role in the formation and foundation of Kensington and he will be missed. Mr Heine was always such a gentleman to me and I will miss the calls and the wealth of knowledge he had. He truly loved Kensington,” she said.

Ms Lee Cahill, a Kensington resident, said Mr Heine was a dedicated community worker who did a lot for the Kensington community over the years. “He was a tough nut and gave quite a few of us grey hairs but he left a legacy to be proud of,” she said.

His caregiver, Ms Daisy Mamabolo, said Mr Heine looked after her well. “I worked for him for the past two years. He was good to me. Just before he went to hospital, he still insisted on going to the shops. He was extremely independent,” she said.

Mr Heine’s daughter, Ms Frances Gossel, described him as knowledgeable, methodical and very particular. “He was also a strict dad. What he said, went,” she said. Ms Gossel said Mr Heine was born in Germany in 1921. In 1947 he moved to Kenya to work in the police force. “He worked there until 1964, after which he moved to Johannesburg. He lived in the same house in Iris Street in Kensington ever since,” she said.

Mr Heine married in 1947. His wife, Joyce, died two years ago. They have two other children, Roselle – in Cape Town, and Eric – in Australia, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mr Heine’s final days were spent at the Johannesburg Hospital. His funeral took place on Wednesday at the West Park Cemetery.