2013 quite a year for ward 118 – Clr Van der Molen

2013 was a year of amazing highs and really bad lows which brought their own silver linings.

This was said by Clr Alison van der Molen, of ward 118, when asked about problems experienced and successes over the past year.

She said that planning control, illegal development and billing problems remain problematic.

“While the depot managers from City Power and Joburg Water are responsive and willing to assist, the Joburg Roads Agency remains a challenge to work with. City Parks, with its limited staff compliment, tries its best.

“Residents feel frustrated with Pikitup when it comes to street cleaning and street bins but, if areas such as Malvern do not control its refuse and continue to dump illegally, problems will continue,” she said.

Clr Van der Molen said that one frustration she still has with communities in ward 118 is apathy.

“The majority of residents and businesses do not actively support their associations. When public participation is called for, people do not respond and after the fact, tend to cry foul. Strong associations provide an enormously valuable contribution to the running of suburbs and assisting officials in their duties.

“There is a woman in Ernest Oppenheimer Avenue, in Bruma, who writes beautiful mails of appreciation when Pikitup assists in their area. It makes such a difference,” she said.

She said the majority of the Malvern community do not take pride in their area. “Unfortunately, with Pikitup charging for replacement bins, the situation is only going to escalate as bins get broken and stolen,” she said.

She urged people to take ownership of their areas and become active citizens. “We need information with regards to cable theft, we need illegal dumping to stop and we need residents to start respecting the rule of law. This would help council officials make their limited resources go so much further for the benefit of the community. An example that I constantly use are storm water drains. So much of taxpayers’ money is wasted by replacing them over and over again, because ratepayers park on pavements and constantly break them. If they were not being broken, they would not need to be fixed and that budget could be spent on upgrading and not fixing,” she said.

Clr Van der Molen said she is relieved the Cyrildene Bowling Club has been leased.

“We are waiting for the Jewish Guild and one of the Malvern facilities to conclude their tender processes and we will be able to enjoy the benefits of having these facilities under proper management,” said Clr Van der Molen.

The biggest successes over the past year in the ward, according to Clr Van der Molen, was the awarding of budget funds to rehabilitate and convert Bruma Lake into a free-flowing river. Another success was having the department of development planning and urban management come on board to assist with implementing a precinct plan in Cyrildene.

“Due to a petition that was submitted by some residents, the process has been slowed but I hope that it will be concluded soon with buy-in from the traditional residents of Cyrildene and the Chinese community,” she said.

She commended the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) for the work done over the past year. “The JMPD put in an exceptional effort for which I am grateful. But the public needs to play their bit and stop supporting people who are engaging in illegal and dangerous activities, such as windscreen washing at intersections. My 10 Plus JMPD officer, Sergeant Marius Boolsen, deserves a medal for the work he does and for the difference he is trying to make. He has some incredibly difficult challenges around issues such as vagrancy and the windscreen washers but he continues to put in every effort. I really appreciate all the work he does,” she said.

Speaking about incidents that took place over the past year, Clr Van der Molen said, “Being a councillor brings some interesting situations. This year I rescued a mommy cat and her kittens and with the help of a resident, we found homes for all of them. With the help of the Department of Agriculture, I confiscated six chickens in Derrick Avenue, Cyrildene. They are now residing on my friend’s small-holding. The biggest event for me this year was the 180 shacks that burnt down in the Jumpers Informal Settlement. It was heart breaking,” she said.

She said this incident brought communities together and she is grateful for this. “This started the most unbelievable outpouring of aid. Out of this absolutely devastating event, blessings poured out to this community. A huge thank you goes to the residents of ward 118 as I practically deserted you for four weeks while the lives of residents in Jumpers were put back together,” she said.

She also thanked everyone else who helped, such as members of other communities and Cotlands. Cotlands provided early learning classes. “This resulted in one of my darling children, Khaya, from Jumpers who was facing serious challenges in his life, returning to school next year. Thank you to the principal of Malvern Primary School for all his support. If anyone has a blazer or jersey from Malvern Primary School which they would like to donate to Khaya (12), it would be appreciated. We will also need some books and stationery to get him on his feet. Contact me if you can help,” she said.