Gillooly’s Farm stables left in ruins despite offers to revive them

Ward 20 Clr Jill Humphreys has raised concerns over the continued neglect of the horse stables and dog kennels at Gillooly’s Farm, a once “lovely” and “beautiful” facility in the City of Ekurhuleni.

During a recent visit with the DA, Clr Humphreys described how the facility, originally established to support equestrian activities and dog training, has been left to deteriorate.

In a video shared on Facebook, Humphreys explained that the stables were intended to work in partnership with the city’s parks department to help keep the park safe.

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“Unfortunately, it hasn’t been used for at least 10 years, and it has been allowed to go to ruin,” she said.

“The most frustrating aspect is that organisations are offering to upgrade, lease, and restore the entire facility, even introducing community initiatives such as working with special needs children and horses.

“None of this is being considered. It’s being ignored by the city, and in the meantime, this beautiful facility is just falling to pieces. This cannot be allowed to happen.”

When asked what the city planned to do to revive or repurpose the facility, CoE’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said, “The city plans to ensure the facility is functional, safe, and serves the needs of the community.”

On why offers put forward by the community to revitalise had not succeeded, he said the matter falls under the city’s real estate department.

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“According to policy, if more than one party expresses interest, the city must call for proposals from all applicants before a lease can be granted.

The 2024/25 parks maintenance programme faced numerous challenges, including unusually high rainfall during the grass-cutting season, which disrupted planned work.

“The city says maintenance will improve in the upcoming season with additional support to enhance horticultural upkeep at the facility,” stated Dlamini.

In terms of security, he said the team is tasked with   the property and maintaining order.

He added that a request to repair vandalised ablution blocks has been forwarded to the relevant department.

In April this year, the ablution blocks at Gillooly’s Farm were described as unusable and hazardous, with reports of human waste inside and no maintenance being done.

Parkrun organisers and visitors raised concerns about public health risks and the negative impact on community morale.

“The city confirmed that a request to repair the facilities was submitted on April 8.

“An inspection was conducted in June, and the city has undertaken to fix the ablutions. Further updates will be provided once follow-up work is completed,” he said.

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In the meantime, the stables are currently vacant and are in the process of being leased for psychotherapy purposes.

He said the application process is at its final stages.

“The property was previously used by the City’s EMPD Specialised Services Division, which delayed the application.

“After the matter was resolved, a property valuation was conducted to determine fair market rental rates,” explained Dlamini.