Neglected Horwood’s Farm Homestead sparks heritage outcry in Edenvale

One of Edenvale’s oldest buildings, the Horwood’s Farm Homestead, has become a symbol of neglect, joining a growing list of CoE heritage sites left to deteriorate.

According to DA Clr Mike da Silva, the CoE has failed to protect and maintain many of its historic properties.

“This building has been part of Edenvale’s community life for decades. It used to be a popular destination, and business thrived here.

“But once the lease of the last tenant expired, the city made no effort to renew it or attract new interest,” said Da Silva.

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Eventually, like many others, the homestead was left to fall into disrepair.

“We’ve been raising concerns about the state of heritage facilities across Ekurhuleni.

“Take Benoni City Hall, for example. It’s another beautiful structure that communities would love to use. These buildings are community assets and should be preserved for public benefit,” he added.

Other neglected facilities include Gillooly’s Farm, the Pam Brink Stadium in Springs and the Olympia Park Swimming Pool. Da Silva said there is widespread frustration over the lack of access to these community spaces.

“We’ve found that the booking and leasing processes are overly complicated, and there’s a lot of resistance from the city.

“A good example is the Germiston Golf Club. They tried to secure a lease from as far back as 2009 and only managed to finalise it late last year, on such unfavourable terms that the arrangement collapsed,” he explained.

To address this, Da Silva and others are advocating for a public-private partnership framework.

“The idea is simple: Allow communities to maintain and use these heritage sites in return for fair, manageable terms, not necessarily monetary.

“The city can let these buildings decay or empower communities to care for them. It’s about creating win-win solutions.”

He added that abandoned buildings become magnets for crime and vandalism, and that the city should encourage community involvement rather than hinder it with red tape or demand rent without providing maintenance.

Da Silva spoke during a community clean-up of the homestead on July 19, as part of Mandela Month activities.
Clr Heather Hart, also present at the clean-up, echoed his concerns and outlined a community-driven vision for the site.

“This building has been neglected for years. Until about 2014, it was still restorable. Despite repeated appeals to the city to protect it, including a request to have it professionally wrapped to prevent further damage, nothing was done,” said Hart.

As a result, the property has been vandalised and stripped, once boasting a five-star restaurant kitchen, now left in ruins.

Still, Hart is optimistic about its potential.

“The community wants this restored. We envision a multi-use community arts centre, offering arts, ballet, music and even culinary programmes.

“Various community groups or small businesses could run activities on different days. It doesn’t need to be managed by one organisation.”

To kick-start this vision, Hart hopes to establish a Friends of the Homestead group.

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“Anyone genuinely interested in helping can get involved. We could meet monthly to clean the site, place plastic sheeting over roof leaks, secure tarpaulins, lay matting over damaged floors, and slowly preserve what remains.”

She encourages local businesses to support the initiative through sponsorships of materials and equipment.
Those interested in joining or supporting the initiative can contact Hart directly.

City responds

City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed that the city owns the property and that there was a lease application at an advanced stage to lease the property for business purposes.

“The site is recognised as a heritage site. The question regarding the availability of the preservation plan will be referred to the Heritage and Museum Services Section of the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture,” said Dlamini.

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“The plans to wrap the building were unsuccessful due to budgetary constraints. The option to fence off the property to prevent free access was done,” he added.

He said the city is open to exploring public-private partnerships or community-led initiatives to restore and repurpose the building for community use.

“This option cannot be ruled out for the future. However, the short-term plan is the lease mentioned.

The prospective tenant will rehabilitate the property, guided by the city’s Facilities Management Division and the Heritage and Museum Services section of the city to ensure compliance.

“The lease, if approved, will allow a free rental period of six months to cover the rehabilitation costs to be incurred by the prospective tenant,” said Dlamini.