Vandalised toilets at Gillooly’s Farm spark safety and hygiene concerns
“This is a form of criminality and it should not be tolerated at all.”
The condition of the men’s ablution facilities at Gillooly’s Farm has left community members, athletes and Ward 20 Clr Jill Humphreys concerned.
During a recent visit to the park, the extent of the vandalism and the reported lack of security at the ablution facilities was highlighted.
According to Gillooly’s parkrun race director Ian Gibson, the men’s bathroom has been damaged for several months.
He said the damage has resulted in water leaking onto the floor, while faeces have been smeared across two of the toilets.
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A visit to the park by Bedfordview and Edenvale News, accompanied by a parkrun volunteer and Humphreys, confirmed the poor condition of the facility.
Gibson said thousands of litres of water were being wasted because of the damage.
“The parkrun is actually losing participants because of the condition of, and vandalism to, the ablution facilities.
“It has become a real problem for men who need to use the bathrooms,” Gibson said.
He added that attendance at the weekly parkrun has dropped by approximately 150 participants over the past few months.
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Gibson said parkrun brings the community together and promotes healthier lifestyles.
Parkrun volunteer Dawie van Vuuren said Gillooly’s Farm has always been a beautiful park.
“As a community, we intend to stay. We don’t plan on going anywhere,” he said.
According to Humphreys, the ablution facilities were damaged by vandals living in the park.
“This is a form of criminality and it should not be tolerated.”
Humphreys said the park has security personnel, but she is unsure how frequently they patrol the park and its facilities.
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“It begs the question as to why the municipality is paying for security personnel to monitor the park.”
A request for comment was sent to the City of Ekurhuleni, with a response requested by July 22 at 10:30.
At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.
