Mackenzie Park applies to make controversial closures legal

Road closures intended to protect Mackenzie Park residents from crime have once again come under scrutiny after the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) removed a gate and palisade structure at Sakabula Street.

In the meantime, applications to legalise other closures in the area remain under consideration.

The issue has been a long-running source of tension in the community, with some residents crediting the closures for reducing crime. In contrast, others say the barriers restrict access and could create problems for emergency services.

The latest development follows a compliance notice issued by the CoE. On April 9, the closure at Sakabula Street was subsequently removed by the EMPD.

Zweli Dlamini, spokesperson for the city, said community representatives then requested an opportunity to submit an application to have the restriction reinstated through the prescribed process.

Further notices regarding other access restrictions in McKenzie Park were issued on June 22, and a consolidated application for several streets was later submitted and transferred to the Property Management and Portfolio Advisory Services Division on July 31.

The dispute is not new.
The Benoni City Times previously reported on the McKenzie Park closures in 2022, when residents were already divided over the gates and the city had raised concerns about the formal process required to restrict access to public roads.

A 2017 application by the McKenzie Residents Association for access restrictions for safety and security purposes also forms part of the history of the matter.

For residents who support the closures, the reason is simple: safety.

Community leader Clifton Fredericks said the barriers were introduced after residents experienced hijackings, armed robberies, break-ins, zama zama activity and other forms of crime.

“It was a direct response to extremely high crime levels in our area,” said Fredericks.

He said crime has decreased since the closures were introduced.

“Residents feel safer in their homes and children are once again able to walk to school without the same fear of being robbed,” he emphasised.

Fredericks said the majority of residents support the closures and believe the security benefits outweigh the inconvenience caused to motorists.

He said the community has also engaged with the municipality about formalising the restrictions and would like alternative security measures, including increased police visibility and CCTV surveillance, if the closures are eventually removed.

But Peter Simpson, who initially approached the City Times about the matter, believes the security concerns should not come at the expense of access to public roads.

Simpson raised concerns about emergency services, saying ambulances and fire and rescue services could experience delays in reaching some households due to the barriers.

“I understand residents want to feel safe, but there are other ways to improve security without closing public roads. People can build higher boundary walls, install security cameras, alarms and other measures that do not restrict public access,” said Simpson.

He also questioned why notices requiring the removal of the gates had been issued if the structures remained after the stated deadline.

The City Times spoke to resident Magda Swarts, who said the issue was more than an inconvenience for her.

Swarts, who suffered a stroke in 2025, said paramedics struggled to reach her home and had to contact her husband twice because they could not find a way in.“The paramedics had to phone my husband twice because they couldn’t find a way to our house,” she said.

While Swarts acknowledged that the closures may make the streets around the gates feel safer, particularly for children, she questioned whether the arrangement considered residents elsewhere in McKenzie Park.

“Where the gates are closed it may be safer, but what about the rest of McKenzie Park?” she said.

Ward councillor Sipho Ngobese said he recognised the security concerns and acknowledged a reduction in crime since the closures.

“Crime has reduced as compared to what it was before the closures. The closures are indeed effective in McKenzie Park,” said Ngobese.

Ngobese said he had requested a public meeting where residents and relevant stakeholders could discuss the issue and find common ground.

The meeting has not yet taken place.

He said he intends to convene it before the end of August once a venue has been secured.

The city, meanwhile, says the closures must go through the proper approval process.

“Our position remains that any restriction of access must be authorised through the prescribed approval process,” Dlamini said.

Dlamini said the applications are currently being handled by the property management and portfolio advisory services division, with the Roads and Transport Management Department involved in relation to updated Traffic Impact Studies.

“The matter is being prioritised, and it does not believe it has disregarded its legal obligations,” he said.

He said enforcement action had already been taken where appropriate, including the removal of the structure on Sakabula Street, while the remaining applications are being processed.

“Should the applications not be approved, or applicants fail to meet the relevant requirements, we will take appropriate enforcement action,” Dlamini said.

For McKenzie Park residents, the question now is whether a solution can be found that addresses the crime concerns that prompted the closures while ensuring that emergency services and other members of the public can access the roads.

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