WATCH: There she goes ….

Excitement and emotion filled the air on April 3 as the long-awaited demolition of the abandoned old Martin School building on the corner of Fifth Street and Eighth Avenue, Boksburg North, got underway.

The structure had been a significant concern for, among many others, Laerskool Goudrand and residents for years, with many blaming vagrants who took refuge there for contributing to rising crime rates in the area.

Earlier this year, residents took matters into their own hands, organising a clean-up around the derelict building.
Situated next to Laerskool Goudrand’s pre-primary school, the building had become a source of distress for the school’s principal, Gert Botes, who raised concerns about its potential collapse onto classrooms nearby.

Botes communicated with the Department of Education, urging them to take action.

“I have written emails and even threatened to remove my learners from the school because they are in danger.

“In November, I was finally told that the process to demolish the building would begin on March 1 and when the department recently arrived with contractors, I knew something was finally happening,” he said.

Victory
Ward 22 Clr Madelaine Muller described the day as historic. “We’ve been petitioning for years to have this building demolished. I want to thank principal Botes for his efforts in making this happen. This was a team effort, but in the end it’s fantastic news for the residents of Boksburg North, especially those living nearby.

“This building was a hotspot for drug activity, prostitution and vandalism. Hopefully, our energy infrastructure won’t be damaged as often as it used to. This is a victory for the community.”
Muller explained that although a demolition order was granted in 2019, the project had been delayed due to budget constraints.

“There were also people living there, so we had to consider the human factor before moving forward. Thanks to principal Botes, who remained in constant contact with the department, the budget was allocated this year and they finally listened to the outcry from the school.”

On April 3, Botes, community members and other stakeholders gathered in celebration as the demolition crew started their work.

“We are overjoyed that the building is being demolished, especially for the community’s sake, due to the criminal activity that took place there,” Botes said. “It’s unfortunate, however, that this could have been done five years ago. We hope the demolition is completed within two days.”

Regarding the homeless who called this building home, Botes said the City of Ekurhuleni assisted and a notice was issued for them to vacate within 30 days.

“Some returned, but we warned them that the demolition was imminent. By April 2, about seven individuals gathered their belongings and left. These were not permanent residents but people who stayed overnight.”

Willem Broodryk (64), who has been living in Boksburg North for over 30 years, was emotional as he watched the building come down.

“What we’ve seen today is heart-breaking. It feels like witnessing a funeral or something unbelievable. The building was so beautiful once, but it became a symbol of decline when vagrants took over. The entire community suffered because of it. Hopefully, things will now return to normal,” he said.

Janine de Beer, another resident, shared her frustration with the crime the building attracted.

“We had power outages every second day because of cable theft and houses were being burglared. I wouldn’t even consider sending my grandchild to the school next door because of the danger the building posed to the school.”

De Beer expressed her gratitude to Muller and those involved in the demolition.

Also Read: Jump in to help clean up around the old Martin School