Rotary spins off the wheel to improve centre’s aesthetic appearance

Norscot Manor’s heritage site has been slowly dilapidating.

But Stephen Margo and his team from The Fourways Main Reef Rotary Club, firmly said ‘not under my watch’.

The club took it upon itself to raise funds to restore the manor to its former glory. It is a popular spot for people to meet for recreational purposes.

It is a council-owned property which it stopped looking after a few years ago, according to Margo. As a result, windows started breaking, others falling out, and pipe bursts among other damages.

“When we asked councillor Chris Santana we get, ‘the council has got no money to take care of the centre’. But why does the council have no money? That’s a big question because there are monthly rental fees that are being paid to the council so where does the money go?

The manor was originally a farm which was subdivided and broken down after the Erikson family, its owners passed on. The land was donated to the Johannesburg City Council who turned it into a recreational centre.

“The council initially wanted to sell the property but the residents refused because of its heritage. We then applied for permission to take care of it as the Rotary Club community and was approved.”

Santana confirmed the centre falls under the Department of Community Development, however, the property is owned by the city and managed by Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) who has neglected to maintain it..

To mitigate this issue the Friends of Norscot, a non-profit organisation, was established in 2014 by members of the community to assist with the day-to-day issues of maintenance, he said.

“Unfortunately, they have somewhat become silent over the past couple of years especially after Covid-19. The intended purpose was to reach out to the community for donations and funding.

“This by no means replaces the responsibility of council but is meant to assist. Unfortunately, the internal battles of budget allocations and responsible departments for ensuring maintenance happens is an ongoing battle between Community Development and JPC. Any rentals paid to Norscot from groups or service providers go directly to the city.”

The Rotary Club hosted a two-day art exhibition to raise funds to repair the centre. They raised R40 000 from the exhibition with an additional R10 000 donated by the residents.

“First of all, we had to call a plumber to fix a toilet and pipe burst. Secondly, we had to call the experts to repair the filter which is adjacent to the koi fish pond. We also had the pipes in the pond repaired. We then moved into the main building which demanded most of our attention, and funding,” said Margo.

Tony Gietzman, who was hired as the handyman, said, “We went through every room listing what had to be done to bring the centre to what it should be. Windows that were falling out, one lying on the floor was repaired and reinstalled. Doors that did not have handles, locks, and keys were fitted out with handles and keys were made to fit each lock.”

Santana added, “I am extremely grateful to the club for stepping up and assisting with much-needed maintenance to the basics around the manor, including but not limited to the Secret Garden and user groups of the manor facilities too. Without their support and assistance it would be a disaster. I am continuously fighting for ongoing maintenance from council to ensure that our heritage assets are protected and preserved for future generations.”

JPC undertook to revert with more information while Friends of Norscot could not be reached for comment via email and calls by the time of going to print.

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