Urgent repairs and long-standing safety concerns at Alberts Farm were laid bare following a site visit by Johannesburg City Parks officials.

The visit, on January 23, was prompted by mounting complaints from park users and organisers of the weekly parkrun. The most immediate danger is a pedestrian walkway near one of the main gates, which has been completely washed away, leaving a steep, eroded drop where visitors once entered the park.

The damage, caused by years of unchecked water runoff and blockages in underground storm water infrastructure, has made the area hazardous, particularly for tired walkers and runners who may not notice the missing path.

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“The whole walkway that used to come in by the gate is gone,” said Edmund Bailey, a long-time park user and parkrun official. “People get tired, they come down there, and by the time they get there they don’t even look down. It’s a hassle, and it’s dangerous.”

According to Bailey, the erosion is being driven by blockages on the opposite side of the road, where debris and silt have accumulated for years. Instead of flowing underneath, as designed, storm water now spills over the surface, accelerating the wash-away of paths and grassed areas.

City Parks has committed to cutting the overgrown grass on a monthly basis, particularly along the parkrun route, a move welcomed by organisers who say long grass worsens visibility and safety.

Oversight of maintenance at Alberts Farm will be handled by Michael Hunt, a representative linked to Friends of Alberts Farm, while Martin Peet and Trevor Burt are currently overseeing broader issues in the park.

The visit also raised the issue of basic amenities. Park users have long complained about the lack of ablution facilities, which organisers say discourages families, runners, and elderly visitors. City Parks officials indicated that ablution facilities, including the possible installation of portable toilets, are being considered.

Storm water blockages are expected to be addressed with the involvement of Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).

Security also remains a major concern. While private patrols regularly monitor parts of the park, displaced individuals along certain sections – particularly near a gate linking to surrounding suburbs – has led to reports of muggings.

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Bailey said some individuals use the park as a thoroughfare to Alberts Farm and nearby facilities, targeting walkers, swimmers, and birdwatchers. “There are people living there for years now, and others who take advantage of the situation. Birdwatchers, people taking photos, even families – they get robbed, and then the robbers disappear back into the park.”

He acknowledged the legal difficulty of evicting long-term displaced individuals without providing alternative accommodation, adding that not all individuals living in the park pose a problem. Some, he said, assist by picking up litter and dog waste left behind by visitors.

Despite the challenges, Alberts Farm remains one of the city’s most popular green spaces, valued for its shade, rolling hills and demanding terrain, according to Bailey.
While smaller than Delta Park, it is considered more challenging for runners and walkers, making maintenance and safety critical to its future.

“This is actually one of the best parks we have,” Bailey said, “but without proper sanitation, without dealing with erosion and safety, people will stay away. We just want to see it looked after.”

City Parks senior horticulturist Neo Ngobeni confirmed a structured maintenance schedule for Alberts Farm, which includes a monthly cutting programme to address overgrown grass and neglected pathways throughout the park.

“We have a monthly schedule in place where contractors cut once a month. They cut in the first week of January, so they’ll cut again the first week of February.”

Ngobeni said attention would first focus on the main areas before shifting to the pathways, adding that missed sections identified by park users would be corrected.

The Northcliff Melville Times sent a media query to JRA regarding the storm water infrastructure affecting the pedestrian walkway. The article will be updated once a response is received.

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