Residents angered about the poor state of Wendywood Play Park
WENDYWOOD – Speaking to Sandton Chronicle, resident of 50 years Marisa Rothbauer said she was angered that nothing was being done to remove the people living in the park, who she believed created a security risk.
Wendywood residents are frustrated by the dilapidated state of Wendywood Play Park and the presence of displaced people there.
Speaking to Sandton Chronicle, resident of 50 years Marisa Rothbauer said she was angered that nothing was being done to remove the people living in the park, who she believed created a security risk.
When the Chronicle visited the park on 20 October there was a group of men drinking alcohol on site. The grass in the park was long, there were weeds and litter was strewn across the park.
“The toilets at the park are completely broken and filled with rubbish. There is evidence that fires are being made in the ablutions. The state of this park is terrible. Children don’t want to play here. It looks disgusting. Why must we all pack up and move into these estates?” said Rothbauer.
Resident of nine years Lucinda Martins also raised concern about property owners in the area who have allegedly let their properties out to large numbers of people and erected illegal structures and Wendy houses on the properties. According to Martins, on some properties, there are illegally erected extra toilets connected to the sewer line while other properties have a bad smell due to residents apparently using back yards as toilets.
“This creates a crime factor in the area and deteriorates our property values,” claimed Martins.
Regional parks manager Jerome Ogle said the current maintenance cycle for Wendywood Play Park was every 30 days for grass cutting and weekly litter picking.
According to Ogle, on 21 October, a resident complained via the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) customer relations desk about the growing concern of the increase in displaced people occupying concrete structures within the park as dwelling facilities at night and the occupation of the dilapidated toilets within the park.
“A team was sent on 22 October to clean up the park and remove the mattresses and blankets… JCPZ park rangers were also informed to intensify the patrols of Wendywood Play Park to address the illegal occupation by the homeless,” said Ogle.
He added that Depot 406 of Region E would ensure that the maintenance cycle of the park was consistent and park rangers would intensify and frequent their patrols of the park to discourage displaced people from occupying the park at night. Ogle said facility management would look to either refurbish or demolish the dilapidated ablutions.
A spokesperson for the City of Joburg, Nthatisi Modingoane said records revealed no applications for the alleged illegal activities on the said residential addresses in Wendywood.
“The department will send out inspectors to ensure compliance with the Land Use Scheme as well as other build environment policies and bylaws,” added Modingoane.
He said relevant officials would conduct investigations on all the properties concerned to establish the legality of the alleged activities. Law enforcement would then provide a comprehensive report to the complainant.
Modingoane said residents should direct complaints in the Development Planning Jurisdiction to ComplaintsPLE@joburg.org.za
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/83345/vagrants-take-over-park-or-vagrants-restrict-access-to-ablutions/
