Concerns grow over deteriorating Johannesburg Property Company space in Illovo
Residents and businesses say Erf 139, a city-owned property has become vulnerable to illegal activity and informal encroachment.
A vacant and deteriorating open space owned by the City of Johannesburg and managed through Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) has sparked concerns in Illovo.
Residents, businesses and Ward 90 councillor Renate van Onselen said the site has become increasingly vulnerable to informal occupation and decay.
According to Van Onselen, the property, Erf 139, located at the corner of North Road and Corlett Drive was previously used as a parking facility. However, it has been reportedly left unused for several years, with no formal lessee currently in place.
“It’s previously been an open parking lot. However, it’s been standing derelict for a number of years. If there’s nothing good going on here, something bad will come in,” she said.
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“The residents from the block of flats next door have been approaching the JPC since January to ask for the possibility of them leasing the property because they are obviously concerned about the decline in the value of their property if the property is left to remain derelict.”
Van Onselen added that the site’s deterioration has created conditions of informal and illegal activity. “Residents stopped the erection of an illegal car wash as well as illegal advertising. In addition, we’ve got the area developing almost as an informal kind of a taxi rank where taxis will be parked next to the site in the mornings and in the afternoons.
“At this stage, there’s no clear indication as to what the city is proposing to do with this piece of property. There’s no formal lessee on record. But this is clearly not a status quo that can be allowed to continue. With the new development going on across the road, this is not an ideal situation, and it needs to be addressed by the city.”
The trustees of Oxford Court, whose residential complex shares a boundary wall with Erf 139, said they have had the unfortunate experience of witnessing the gradual dilapidation of Erf 139.
“It is symptomatic of the general trend of neglect for maintenance of infrastructure that appears to be far too common around the city of Johannesburg,” the trustees said.
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“What was intended as a paid parking lot has, over the course of three to five years, stopped operating and closed, been vandalised and left vulnerable to the takeover by opportunistic criminal elements. At present it lies in a state of decay with weeds overgrown, broken windows and hawkers and taxis encroaching on the premises.”
They added that as a result, they thought it would be necessary to intervene, and at a recent general meeting, they proposed to JPC to take over the management of Erf 139 and operate it for its intended purposes.
“With this mandate in hand, the trustees engaged the Johannesburg Property Company to lease Erf 139 and, naturally, assume responsibility for its maintenance and security, amongst other things.
“Over the course of the past five months, we have attempted to engage the JPC through its designated channels, to no avail. All emails, requests and proposals have been outright ignored by the JPC,” the trustees added.
The publication reached out to JPC spokesperson Lucky Sindane for a comment on May 13, 15, 18, and on May 20. He said he has been struggling to get responses from the project manager but escalated to the CEO. Updates will be provided once they become available.
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