Introduction
We hope everyone is back, rested, and settled in after the festive season and start-of-year reset.
The CRA will be issuing a monthly newsletter to share key updates, celebrate the wins we achieve together, and provide transparency on the work currently underway across Craighall Park and surrounding areas.
The CRA welcomes our new Ward Councillor, Renate van Onselen, and we appreciate her willingness to engage constructively and get things done. We look forward to working together in a practical, solutions-driven way to improve service delivery, safety, and the quality of our public spaces.
As always, the CRA’s work is driven by community support, and growing our paid-up membership remains a priority. If you value what we do, please consider joining as a member and encouraging your neighbours to do the same.
Town Planning: Two important wins for residential protection
This month delivered two meaningful outcomes that reinforce the importance of active, organised civic participation and the role of Residents’ Associations in protecting residential amenity.
Illovo consent-use refused (again)
We are pleased to report that the City has refused (for a second time) the consent-use application relating to Portion 1 of Erf 119 Illovo (“Place of Amusement”). While the CRA was not directly involved in this matter, we are aware of the outcome and welcome the City’s firm stance.
This decision also resonates strongly with our own experience locally, where we have seen consent-use applications pushed well beyond what is reasonable for established residential areas.
The CRA supports appropriate, responsible development in the right locations. However, we will continue opposing opportunistic and predatory applications that undermine residential amenity and steadily erode the quality of life of residents.
Parkhurst Bowls Club development application withdrawn
In another significant planning outcome, we have received notification that the town planner responsible for the previous Parkhurst Bowls Club development application has withdrawn the application completely and will be submitting a new one.
This is a win for civic society. The CRA, together with Parkhurst, Greenside, Parktown North, Melville and other RAs, objected not because we oppose development, but because the proposal was overreaching, poorly substantiated, and inappropriate for the site.
Key concerns included the scale of the proposal (effectively consuming most of the public space), the ecological sensitivity of the area, and the lack of proper environmental work. The environmental documentation presented was superficial and devoid of the data required for a development of that magnitude, particularly given the spruit environment and flood-sensitive conditions.
We support sustainable and lawful development that improves public spaces and safety. We also note the strong engagement from CRA residents on this matter after we shared the update with the community. It is encouraging to see residents taking an active interest in what is happening in neighbouring suburbs.
The City should be enabling responsible development outcomes for public land and green spaces, not facilitating exploitation through low municipal lease arrangements and weak technical substantiation.
Our approach: not anti-development, but firmly against overreach
The CRA cannot object to everything, and we do not attempt to. We take a considered approach, supported by professional town planning advice, and we focus our efforts where there is a realistic prospect of success and where the impacts on the suburb are material.
If you are planning to develop in Craighall Park, we encourage early engagement. Engage with the CRA before submitting plans. It is always better to resolve concerns upfront than to force conflict through formal objection processes.
Park & Public Space Clean-ups: Action taken, enforcement still required
The CRA continues to engage the relevant City departments and stakeholders to the extent that we receive responses and meaningful cooperation. However, we cannot stand back and wait while public spaces deteriorate — we will continue taking practical action to improve the condition and safety of our parks and public spaces.
Delta Park – Pitcairn Road entrance clean-up
Following the Pitcairn Road entrance clean-up at Delta Park (previously reported), the area has improved significantly and major deterioration has been cleared. This remains important work, particularly given that Johannesburg City Parks is mandated to maintain these spaces but has not done so consistently.
However, the area remains impacted by unlawful occupation and informal activity, including vagrants and informal traders who make fires and cook on site. This presents ongoing safety, health and environmental risks. We are actively engaging JMPD and are awaiting clear feedback and enforcement action.
Athole Park (Craighall) east of Jan Smuts (near Burnside Island) – reclaiming the space
We also completed the Athole Park clean-up (previously reported) in collaboration with Bubele Africa and Friends of Delta. This forms part of a new phase initiative to reduce overgrowth, improve visibility, and “take back” public spaces to strengthen security and reduce concealment opportunities for crime. These clean-ups also included the removal of alien vegetation.
Please note: rubble removal and vegetation disposal come at a direct additional cost. Donations are appreciated and needed to keep this work going.
This work is being coordinated with CAP Security, and we have formally engaged JMPD and City Parks. Despite reaching out more than a week ago, we are still awaiting meaningful action and support on the ground.
Of serious concern is the emergence of temporary structures/shacks near the Rattray Weir / Conrad Drive area, which are unlawful and contrary to applicable by-laws. The CRA is pursuing this urgently through the correct municipal channels.
Security update: public spaces, patrols, and practical prevention
The CRA’s clean-up work is closely linked to safety outcomes, and our security partner CAP has been exceptionally active through a busy December and January.
A key observation from recent incident reporting is that many affected households were not subscribed to CAP, nor to any security provider. Unfortunately, weak or absent security installations and poor response capability do not only impact individual homes — they increase vulnerability for the broader area.
We encourage residents to support CAP. If you are already with another security company, that is absolutely fine. However, please consider subscribing to CAP’s Public Space Protector (in addition to your current armed response), which helps fund patrols and monitoring of the parks and open spaces where criminals often move through. This contribution is also Section 18A compliant, which means it can support a tax deduction.
Our public spaces require proactive protection. SAPS capacity is limited, and municipal enforcement resources are often stretched, which is why community-driven security support is essential.
Scout Hall (Buckingham / Hamilton): fencing and access control improvements
We have also received approval to reinstate and improve fencing and security at the Scout Hall (Buckingham / Hamilton). This project will commence soon.
Access times and controls will be driven by applicable by-laws. Going forward, no vehicle access will be allowed from that side to the horse paddock unless authorised by City Parks, and CAP will manage access. This area has been identified as a crime hotspot and requires clear, enforceable control measures.
Blue Bridge: paint is not progress — accountability is required
Earlier this week, the CRA attended a site visit at the Blue Bridge together with the Rosebank Killarney Gazette and our new Ward Councillor, Renate van Onselen, to assess progress and engage directly on community concerns.
While some work is visible (including gabions, scaffolding and a fresh coat of paint), the core concerns remain unresolved. The bridge still appears visibly misaligned, and residents are asking the most important question: where is the value of the reported ±R6 million spend?
CRA has repeatedly requested clarity from JRA since early October, including technical confirmation of what was approved, what was executed, and what the final outcome is intended to be. To date, meaningful answers have not been provided.
The CRA’s concerns are not cosmetic — they are structural, safety-related, and long-term:
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Technical scope and accountability: We require the approved technical drawings, scope of work, and confirmation of what JRA has actually delivered versus what was planned.
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Safety and usability: The bridge must be demonstrably safe for cyclists, pedestrians, and equestrian use, not merely improved in appearance.
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Site rehabilitation: The surrounding area looks degraded and poorly rehabilitated, raising concerns that the community will be handed back a “lemon” once contractors demobilise.
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Restoration of associated works: There are open questions around whether items such as the wooden pole fencing will be properly reinstated.
We will continue engaging JRA and the City until we receive proper documentation, transparency on expenditure, and a final outcome that meets the standard residents deserve.
Johannesburg service delivery: a visible decline
It is becoming difficult to ignore what many residents are observing daily: Johannesburg is currently looking the worst it has in more than two years. The empty promises of the current administration have become increasingly evident, most visibly in the CBD, but also in our suburbs. There is a clear “G20 hangover” effect, where temporary clean-ups have faded and the underlying service delivery failures remain.
The CRA continues to engage the City, but urgent movement is needed on basics. We currently have more than 15 open JRA reinstatements in Craighall Park that remain unresolved despite repeated escalation and follow-ups.
A particular concern is the Joburg Water situation on Jan Smuts and Rothesay near The Woods Shopping Centre, which has become a serious and growing problem. We are monitoring this closely and will continue pushing for accountability and resolution.
Civic participation: voter turnout is really voter apathy
With election polling already appearing in the media, we want to raise an important point: this year we are not framing the issue as “voter turnout” — we are calling it what it is: voter apathy.
At last year’s municipal by-election (held following the sad passing of Cllr Martin Williams), voter apathy was approximately 82% — meaning more than 8 out of 10 of your neighbours did not vote. We cannot demand better outcomes if we don’t participate, regardless of what we assume the result will be.
With a local government election expected later this year, now is the time to think seriously about what it will take to get Johannesburg back on track. In the previous local election, voter apathy was still more than 50%. That must change.
Supporting the CRA: help us keep delivering
The CRA remains stable and active, but our effectiveness depends on resident support. If you value the work being done, we encourage you to support the CRA in a practical way.
For R100 per month (the price of a coffee and a croissant), you help fund on-the-ground work, sustained follow-ups, and the behind-the-scenes coordination needed to keep pressure on the City and drive improvements in our neighbourhood.
If you have questions, please contact us. To join as a paid-up member, click the membership link and get involved.