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JoburgCAN calls for transparent and public process into the possible sale of public parks

In the proposed agenda of the 27 June council meeting in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), several Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) sites were listed as potentially up for sale, causing a large public outcry and requests for further information. These properties included Pirates Sports Club in Greenside, the Killarney Country Club, Mark’s Park in Emmarentia, a building in Zoo Lake Parkview and the Mike’s Kitchen property in Parktown. Due to the vote of no confidence in the speaker of council the matters were not tabled and have been sent back to the section 79 committee for amendments before possibly being tabled again.

In response to a circulating petition and multiple requests for clarity, JoburgCAN has engaged the JPC and City officials to try and understand the process and how we can protect our green spaces from development.

The CoJ and the JPC are tabling a motion before council to get approval for a public participation process into the use of Mark’s Park. This is necessary in terms of City policy when a property is valued over R10 Millon. According to the amended JPC report, the lease between the Mark’s Park club expires in 19 years and is for an annual rental of R49.

The Mark’s Park club house is a heritage property and its maintenance and use needs to be protected. It is not for the City to decide alone how this happens and therefore the call for the participation process. Whether it is to be used as a sports ground and what auxiliary uses are allowed are also not for the City to dictate. If and when the process is approved, an official window for public participation is gazetted and widely publicised, and users, residents and interested parties will be invited to put forward what they believe should be the function of this area. The current zoning is for recreational use, as the land was gifted to the City for that purpose in 1944. One of the issues on which public comment should be sought is whether the property should be managed under a lease by JPC or sold with the current zoning to maintain that use. The notice to be tabled before council is not a notice of sale or a notice of development. It is a request to go forward with asking the public if the space is being used to its maximum benefit right now, and what should be considered to maximise that benefit.

However, JoburgCAN is concerned about the miscommunication and misinformation around the future of Mark’s Park, which could derail an educated pushback against alienation of open spaces. There is no immediate sale of the land proposed. It also does not affect the larger portion such as the Emmarentia Dam, Melville Koppies or the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens. As the Mark’s Park club is listed as a consolidated property of the wider portion, the entire footprint is mentioned if a segment is to be divided out for potential sale or long lease.

There is no formal process through which we can raise objections and comments  yet. If and when a public participation process is opened, we will represent our affiliated members, which are made up of residents’ associations and businesses across the City, as to what the process is and assist with comments.

From the report we see no application for development of student housing, a medical facility in terms of a hospital or the likes, a shopping mall or even a change of its use from a sports club. When there is a public process, we urge residents to get involved and state clearly what they as the users and benefactors of this space want to see the area used for. You as the resident’s will have every opportunity to clearly say do not change a thing, or that the club should be a community-owned asset that a collective could manage as a club in trust for example. The medical facilities mentioned in the report noting that additional physios, first responder or related sporting professionals may be a development that is needed to run a holistic sports club space that has wider use by the community, not just sports fields, but that should be commented on in the public participation phase.

We genuinely understand the lack of trust and the deficit of goodwill from residents towards the City and its processes, given other developments like the proposed use of the former Parkhurst Bowling Club to become a retail centre, taxi rank and housing development against the public open space zoning. There has been years of flagrant disregard for the will of the residents that has got us to this point. While JoburgCAN understands the stance of many of its members to not have any proposals of this nature tabled, we always call for transparency and for the City to follow its processes, which technically is what is happening with this application. The sensitive negotiations between tenants and the JPC at other sites mentioned in reports heading to council need to be respected so they can maintain their investment and use of long-standing clubs or bodies. Interference in this moment could do more harm.

At this time, and with the facts in front of us, it does not yet appear that a sale is imminent or a large built environment development being touted for Mark’s Park.

We remain a watchdog of clean and transparent local government and will support the residents of the City to make sure their best interests are maintained on this issue.

We warn against misinformation. Instead, we urge residents, businesses, councillors and civil society to keep careful watch on this process and ensure that the correct legal processes are followed and, if this matter goes further, to ensure that they engage in the public participation process.

Julia Fish – Regional Manager JoburgCAN