EXECUTIVE Mayor Amos Masondo was joined by members of his mayoral committee on a tour of Region B, stopping off at 11 different places to see firsthand the success stories in the region and understand better the challenges it faces.

It was an early start on Wednesday, 8 August, with Masondo and his councillors gathering at the Metro Centre in Braamfontein at 6am for the tour. It kicked off with a short presentation by the regional director, Vusumuzi Mavuso, who said that every site would have a success or a challenge, which he would explain.

The group visited Vrededorp; Zamimpilo; Pennyville; Bosmont Spruit; Industria; Newclare; the Jerusalem housing development; Surrey Street, in Ferndale; the pedestrian bridge at Braamfontein Spruit; Randburg central business district (CBD); and Melville.

Six of the stops were success stories; the rest fell under the challenges category. A mix of emotions greeted the visitors, as the tour gave the City an opportunity to hear the community's comments.

Vrededorp
First stop was Vrededorp, which was known affectionately as Fietas. It was a hotspot of illegal dumping, where its vacant stands were used as rubbish dumps. "The open stands are very important to us … positive things can come out of [a piece of land] and [they] will be redeveloped," Mavuso said.

A walkabout in Zamimpilo informal settlement, situated on council-owned land in Riverlea Extension 3, was the next stop. Although it was

home to about 12 000 people, Mavuso said the area was not suitable for human habitation.

The City's housing department and the  City of Joburg Property Company (JPC) were busy moving the residents to a newly developed settlement in Pennyville, the next stop on the road show.

"During [August] we will be relocating about 50 beneficiaries a week; to relocate everybody it will take us another six months," said Walter Melato, the projects director in the housing department.

The new homes in Pennyville are painted in rich earth colours

Residents who did not qualify for houses or who had not applied for houses, were still a challenge, but provisions were being made for them. They would also be moved and would share flats that could accommodate four people.

"Most of these non-qualifiers are single people and they will stay in fours," said Uhuru Nene, the executive director of the housing department.

The residents were very excited about the move and repeatedly asked the mayor the exact date it would happen. The new Reconstruction and Development Programme houses appeared to be well built and, unlike many other homes, were painted in beautiful earth tones.

In Bosmont Spruit, illegal dumping of chemical waste was a challenge, not least because in the rainy season chemicals flowed into the spruit. However, Region B's managers would work with Johannesburg Water and other stakeholders to solve the problem.

On the drive to Industria, it was noted that the roads were deteriorating because of the heavy traffic. Region B envisaged an initiative focusing on developing programmes specifically aimed at rehabilitating the area.

Newclare
Stopping in Newclare, the visitors took part in the official renaming of Mayor Avenue to Rahima Moosa Avenue, after the late activist. Moosa was one of the leaders of the 1956 Women's March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The mayor cut the ribbon, marking the renaming.

It was a short ceremony, with learners from Bosmont Muslim School singing two versions of the national anthem - the usual South African one and an Arabic version.

Natasha Jaset, Moosa's daughter, gave an emotional speech, speaking about her mother's legacy. "In May 1993, one year before we attained our freedom, sadly my mother passed away. Thank you for honoring my mother and letting her legacy live on."

"Rahima Moosa endured a lot; let the march in 1956 be a guiding light when you encounter challenges, especially women - we are born champions," said Teresa van der Merwe, the ward 82 councillor.

The family was presented with a portrait of Moosa, with Masondo saying it was a way of showing appreciation "for what our comrades did for us to enable us to get to where we are today".

Next up was the housing development in Jerusalem. Work is expected to begin on the 9,5ha site in September, where 187 residential units would be built. It is a project of the Johannesburg Property Company and the City's housing department.

Surrey Street
Leaving Jerusalem, the tour headed for Surrey Street in the suburb of Ferndale.

Here the visitors stopped off at a vacant piece of land that has been taken over by informal settlers, living in shacks made of cardboard and plastic. The City is looking into finding ways to assist.

Talking developments: Region B's director Vusumuzi Mavuso

From there, they headed for Braamfontein Spruit. With the safety of residents in mind, Johannesburg Roads Agency built two pedestrian bridges over the river, making for easier crossing. There had been no safe way for walkers to cross between the northern suburbs of Victory Park and Parkhurst, other than a long detour.

Moving to the Randburg CBD, the visitors learned that the area had been revitalised through developing markets for informal traders who had previously traded outside the taxi rank.

The markets were built on Hendrik Verwoerd Drive and Hans Strijdom Drive, which have been renamed Bram Fischer Drive and Malibongwe Drive, respectively.

Ending the tour with a drive through the trendy suburb of Melville, the officials heard that the City believed it had the potential to become a cultural hub. "There is so much going on in the area - night clubs, pubs, restaurants and guest houses," Mavuso said.

It would be a good place for visitors to the 2010 Fifa World Cup to spend their leisure time. "They have stunning food; I've been there a couple of times before."

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