MINUTES FOR THE MEETING OF THE 16th JULY 2025

MINUTES FOR THE MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING OF THE

NEW KILLARNEY-RIVIERA ASSOCIATION

HELD VIRTUALLY OVER THE INTERNET

ON WEDNESDAY 16 JULY 2025 at 18H30

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PRESENT:   Wayne Ford (Killarney Village); Charles Whyte (Beverley Heights); Kim Robinson (Killarney Hills); Nadia Nikakhtar (Killarney Park); Eleanor Huggett (Councillor Ward 73); Ian Morison (Killarney Park); Patrick Maila (Killarney Library); Hawa Hoosen (Mentone Court); Shanti Aboobaker (Bretton Woods); Marion Wheater (Rivera Mansions); Muhammed Mayet (Brenthurst Court); Sharief Quiblier (Killarney Park).

1. WELCOME

• Wayne chaired the meeting. He opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees.

2.  APOLOGIES RECEIVED

• Ismail Randeree (Castlerosse); Tracy Royal (Mediterranean); Kerry Barton-Hobbs (The Rivieras).

3. CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES, AND MATTERS ARISING

• The minutes of the previous meeting have been circulated to all attendees, and have been approved by them. The details thereof were incorporated into the monthly newsletter.

4.  STATUS OF OUR SUBURB, AND LIST OF ISSUES REQUIRING ACTION

• Rezoning application in Riviera –: This applies to a vacant stand in Spinney Road, where a house was demolished a while ago to allow for a block of flats to be built. The flats project has been abandoned, and the ground now stands unused, but with large mounds of rubble. Illegal dumping has been taking place here, rats have been a problem, and homeless people sometimes camp here also. The sooner it is re-developed, the better for the area.
• Some people have an idea to build a mosque and a school (madrassa) on this site. There has long been a Jewish shul just around the corner from this stand, and the Thabo Mbeki Presidential Library is being built just around another corner, so this has never been a purely residential suburb. The two potential problems that have been raised by many people already, is the potential problem of unusual levels of noise, and traffic congestion if people are parking on the street outside. Main Road is not very wide, and it carries a lot of traffic, including large vehicles. Spinney Road is very narrow, and a lot of cars parking on this road will make it very difficult for the residents. Their plan is only to have a maximum of 200 worshippers at any time, and their plans indicate an intention to build 59 parking bays on the site. However, if the number of cars substantially exceeds this at any time, it could cause serious problems.
• A question was also raised about how the mosque officials will control (enforce) the limit of 59 cars, and what will happen if the limit is exceeded.
• A question was also raised about the impact on the electricity supply and the sewerage capacity of the area.
• Library book sale –: This was a big success, and we should celebrate this outcome. We intend to hold another book sale, possibly in the spring, and we will be asking for more books to be donated. We also need more volunteers to assist.
• Pavement and street repairs -: After more than a year of lobbying, the JRA fixed some of the potholes in 2^nd Ave and 2^nd Street and 5^th Street. However, they have not fixed everything that needed fixing, so when it starts to rain again, the potholes will grow back. This work has happened largely because of the diligent reporting and pleading by Charles, helped by our Ward Councillor Eleanor Huggett. Many thanks to Charles and Eleanor, and everyone else who tirelessly reported these issues!
• During this month, Ismail and his team repaired two of the water repair excavations in the 4^th Ave pavement, at the bridge. These are simple and cheap repairs which are easily undone if the municipality needs to reopen the excavations to do further work. However, they make the area look very much better than before. Many thanks to Ismail and his team! The Christina Court Body Corporate donated money toward the cost of these pavement repairs, and we thank them for their contribution as well.
• There are still many other potholes and excavations around Killarney and Riviera, so we need to continue reporting them. In particular, the hole in 10^th Street has been a problem for a long time.
• The NKRA has money ready to do road repairs, but we have been blocked by the JRA. Cllr Huggett is still trying to find a JRA official who is willing to authorise our repairs. It was suggested that the JRA might send a JRA engineer to supervise our work on the day, so as to ensure that all the work is done to their specifications.
• The destroyed crash-barrier in Oxford Road, outside the premises of Moore Accountants, has not yet been repaired. This is an important safety measure. Moore Accountants have offered to do the repair at their own expense, but they need authorisation from JRA. Once again, perhaps the JRA might send a JRA engineer to supervise that work, so as to ensure that the work meets all their specifications.
• We have heard from our neighbours in Saxonwold that the JRA is modifying the illegal taxi-stopping area in Oxford Road, to smooth the traffic flow. They are also looking at adjusting the timing of the traffic lights to allow pedestrians more time to cross Oxford Road, so that they do not get stranded on the island half-way. The problem of the many missing manhole covers is also being reviewed. Our request for cameras to deter cars jumping the red lights, must be referred to the JMPD. The suggestion to create a turning lane from Riviera Road south into Oxford Road, will not be possible because the pavement is not wide enough.
• Some people were recently killed in road-racing incidents in Parkwood. The police and JMPD are now reacting. Cllr Huggett will ask for JMPD to monitor racing on Oxford Road and Riviera Road as well.
• Improving safety on the pavements -: The project to repair the Riviera Road paving is still in progress. However, it was noted that recently the municipality did undertake some repairs to the traffic-lights at the Oxford Road corner, and in the process they dug up all the paving repairs which had been done on the pavement in that corner. It was agreed that all future pavement repairs should be done using bricks or stones or pavers, if at all possible, so that they can be more easily replaced when additional excavations are made.
• Community upliftment initiatives –: “Themba Cleanup Projects” have been working on pavement repairs. They have also done clean-up work on the Newtown Road pavements, where a lot of litter is now being left behind by the recycling people on the grass patch. Ismail is out of town a lot, and he needs volunteers to help him to supervise Themba – this will be mentioned in the next newsletter.
• Bradley has managed to obtain the donation of a large Clearvu fence to replace the stolen palisade fence along the back of Anerley Park, namely the long stretch along the motorway embankment. Many thanks to Bradley for this excellent contribution!
• We still need to install a gate to seal the fence at the 7^th Street parking lot. This project requires authorisation from JCPZ. Nadia and Ward Councillor Huggett will keep trying to get a response from JCPZ.
• All residents will be asked to pay attention to the streetlights, and to report any lights which are not working.
• Community Street Walks -: This is now happening largely in daytime, because of the cold weather. The last weekend walk had 15 people participating.
• NKRA Community Gardens project -: They are still fundraising to build raised beds for the extension of the vegetable gardens. They have also established a wonderful seed library, in the Killarney Library, where aspirant gardeners can get seeds for free.
• Community Policing Forum -: We have not had contact with our SAPS sector manager for some time. Wayne will contact the chairman of the CPF to improve that communication.
• Illegal hawkers, and illegal drinking on pavements -: Things are not improving, despite the cold weather. We need to keep on reporting this to JMPD and the SAPS – sometimes they do respond.

• Killarney Mall refurbishment progress -: This refurbishment plan has been frozen, pending the sale of the Mall to new owners. This will further delay the resolution of the taxi problem for an undefined period. The meeting agreed that we should engage with the media. The objectives would be to keep pressure on the current owners in the hope that they will act faster to sell and disengage, so that we can start working with the new owners as soon as possible. There is also the concern that the new owners may not yet be aware of the taxi issue at all, so this might help to bring it to their attention. Wayne will prepare a draft letter, for comments and suggestions. We need meanwhile to prepare a mailing list of all the appropriate newspapers – including specifically those in the business and property sectors.
• Cllr Huggett mentioned an associate who has recently retired from the municipality, and who is a specialist in the field of municipal property development rules and regulations. Cllr Huggett will ask the lady (Heather) if she is willing to advise us here.
• It was suggested to communicate our concerns to the major tenants of the Mall, who are suffering economically from the lack of support from the local residents, in the hopes that they might be able to bring some soft pressure on the Mall to speed up the sale negotiations as well. Every little bit helps.
• The ward councillor was asked to engage again with the relevant municipal departments. It is highly unlikely that the CoJ will act now to force the seller to undertake a year-long construction project, but it would help to get the CoJ refocused on the issue, so that they hopefully will engage vigorously with the new owners from the outset.

5. NEW ISSUES

• In the 4^th Street Park, a lot of material has accumulated behind the ablution block. Some of this is useful, but some of it is just rubbish, and it will be taken away by Themba shortly. All project managers who have stored materials here, please let us know what you want to keep, so that we don’t dump valuable materials.
• The recycling project run by PikiTup has faltered in places. Cllr Huggett will follow this up with PikiTup.

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The Meeting closed at 20h46

Our next meeting will be held virtually on

WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST 2025 AT 18H30

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PLEASE PASS ON THESE MINUTES TO OTHER RESIDENTS IN YOUR BUILDINGS

City emergency hotline on 011 375 5911

SAPS patrol van – 071 675 6001

If you get no response from the patrol van, please call 10111

Councillor Huggett – by SMS or WhatsApp – 071 785 8068

JMPD call centre hotline number – 080 872 3342

JMPD Control Room – 011 758 9620

JMPD number to report Homeless People camping in the vicinity – 011 490 1538

JMPD number to report Illegal Dumping – 011 490 1684

JMPD number to report Noise Pollution – 011 718 9684

JMPD number to report Illegal Advertising – 011 490 1547

JMPD number to report Illegal Trading – 011 490 1744

JMPD number to report other By-Law issues – 011 490 1684

To report a water leak: 24-hour hotline – 0860 562 874 or 011 688 1699