The plight of the Soweto Homemakers community - Part 1

Soweto Homemakers is a community of some 200 households living in what remains of the Jabavu Expo Centre in Jabavu Extension 2, Soweto. This expo centre was built in 1984 to house the Soweto Homemakers Festival which began the previous year in Mofolo Park as a joint venture between the Soweto Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI) and Adele Lucas Promotions (ALP). After years of mismanagement and corruption the property fell into disrepair and the residents have been trying to establish tenure of the land, without success. The situation cries out for a radical solution and hope is around the corner.

ALP raised approximately R5 million in cash and donations which were channelled through the SCCI Trust, formed to run the affairs of the festival and its beneficiaries. The trust entered into a 99 year lease with the Soweto local council giving it rights of occupancy for business and entertainment usage.

Artists Impression of the Jabavu Expo Centre, 1984

The expo centre comprised a series of structures designed to house small businesses and to provide space for exhibitors taking part in the festival, which ran in September and October for 5 weeks. In 1985, to make the most of the buildings and to ensure they were not vacant during the rest of the year, the trust rented out the buildings to these small businesses who turned them into permanent premises.                                                                                                                      The dilapidated remains of the buildings

The Festival again took place in September 1985 but for the last time. The management of the trust began to deteriorate, and many of the tenants stopped paying rent due to a suspicion that the trust was misusing the income. Accusations of malpractice and embezzlement began to be levelled at the trust. In the late 1990s many of the businesses began to move out and their premises were occupied by homeless people. A dispute over electricity supply and payment led the Johannesburg city council to disconnect the power, and from 2006 the site has been without electricity, refuse collection, sewerage and flush toilets.

Notwithstanding the privations the community now endures, its members demonstrate a fierce loyalty to their place of residence and have sought relief from the City and a long term solution to their problems. Evan after a series of petitions, meetings with successive mayors (Masondo and Tau) and the Speaker of Council, meetings with the local ANC councillor and repeated attempts to be heard, they remain a forgotten and neglected community.

In 2008 the Johannesburg Property Company released a development plan for Jabavu Ext 2 which provided for residential units, business premises, retail and recreational facilities. It did this without fully consulting the community. Threats of eviction were thrown about but the community held firm. The development plan was withdrawn.

With a deep sense of disgruntlement, in June 2013 leaders of the community approached me in my capacity as MD of ALP. The community believes we have proprietorial rights over the property because of our role in building it back in 1984. I agreed to see what I could do to assist them in their plight, including making a financial contribution to their weekly soup kitchen which feeds up to 50 needy people.

Then, in August the Joburg Property Company issued a new tender to redevelop the site. It has apparently been awarded but the identity of the successful bidder remains a mystery. Members of the community and I met with the City's mayoral committee member for Housing, Cllr Bovu, in December seeking answers. He promised a speedy response but to date none has been received. Why are we not surprised?

The issue at stake is the residents’ tenuous occupancy rights. They have no title to the property and the trust, which should have safeguarded the community, has not functioned for years. The apparent willful negligence of the City council and its inability and or unwillingness to seek a long term solution has created an intolerable situation in the lives of over 200 people. The standoff between leading members of the community, who are members of the Democratic Alliance, and the local ANC councillor has not helped matters.

All is not lost, however, and hope is around the corner. For the second installment of this story tune in this time next week!