Another day, another crisis courtesy of the City of Joburg

In mid-2023 I was standing in the parking area of Northwards (Herbert Baker’s imposing mansion perched on the edge of Parktown Ridge) and looking down into the expectant face of Flo Bird – the diminutive but indomitable founder of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation (JHF). She was about to turn 80 and had just asked me if I would take over from her as the new chair of the JHF. Although Flo’s shoes would be hard to fill, I said yes. After all, how hard could it be?

Well, since then the JHF has been thrust into an escalating series of heritage-related crises including: the tragic Usindiso fire, the indefinite closure of the Johannesburg City Library, the degeneration of the Johannesburg Art Gallery, the derelict Rissik Street Post Office, the neglected Bez Valley farmhouse (oldest building in Joburg), the vulnerable Orange Grove Waterfall, the abandonment of the Metro Centre and its vital plans archive, and many other important heritage sites at risk – all of which are owned and/or managed by the City of Johannesburg and its various agencies.

It’s been… a lot.

Along the way I have been heartened by the support of like-minded civil society organisations, passionate individuals and the JHF’s dedicated members – all of whom display a very special devotion to this city of gold, dust and dreams. However, when it comes to dealing with the City of Johannesburg’s administration, the situation has been far more challenging.

To my mind, each time we have approached the City with a pressing issue, the response has been in two distinct phases. The first is to deny, distract and delay. As in: thanks for your interest, we have the situation under control. Nothing to see here. Move along. This attitude might be understandable if the administration had a good track record of delivery, but they do not.

The second phase kicks in once the negative attention has become too much to bear and the City finally rushes into a usually ill-advised action plan, whereupon they seek congratulations for solving problems of their own making.

This brings us to the latest chapter in the long-gestating crisis regarding the Metro Centre and the irreplaceable plans archive contained therein. To be clear, since the Metro Centre was suddenly closed in September 2023 with no warning or credible planning, the COJ has been alerted multiple times by multiple organisations that the records contained in the now-abandoned Metro Centre are at severe risk of loss, damage or destruction. They have also been told, in writing, that access to a functioning plans archive is a legal requirement for homeowners, property developers, estate agents and architects, etc. And yet, in two and half years there has been little to no progress in this regard.

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Now, with mounting pressure being applied by the JHF, the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance and other stakeholders (not to mention the damning video material being distributed by a certain opposition mayoral candidate), the City has finally conducted a joint oversight visit to the Metro Centre and found that yes, indeed, there are “serious concerns regarding the condition in which files and plans are being stored”. This is hardly a revelation.

The City’s latest media statement goes on to outline a plan to pursue “a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in consultation with National Treasury” and to facilitate the “appointment of a Transaction Advisor to undertake a feasibility study as part of the broader Office Space Optimisation Programme”.

This is all well and good, and we have also noted the City’s promise to provide additional security and to “allow controlled daily access during designated periods”, but the process described is going to take a long time to conclude. What is going to happen to the disorganised and vulnerable plans archive in the interim? Large repositories of this nature need constant maintenance and upkeep or else they become degraded.

Furthermore, in our experience, the City of Johannesburg’s appeal for PPPs when it comes to the redevelopment of heritage assets is based on unrealistic expectations. As the JHF, we have previously suggested potential solutions to various issues (often with offers of funding from private/corporate donors attached). These approaches have been either rejected with instructions to “stay in our lane” or made subject to onerous compliance regulations that are impractical and time-consuming.

It is time for the City of Johannesburg to acknowledge that any PPP or donor-funded intervention comes with conditions in terms of collaborative decision-making, independent oversight and financial transparency. No reputable organisation or institute is going to hand over money with no strings attached – that’s just not how it works.

To put it bluntly, if the City really wants to engage with private and philanthropic partners, they need to relinquish a degree of control and embrace the true spirit of collaboration by granting their would-be partners equal rights and mutual respect. Without this concession there is no way forward.

When it comes to the Metro Centre, the JHF continues to insist that the plans archive must be relocated and rebuilt in a safe and accessible location as a matter of extreme urgency. There is no more time to waste while waiting for feasibility studies and other arcane bureaucratic procedures to play out.

Looking back at all that has transpired since that fateful conversation with Flo Bird at Northwards in 2023, I am reminded of the Greek myth of Sisyphus, the king who angered the gods and was cursed with an eternity of rolling a heavy rock up a hill only for it to roll back down every time he neared the summit. But as frustrating as the process has been at times, we have had considerable successes (such as the reopening of the City Library following a public protest campaign) and I have personally learnt a lot, for which I am thankful.

Mostly, I have been encouraged by all the people and organisations who are committed to making Joburg a great city once again. I firmly believe that with the right people in our corner, we can achieve our goals for the common good of the city we love. I only wish it weren’t this hard! DM

David Fleminger is a freelance writer, director and chairperson of the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation – an independent, self-funded, volunteer-led organisation that seeks to promote and protect our city’s invaluable heritage resources. For more information about the JHF and the work it does, visit www.joburgheritage.org.za