The following is an extract from a paper by Art Historian Professor Alexander Duffey in which he explores the many artists who contributed in one way or another to establish the Union Buildings as an important icon, not only of Pretoria, but also South Africa. These artists can be grouped into two distinct categories: those who contributed directly to the embellishment of the buildings and their surroundings and those who made representations of the buildings and their surroundings.
A large number of artists produced paintings, etchings and drawings of the impressive Union Buildings and through their work helped to make these buildings known worldwide and establish them as one of South Africa’s important architectural icons. The earliest known representation of the buildings are a number of watercolour perspective paintings by the architect, Herbert Baker, dating from June 1909. The most impressive is the water colour painting present in MuseumAfrica, which was also used in etch-form for the cover of the commemorative programme for the laying of the cornerstone by the Duke of Connaught on 26 November 1910.
The well-known South African painter, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef (1886-1957) had a very long association with the kopje known as Meintjieskop, on which the Union Buildings were built. It always occupied a very prominent position in his oeuvre. In the more than 70 known artworks depicting Meintjieskop and the construction of the Union Buildings there, which he made between 1905 and 1948, he seems to reject the placement of these buildings on the well-known hill. He considered Meintjieskop as an important landmark of the old Republican Pretoria and regularly featured it as subject matter in his paintings. He did not support the Imperialist ideas of Botha and Smuts at that time and rejected the idea of erecting such buildings in Pretoria.
During 1912 and 1913 Pierneef was very active with making drawings and paintings of the Union Buildings in progress. In total about 20 of these paintings have survived. The earliest painting is a crayon and pencil drawing. It shows the Union Buildings from a low angle with the emphasis on a sun-lit worker’s hut on the right. In the foreground a worker loads a trolley and in the background behind the hut the gantries tower above the Union Buildings in progress. With this work it seems Pierneef wanted to emphasise the chaos on the building site and the way the natural environment was being spoilt by the construction.
Pierneef’s documentation of the Union Buildings stressed all aspects of the disappearance of the old. In his numerous drawings he shows that Meintjieskop, as the people of Pretoria knew it, was going to be changed forever and with it was to come a new era of mechanization. A crayon drawing dated about the middle of 1912, shows the three large steam driven cranes used in the construction of the Union Buildings. The main emphasis is on the chaotic stacks of Portland stone, floor tiles, heaps of sand and the polluting steam crane on the right.
In the period from 1913 to 1948 Pierneef continually returned to represent Meintjieskop and the Union Buildings in one way or another and there are at least 29 artworks from this period. A rather contraversial painting in the Pretoria Art Museum, entitled Apiesrivier, Pretoria met Meintjieskop agter was created in 1948 and shows the winding Apies River running in a gully from the foreground to Meintjieskop in the background. The work, painted in the year the Nationalist Government came to power, shows Meintjieskop as it looked prior to 1910, without the politically unacceptable Union Buildings on it.
When Erich Meyer came to Pretoria in 1911, Pierneef accompanied him on painting trips to Meintjieskop, where the Union Building were under construction, and there Mayer completed a number of paintings.
By the 1920’s the Union Buildings had become a popular theme in paintings of Pretoria and views of these buildings were produced by artists such as S.F Naude, Thomas Leighton, H.M. Pemberton, David Canty, Sydney Carter, Johan Marais and Willem Goosen.
In later years many artists painted views of Pretoria and invariably used scenes showing the Union Buildings to identify their cityscapes. A very good example is the 1959 painting Street Scene, Marabastad by the Durban artist, Geoffrey Charlesworth.
Right from the start, the Union Buildings were destined to become an icon of Pretoria and South Africa, not only because of their impressive significance as the seat of government in the north, but also because of the architect’s attention to craftmanship and detail, his free borrowing of architectoral styles, his request to use local materials and his gift to extract all that is symbolically significant and synthesize it into an impressive unit of exceptional monumental grandeur.Those artists who over the years directly contributed to the embellishment of the Union Buildings, as well as the many who later created artworks of these magnificent buildings, all helped to confirm and cement their iconoc status for generations to come.
(A complete version of this paper is available for perusal on the ARRA website: www.arra.co.za)
We decided to hold our annual market a little earlier this year on 27 March and to combine it with the ARRA AGM as we were unsure of what Covid restrictions would be in place later in the year.
It was a very well attended event and as usual everyone enjoyed being out in the fresh air, chatting to neighbours and friends and the children of course had lots of fun with a special Easter egg hunt, games and Junior MasterChef.
At the AGM the ARRA Executive Committee was relected unopposed. The members are as follows:
Chairperson:
Vice-Chairperson:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Sub-committee Chairs:
Planning & Zoning:
Heritage:
Environment & Recycling:
Crime & Security:
Service Delivery:
Ward & Electoral:
Membership & Fundraising:
Scout Hall:
Ms Linda Tyrrell
Mr Flor Healy
Mr Francois Burger
Ms Helen Rakotomalala
Ms Ina Roos
Ms Linda Tyrrell, Mr Claus Schutte and Mr Anton van Vollenhoven
Ms Rita Burger
Mr Flor Healy
Mr Peter Blersch
Mr Francois Burger
Ms Penny Blersch
Ms Christelle Engelbrecht and all Sub-committees.
All these members will serve on the Management Committee. Members of the community were encouraged to volunteer to become part of the sub-committees, where the bulk of the association’s work is carried out.
ARRA Committee members were invited to be present at Venning Park late in April for an inspection of the park by the Tshwane Executive Mayor, Mr Randall Williams. Walking through the park to the meeting point, Linda Tyrrell (ARRA Chairperson) and Ina Roos were shocked to see the state of the park from up close. Vagrants had taken over all the buildings and were cooking, washing and creating an absolute mess in our formerly lovely “Rosarium” which, according to SA Venues, is filled with 3 000 rosebushes. None of these were evident on our visit.
In a short address to those present in front of the former restaurant, Linda said the Arcadia residents were happy that, after the deterioration which the park had suffered during the past 11 years, action was finally being taken by the City of Tshwane to give one of Tshwane’s crucial amenities back to residents. The following was reported in the Pretoria News of 26 April 2021.
Tyrrell said for years they have had to watch the three-hectare park, which featured a rose garden, date palms and a beautiful tea garden, being stripped and vandalised to the point where crime and prostitution had taken over completely. She said what used to be a place where many residents who lived in high-rise apartments and flats could visit to unwind was now a danger to them as many unsavoury elements had taken over.
She said repeated calls for action had fallen on deaf ears and owing to a lack of maintenance and visibility by the metro police, things had taken a turn for the worse.
“Open spaces are very important, especially for those living in flats because they also need time out from being in an enclosed space. These places give them the opportunity to take their children out, and now they cannot because they get threatened by criminals and homeless people who have taken refuge there.
It’s not just this park ... many parks in the city are in a bad state, including the Springbok Park in Hatfield, which used to be a venue where many people would go and take wedding photographs.”
Tyrrell said it would take a mammoth effort to bring parks back to their former glory but they hoped the City would remain steadfast. She urged the City to consider repairing the boundary fencing and perhaps locking the park at night to prevent people from entering and destroying the infrastructure.
The plan to clean up the park follows a visit by Mayor Randall Williams and a team of officials, who criticised the state of the once beautiful space and the fact that no effort was being made to restore and protect it, despite the criminal elements it harboured.
On a visit to the park over the weekend, Pretoria News found City of Tshwane officials already on site, cutting down overgrown trees and clearing the walkways around the park. Two Tshwane Metro Police Department officials were also seen monitoring activities at the park.
Ward 92 Councillor Leanne de Jager said they were pleased that Venning Park would finally be restored after the call for the vandalism, theft and lack of maintenance of the historic park to be addressed.
De Jager said they were pleased that, following the oversight visit by Williams last Monday, the Metro Police had removed more than 30 wrongdoers from the park, and put a stop to illegal occupation by replacing all locks to the outbuildings and repairing the gates.
Furthermore, she was happy that the area would be patrolled by the Metro Police daily, and any wrongdoers found at the park would be arrested in terms of the Criminal Procedure Act.
“Preserving this historic park is particularly significant in that former president Nelson Mandela used to have tea there when he was the president of South Africa. We will not allow such a precious heritage site to be left to go to waste due to negligence,” De Jager said.
In January 2021, the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipal Council (CTMM) adopted a ‘Adopt – a – spot’ policy (See Arcadian December 2019) which set out a programme which invited the public - inclusive of individuals, businesses and institutions – to partner with the municipality in maintaining properties zoned as open spaces. The idea is to encourage the public to take care of the environment by removing illegal dumping, cutting grass, the removing of alien vegetation and performing overall management and maintenance of open areas relating to parks and open spaces.
The public will be allowed in terms of this policy - to maintain and manage open spaces for a period of up to two years and eleven months and they will undertake this work at their own expense. There will be no cost implications for the municipality.
An application will have to be made on a prescribed form which can be accessed at www.tshwane.gov.za Certain administrative criteria will have to be complied with and the policy will be implemented in phases. Phase 1 has already passed and those interested will be eligible to apply for the next phase. The involvement of the public in ‘adopting - a- spot’ will contribute towards making the City a cleaner and greener living area.
Another positive recent development was the approval of the promulgation in May 2021 by the Tshwane Council of a City of Tshwane Air Quality Management By-law (See Arcadian December 2019). The approach in this by-law is to support national environmental legislation and move away from a source-based air quality management approach to an ambient or surrounding atmosphere quality approach. Another major change has been to devolve the responsibility for air quality management from national to local government level.
The Tshwane Air Quality Management By-law sets out in detail local standards for emissions which include motor vehicle emissions, small boilers, dust control, open burning, the burning of tyres and rubber products, pesticide spray emissions, emissions that cause a nuisance and spray-painting emissions.
The by-law was formulated following a community participation process and runs to forty pages excluding annexures. The by-law also provides for offences and penalties including the removal and impounding of goods, and a prison sentence up to two years or both a fine and imprisonment.
The passing of this by-law is another positive development complementing the adopt a spot policy - contributing towards making the City a quieter, cleaner and greener living area.
It is with great sadness that we learnt of the sudden death of Clive Napier due to Covid complications. Clive showed a great interest in our suburb and made a valuable contribution at ARRA meetings. He will be sorely missed.
CLIVE NAPIER (1950 – 2021): A TRIBUTE
Long-serving Tshwane City Councillor Clive Napier died on Tuesday 6 July 2021 as a result of complications arising from contracting the COVID-19 virus. On Youth Day, 16th June, he spent the day canvassing for his political party, the DA, in Atteridgeville but went down with COVID a few days later. Initially, the infection seemed mild, and Clive responded to treatment. Unfortunately, he took a turn for the worse and was admitted to Groenkloof Life Hospital (formerly The Little Company of Mary) where he passed away in the early evening of 6 July.
Anne and I first met Clive, nearly fifty years ago, when we were all students at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg and Clive valiantly kept the flag of the then United Party flying among apathetic, disinterested or mildly hostile students. Over his career Clive migrated from the UP to the NRP to the PFP which eventually became the DA. Our friendship survived absences, overseas sojourns and the odd political difference, but was reignited it when we ended up in Pretoria in a suburb not too far distant from Groenkloof. Shortly after our arrival we had our first run in with the city council and Clive was the councillor we turned to and he was able to sort the problem of double billing out for us. He was a regular supper guest at which much wine was consumed and the chaos, both local and in the world at large, was roundly debated.
Clive was born in Boksburg on the East Rand, but grew up mainly in Natal, attending the Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg. Working his way through university, Clive graduated from the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg (now UKZN University), majoring in Political Science. He then worked at a variety of jobs to save up money to travel to the USA where he studied for a Masters Degree in Political Science at George Washington University in Washington DC. Returning to South Africa he worked briefly as an archivist at the then Natal Archives (where we were colleagues), before lecturing at the University of Transkei (now part of Walter Sisulu University). From there he moved to Johannesburg where he worked for the Institute of Race Relations, among other jobs, before beginning his long academic career at UNISA and moving to Pretoria.
Clive completed his doctoral degree at UNISA and was appointed to a professorship in the Political Science Department. After his retirement from the university, he became a Research Fellow and continued his research work as well as being actively involved in public affairs.
Clive was elected as a City Councillor in 2000 and served both as a ward councillor and as a list councillor during his four terms on the metropolitan city council. He was always focused on the interests of his ward and voters without neglecting the broad interests of the whole city. He was always available to the ratepayers and to the residents associations, supporting them, attending meetings, and providing them with information. This last-mentioned characteristic was immensely helpful, as all too often getting information out of council officials or can be a major and lengthy exercise.
A serious-minded, conscientious, discreet person, Clive was dedicated to his work, be it academic, party political or as a public representative, but he still enjoyed a glass of wine and socialising at public and private gatherings such as the annual lecture of the Helen Suzman Foundation, the annual 16 December Dominy Punch ‘n’ Pies Bash, OPERRA AGMs etc. He was a good friend and will be sorely missed.
Graham Dominy
If I could send a homemade meal to my 86-year old mom today, it would be a warm cottage pie. The steamy butternut topping would be a surprise for her, because she always made it with mashed potatoes. The handful of red lentils with mince and added protein- and flax seed powder would make every bite count.
She would think: ‘Tasty, easy to chew and digest, quick to prepare and possible to freeze the left-overs…’ After she enjoyed the cottage pie with some steamed baby marrows, she would pick up the phone and ask me for the recipe.
Living alone, staying on track with her budget while choosing well-balanced meals, requires creative planning, experimenting and some time-saver options.
Here are some ideas we have discovered that can work for her:
- A BLENDER is a handy investment because nutrient-dense, easy-to-chew-meals are becoming a priority.
- A smoothie can be a nutritious meal-in-a-glass. Made with fresh fruit, carrots, yoghurt, protein powder and peanut or nut butters - diluted with fresh fruit juice. A multi-vitamin and mineral powder can add some extra nutrients to a breakfast or mid-day smoothie.
- Milkshakes, made with real ice-cream (sounds like an idea for summer).
- A big pot of vegetable, bean or meaty homemade soup can be enriched with butter, sour cream or olive oil, protein powder and flax seed powder. It can be enjoyed steamy hot and the rest frozen in single portions.
- Delicious sauces can be made creamy, smooth or cheesy in a blender and poured over steamed vegetables, sweet potatoes or grilled meat for extra moisture.
- My mom knows that seasonal fruits and vegetables are usually the best option, but it takes time and effort to cut them up. Frozen vegetables and peeled or pre-prepared food are increasingly becoming part of her menu.
- Easy-to-handle finger food and snacks are fantastic options: chicken strips with a dip, fish pieces with cheese sauce, meat balls, cheese sticks, yoghurt, raw or steamed vegetables - cucumber pieces, thin carrot strips, bell pepper pieces and broccoli.
- Smaller portions of high energy and nutrient-rich food work well, for example avocado, egg, cottage cheese, olive oil, peanut- and nut butters on crackers.
- A regular daily routine and eating 5 small meals at roughly the same time every day helps.
Having to do all of this mostly by herself at the moment must be a challenge. I am eternally grateful for the gift of food and recipes that keep us connected over time and distance and for the warm memory of my mother’s hands preparing thousands of creative meals.
Cheers - with a hot chocolate in front of the fireplace.
www.wehub.co.za (blog)
Nothing says comfort like Cottage Pie and with the added lentils and butternut you have a hearty winner, packed with added protein, fibre and colourful goodness.
MINCE MIXURE
- 4 tsp (20 ml) olive or canola oil
- 500 g lean beef/ostrich or plant-based mince
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tsp (5 ml) chopped garlic
- 250 g mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tsp (10 ml) dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander
- 2 tsp (10 ml) mild mustard
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tsp (15ml) tomato paste
- 1 cup (250 ml) strong Rooibos tea
- ½ cup (125 ml) red lentils, washed
- 3 tsp (15 ml) stock powder (MSG-free)
- black pepper and lemon juice to taste
- 60 ml plant protein powder (optional)
- 3 tsp (15 ml) flax seed powder (optional)
BUTTERNUT TOPPING
- 750 g butternut, peeled and cubed
- ¼ tsp (1,2 ml) salt
- MINCE MIXTURE: Heat half the oil in a large saucepan and fry mince until brown. Spoon out.
- Heat remaining oil in the same pan and fry onions, garlic and mushrooms until soft. Add mince, mixed herbs, coriander, mustard, tomatoes and tomato paste. Reduce the heat and simmer over a low heat, with a lid, for 30 minutes.
- Add tea, lentils and stock powder and simmer with the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until lentils have softened. Season well with lemon juice and pepper. Add protein powder and flax seed powder.
- Preheat the oven to 200 ˚C.
- BUTTERNUT TOPPING: Place butternut and salt in a pot with ¾ cup (180 ml) water. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until just soft. Drain well and lightly mash or crush with a fork.
- Spoon mince mixture into an oven dish, spread butternut on top in an even layer. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
- Serve with a salad or green veggies like pan-fried or steamed broccoli and baby marrow, season with fresh herbs and lemon juice.
Variation for Butternut Topping
- Substitute half of the butternut with sweet potato.
- Substitute the lemon juice with fresh orange juice.
- Add 60 ml chopped fresh coriander.
THE EAST FORT PRETORIA
The remains of the largest fortification built by the British during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) is still to be seen today on Strubenkop in Lynnwood, Pretoria. The site today is a nature reserve managed by the City of Tshwane but apart from the remains of the fort nothing much is left on the hill. It is therefore believed that the reserve was proclaimed to preserve what was left of the building.
The history of the Anglo-Boer War in Pretoria has been quite well documented. It was a war between the two Boer Republics (the Transvaal or Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek and the Orange Free State) and Great Britain. After the British captured Pretoria on 5 June 1900, they erected fortified posts at strategic position all over South-Africa. The main aim was to protect railway lines and other routes as well as to limit the movement of the Boer commandos. The railway lines were of particular importance as illustrated by the fact that the Boers also guarded them when they were still in control thereof.
By January 1901, many blockhouses (small fortifications) had been erected. These were mainly corrugated iron structures (called Rice pattern blockhouses) as these were pre-fabricated and could be built in a short period of time. From March 1901 blockhouses were also placed on other strategic position such as main routes. By January 1902 the blockhouse lines had been completed. It has been calculated that as much as 8 000 blockhouses were eventually completed stretching over a distance of about 6 000 kilometers.
For the British it was of particular importance to protect Pretoria after they had occupied it. Therefore, they built additional fortifications here. Pretoria already had four forts - Fort Klapperkop, Fort Schanskop, Fort Wonderboompoort and Fort Daspoortrand - which were erected by the Boers prior to the War. In order to turn the town into a complete fortified stronghold, the British added to this. As far as what could be determined, more than 100 sone-and-masonry and corrugated iron blockhouses were erected in Pretoria. Most of these did not survive giving heritage significance to those that did.
The fortification built on Strubenkop, was one of these. It is sometimes called the Eastern Redoubt, but the East Fort seems to have been more in use. This is in relation to Fort West, which is name that was given by the British to Fort Daspoortrand, which lies to the west of the city. As the name indicates, the East Fort lies to the east of what would have been the town during the early 1900’s.
Strubenkop was strategically important to safeguard the town from the east. This was already indicated in the strategy of the Boers before the War, as they planned to build a fort here. This however never materialized. Even years before during the Anglo-Transvaal War (1880-1881), when the British was in command in Pretoria, the site was used by them as a signal station and lookout point.
The East Fort was the largest fortification built by the British in Pretoria. All the others were merely blockhouses. It is described as having been built from stone and with a corrugated iron roof. Parts of the walls also were made from corrugated iron with loopholes. From the diaries of British soldiers it is known that the King’s Own Scottish Borderers were involved in the building of the fort. This was done between 15 June and 19 July 1900. It was erected under supervision of Capt. H.B. Jones of the No. 1 Balloon Section of the Royal Engineers. After completion, the fort was manned by Volunteer Company of the 2nd Hampshire Regiment. It was armed with a five inch navy canon.
The fort is currently undergoing archaeological research. Once a year school learners and students join the research team to unearth the walls and associated artefacts. From this it is possible to determine functional areas as well as obtain an idea of the lifestyle of the soldiers stationed here.
Articles appearing in the Arcadian are read far and wide and it is always good to get feedback and more information about the history of Arcadia. This was certainly the case with Mr Alan Munro who contacted our Chairperson, Linda Tyrrell, after the article on Arkleton appeared in the December issue of The Arcadian.
Good morning Linda
Reading the Heritage Portal newsletter this morning I came across their reproduction of the article in the December 2020 issue of the Arcadian concerning Arkleton.
I would very much like to make contact with the author Norman Nel for reasons which follow below and my immediate request to you is to kindly furnish me with his contact details.
John Munro was an elder brother of my grandfather, Hugh Alexander Munro. He and my grandmother Isabella, lived in a home which he built at 196 Pine Street until they moved to Johannesburg to live out their old age with my parents. My father grew up in Pretoria, attended PBHS, and in turn had built a home for himself and his wife Daphne Helen (daughter of Cooper Kirtley who was a very successful railway engineer but suffered a very sad decline after retiring early). My parents’ home at 810 George Avenue was designed by W Gordon MacIntosh. It is possibly the earliest example of his style as one of the founders of an Avant- garde movement. I lived there until age about eight when my father Hector was transferred to Johannesburg by his employer - what was then the Rand Provident Building Society. We were on the north side opposite the middle of the Merton Keep street boundary, two houses east of the Cape Dutch style home of the Reserve Bank Governor (de Kock) and a house or two west of the then American Embassy.
I thought that I had a photograph handy, but I am wrong. I have included one of my paternal grandfather’s home in Pine Street instead, which contrasts quite starkly with his brother’s Arkleton.
Remarkably both houses just mentioned, like Arkleton, still stand today, very little altered and well maintained over the decades.
I met Dr Colijn van Bergen, who was born in Arkleton, on a JHB Heritage excursion to Pretoria and we agreed that I would approach the Indian Embassy staff in an attempt to arrange a visit to the house together. Various and many difficulties on my part have delayed any action for a number of years – a reflection of the lack of opportunity as opposed to lack of enthusiasm.
You might have gathered from the above that I am seriously engaged in researching my family genealogy. I trust that you will not find what I have set out boastful. The prospect of acquiring access to the further detailed information on Arkleton, in particular, is relished.
Kindest regards
Alan Munro
Linda forwarded the above email to the present owner of 196 Pine Street, Deirdre van Biljon, who made contact with Alan Munro to find out more about her home. This was his reply.
It was a wonderful surprise this morning to find your mail, Deirdre, and how kind of Linda to establish the contact.
My memories of 196 are just so happy. My grandparents, Hugh and Isabella, opened their home as widely to us grandchildren as they did their warm hearts. Hugh was very taciturn, as were many of his fellow Scots from the Western Isles. Isabella on the other hand was very talkative, sang quietly to herself whenever alone and knitted constantly if not baking the most delicious scones of various types. Hugh whistled tonelessly while busy with his cabinet making in a workshop up behind (East of) what was then his motor garage. Most of his tools had come with him from the Isle of Skye a few years before 1900. Watching him at work was my absolute best.
What a lovely couple, the best grandparents, they were in a lovely home. Your positive comments are therefore just so pleasing to me. Thank you for taking the trouble to mail me.
Many a time, although not in the past year or two, whenever I happened to be in Pretoria I have driven past your front gate and been tempted to knock on your door but have been inhibited lest my doing so would be regarded as unduly intrusive. I will now have no hesitation but will of course check with you beforehand. My wife Merlyn has forbidden my driving on freeways and given Covid it will not be in the foreseeable future, but I am determined to make a plan before it is too late.
I would love to ‘go on a bit’ more but will keep that for the future. In the meantime, I will just enjoy the warm feeling I get whenever I think of your home which is clearly in safe hands.
Thanks again and the warmest of regards and seasonal wishes.
Alan
One of the many advantages of living in Arcadia is that we are able to walk our dogs in a safe, quiet and beautiful environment. During the many months of lockdown, more people are working from home and therefore have more time to exercise with their dogs. It is so good to see all the happy dogs and owners enjoying our beautiful suburb. However, this has resulted in a “poop” problem that needs to be highlighted and addressed. It is particularly bad in Government Avenue but is a problem on all the pavements and verges of Arcadia.
There are many reasons why it is important to clean up after your dog.
COMMON COURTESY
If you have ever had the misfortune of stepping in dog poop, you can understand some of the more practical reasons for cleaning up after your dog. For public areas such as playgrounds and dog parks, it is common courtesy to clean up after your dog so that others may enjoy the public areas as well. This also applies to areas around your home – it is considered very rude to let your dog eliminate on someone else’s verge, especially if you do not clean up after him. It is particularly rude to allow your dog to poo in the middle of the pavement where people are walking and jogging.
DOG
TALES
The devastating effects of the Covid pandemic are evident all around us with many homeless and hungry people. Whilst it is impossible to help everyone, we can all do what we can, even if it is to help one person.
A concerned resident approached our Chairperson Linda Tyrrell, with a request to support a homeless man, Mr Maldla Baloi, who had fallen on hard times. He outlined his proposal as follows:
“My idea is that he could spend about 3 hours once per week where we hire him for the amount of R150 per day picking up all plastic, litter, dog litter etc. I would also ask him to sweep in areas that are either not cleaned or abandoned within the neighborhood. He would do the streets between Dumbarton and Blackwood and Thomas and Government Avenue. We as a family would give him a broom, plastic bags and gloves as well as a meal.
Please do let me know if you would like to discuss this matter more in detail. If possible, we could also ask him to do this job twice per week, where the second time he only picks up the trash paying him R100, meaning that we would pay him cash or via transfer a total amount of R250 per week.
I hope for your consideration to this important matter. I strongly believe this would enhance the living conditions even further in our area and we would support a person that has suffered in the last months. I am sure he will take this job discretely and responsibly. We could try it as a test for one month and re-evaluate after that time.”
Three residents have generously come forward and Mr Baloi is employed. He is doing a great job keeping our environment clean.
If any resident would like to make a contribution to this initiative, please contact Linda Tyrrell.
IT IS NOT GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
A common misconception is that it is not necessary not to pick up after your dog whilst you are walking because it is actually beneficial for the soil and plants. However, this is incorrect. Dog faeces is far too acidic to have any beneficial effects for plants and soil and it does not work as a fertilizer like the waste of other animals, for example cows.
IT IS HARMFUL TO ANIMAL AND HUMANS
Dog faeces can contain dangerous forms of bacteria, disease and parasites which can be incredibly harmful to other dogs and to humans. Salmonella, E. coli, Tapeworms, Roundworms, Hookworms, Parvo, Gardiasis, just to name a few. In some cases, these parasites and bacteria strains can be fatal. Many believe that the faeces will decompose and be harmless. This is incorrect. All the parasites and bacteria linger in the soil for months, even years. Many dogs will at some point or another eat their own or another dog’s stool – it is simply a fact of life. This practice likely evolved from the fact that wild dogs are carnivores and scavengers, sometimes eating faeces when other food was not available. Cleaning up after your dog as quickly as possible will protect him and other dogs as well.
IT IS A POLLUTANT
In the same category as more obvious and infamous pollutants such as oil spills, dog waste is considered a pollutant because of the presence of nutrients and pathogens which leach into soil and water, and thus impact natural plant growth, wildlife and human health. Storm water carries pet waste directly into waterways. It adds nitrogen to the water. Excess nitrogen is detrimental to plant life, fish and wildlife.
Keep a roll of dog poop bags (preferably the bio-degradable variety) next to your dog’s lead so that you won’t forget to take one with you on your walk. Carrying around a bag full of your dog’s waste can be an unpleasant experience, but it is simply one of the conditions of dog ownership – you are expected to care for and clean up after your dog. Cleaning up after your dog is more than just a matter of common courtesy, it is also important for the health of your dog and other dogs in the area.
At the E-waste collection that coincided with the Morning Market on 27 March 2021 we again managed to save more or less one tonne of potentially toxic material from ending up in the landfill. A big thank you to residents from all over Pretoria who support this effort.
You will be informed of the next collection date soon.
On a bi-weekly basis, the Scout Hall hosts a number of different interesting workshops. The art sessions are organized and managed by the well-known Pretoria artist, Carl Jeppe (fondly known as Cuz). He has arranged various workshops with other well-known artists and these include someone as famous as Diane Victor, Mimi van der Merwe and others (listed below)
These sessions are well attended and really inspire everyone involved to push their boundaries. The hall is well suited to these activities as it is spacious and well lit. The well-deserved lunch break allows for discussion and critiquing of the various works, and so the learning continues.
List of workshops for this year:
February 20, 21 27, 28:
March 13, 14 20, 21:
April 10, 11 24, 25:
May 8, 9 22, 23:
June 5, 6 19, 20:
July 10, 11 24, 25:
August 21, 22
September 11, 12 18, 19:
October 16, 17, 30, 31.
November 13, 14, 27, 28.
Basic Figure drawing: Carl Jeppe
Printmaking: Mimi van der Merwe
Portrait sculpture: Heidi Beyers
Advances figure drawing: Diane Victor
Watercolour: Sue Orpen
Figure sculpture: Joyce Carreira
Marathon
Oil painting: Maartjie Zaayman-Carter
If you are interested in joining these workshops or require more information, please contact Linda Tyrrell on 082 653 5191
NB Please note, all the classes planned for July have been postponed due to the Covid 19 third wave which has hit Gauteng particularly hard. Classes will resume when it is safe to do so.
Here are some of the creations to come out of the sessions.
Urgent Electronic-waste: if you cannot wait until the next E-waste collection at the Scout Hall because you have replaced a large appliance such as a washing-machine, stove, etc. you can contact Derrick at 082 320 4286 who will fetch from your home.
Empty paints tins: At present empty paints tins can be returned to Picasso Paints in Waterkloof and Warrior Paints in Monument part. Both comply with the South African Paint Manufacturers Association (SAPMA) to recycle responsibly. We should start lobbying for all supplies of paint to do the same.
Styrofoam is not welcomed by most recyclers and should not be put out to be collected by the City of Tshwane for safety reasons Styrofoam can be taken to the SPAR at Monument Park.
RECYCLING OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS
There are at least five options for household items that should be recycled; one does not have to pay to separate plastic, tins, glass and paper in one container for JAC’s Recycling and Open Sky whereas for other (free) schemes one has to separate items into the various categories.
JAC Recycling services collects every second week on a Thursday. R600 per year or R50 per month, whatever suits you. Richard can be contacted at 082 545 2166 /079 382 7203 and www.jacrecycling.co.za. LED and batteries have to be put in separate containers in a transparent plastic bag but the other items need not be sorted.
The costs for Open Sky are slightly higher. For this service one does not have to separate at source either but white paper goes into a separate bag.
The Dutch Reformed Church in Kirkness Street (gates open weekdays from 7h30 to 15h30) is one of three free options. There are two igloos for glass, one for white paper and containers for cardboard, plastic and aluminium (tins, bottle tops, foil packaging).
Loftus Park shopping centre also has bins available in the basement. Take the Upper level entrance, choose the Checkers option and drive down to the basement area where “Waste Management” is clearly marked but do not stop here. Continue to the end before turning left and then park in front of the big door where bins are available.
The Informal Recyclers (the sidewalk recyclers or trolley men) are still around. If we support them by separating recyclables from garbage, they will not make a mess on the pavement while searching though the wheelie bins. The pandemic has put brakes on a project that was to register these recyclers, provide uniforms and sturdy trolleys for members while medical aid and other benefits were on the cards for these people. These people urgently need support because this is their only source of income. When Lockdown was announced at the end of March, they were recognised as essential workers and allowed to continue saving items from ending up in the landfill.
Unfortunately, some people (perhaps also “Informal recyclers”?) have used wheelie bins as a means of transporting stolen goods so it would be wise to mark your wheelie bin conspicuously with your address or perhaps boldly paint it so that no one would want to take it. If it is stolen, below are the email addresses to which the application forms can be sent to for bins to be replaced:
Mpho Kototsi Mpho.Kototsi@Tshwane.gov.za
Koketso Ntuli KoketsoN@TSHWANE.GOV.ZA
Kefiloe Moalusi KefiloeMol@TSHWANE.GOV.ZA
If you want to support the informal recyclers, this is what you have to do: Place clean tins (beer and cold drink cans, food tins, metal lids of glass jars, aluminium foil and foil packaging, metal bottle caps), plastic (PET clear, blue, green and brown and white milk bottles but no tetra pack (for example liquifruit containers) and white paper and flattened cardboard in any kind of container and place this parcel on top of the garbage in the wheelie bin, or even next to it. (“White paper” is office paper with print or lined papers used at school. Coloured and glossy paper are categorised as “common mix” and have a lower buy-back price. Separate these from the white paper batch. The recyclable items (in parcels), separated from real garbage, will be collected by the sidewalk recyclers and, if not, will be easy to recognise by sorters at the landfill who will prevent these items from ending up in the landfill. Glass (clean and whole bottles) is heavy and therefore not wanted by the informal recyclers. (There are containers for glass at the Dutch Reformed Chuch in Kirkness Street as well as at the Loftus Park recycling depot.)
What else can be done to help to save the landfills?
Odds and sods to be saved for creches: take egg trays /boxes, gift wrapping, match boxes, other little boxes, bits of wool, snippets of material, cardboard toilet roll inners, polystyrene vegetable trays and other coloured paper to develop dexterity in little hands and encourage creativity.
Batteries and light bulbs: Branches of Builders’ Warehouse used to provide containers but all Pick ‘n Pay branches have removed their E-waste bins. Woolworths still has bins for globes.
Own container for glass!
You could also arrange for an igloo bin to be delivered to your own home or other suitable place by phoning Philip at 072 100 0494.
Rita Burger 082 782 6468
ritaribbensburger@gmail.com
In the December issue of The Arcadian we reported on an initiative taken by two residents to replant some Jacaranda trees in Government Avenue that had died or had been removed. The City of Tshwane decided to continue with this project and has planted 14 trees in all the gaps along Government Avenue. We would like to thank the officials who rolled this out and request that if your house is near some of these new trees, that you water them every 2 weeks.
EXPERIENCED MACHINE ENGINEER
Fitting and turning, milling, grinding and welding.
All maintenance and repairs
(swimming pool pumps, garage doors and gates etc)
All work very skilfully completed
Please call Gina for a quotation on
068 148 6831 or 079 799 629
COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
Leanne de Jager was elected as the new ward councillor for Ward 92 after the Tshwane by-elections on 19 May 2021.
Leanne worked for the Department of International Relations and Cooperation for 25 years and served at seven South African embassies, namely New York at the United Nations mission; Mbabane, Swaziland; Rabat, Morocco; Cairo, Egypt; Amman, Jordan; Kigali, Rwanda and Bamako in Mali with short stints at others.
In 2007 she returned to South Africa and became active in politics serving in various capacities including arranging marches, rallies and conferences as well as working extensively with the homeless and substance abuse clinics.
Her vision for ward 92 is to ensure that basic service delivery is met on a regular basis. This includes steady electricity and water, repair and maintenance of potholes, streetlights, water leaks and parks.
She is involved in Community Parks initiatives as well as Residents Associations and is very interested in maintaining and preserving heritage sites. She is also actively engaged with stakeholders, including but not limited to the shadow Deputy Minister of Public Works.
Venning Park falls within this ambit and she has secured the commitment of the Turkish Embassy for the donation of a 1 000 saplings from the Turkish government as a Friendship Garden to the people of South Africa. The Mayor’s office has given an ongoing commitment to the rejuvenation of the park and the results thereof can already be seen. This is an ongoing project.
Leanne is aware of crime, in particular in the Arcadia and Sunnyside areas, and discussions are being held in this regard with stakeholders. Buildings being used for non-permitted purposes is also an issue that is being actively pursued.
This newsletter is a community effort. Please assist with any articles,
photos or letters that can make our newsletter interesting as well as
representative of the broader interests of the residents.
Articles and letters can be sent to penny@arra.co.za
Please access this site at www.arra.co.za and give us some feedback and ideas.