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Public Land Must Serve the Public, Not Just the Privileged

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Public Land Must Serve the Public, Not Just the Privileged:

GOOD Statement by Matthew Cook, GOOD National Chairperson and City of Johannesburg Councillor:

The City of Joburg’s plans to dispose of key portions of public land have made headlines but much of the outrage being stirred up by certain political parties is rooted in a “Not In My Backyard” mentality that protects privilege and preserves exclusion. This moment presents a powerful opportunity to redress historic injustice, reshape our city, and place people before profit. Johannesburg must work for everyone, not just for a few.

We want to make it clear that the GOOD Party supports the initiation of public participation processes on three major land disposal proposals brought before the Johannesburg Council: Erf 1 Arena in Ruimsig, the Killarney Country Club estate, and Marks Park in Emmarentia. But we do so with a firm call for principle, equity, and accountability. These are not just pieces of property. They are hundreds of hectares of public land. And how we choose to develop or dispose of them will shape the city.

The Killarney Country Club represents over 100 hectares of prime public land in one of Johannesburg’s wealthiest suburbs. It has an estimated worth of a minimum of R50 million but was leased for just R2 a year, later increased to a still-shocking-low R1,000 annually with 8% annual increases. That’s less than the cost of a backroom rental in Soweto for a single month. And all of this, while the majority of our residents remain excluded from well-located land and opportunities.

The report on Marks Park in Emmarentia speaks of leasing or selling. Here we have over 20 hectares of City-owned land, zoned for public open space, currently underutilised. This land is located in a historically privileged, well-located part of Johannesburg, close to transport, amenities, and jobs, it is primed to become well-located, dignified, affordable or social housing.

In Ruimsig, the proposed development of Erf 1 Arena envisions hotels, offices and retail but there is no mention of inclusionary housing or affordable rental stock.

GOOD has consistently said that public land must be used for the public good.

That means challenging apartheid-era spatial planning, where privilege and poverty are separated by distance and elite access. It means exploring truly inclusive options, mixed-income housing, student accommodation, affordable rentals, and township-driven enterprise. Not rubber-stamping long-term leases to golf clubs with a legacy of exclusion.

We support public participation, but not as a box-ticking exercise. These processes must genuinely reflect the voices of those left behind, residents on the periphery still waiting for decent housing, youth who dream of sports facilities, and communities seeking access to opportunity.

 

GOOD Manifesto on Economic Diversification: Supporting the diversification of the economy.

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The Wilds: Rebirth

The “rebirth” of The Wilds is one of the most heartening community success stories in modern Johannesburg history. It was spearheaded by local artist James Delaney and a dedicated group of volunteers starting around 2013. Delaney began by simply clearing dead wood and trimming overgrown paths on his own, but the project soon evolved into a massive public-private partnership. The most iconic addition to the park during this revival was the installation of over 100 laser-cut steel sculptures of animals. These brightly colored owls, giraffes, antelopes, and monkeys are perched in the trees and tucked behind rocks, turning a walk through the reserve into a scavenger hunt for “industrial wildlife.”

Today, The Wilds is a thriving, safe, and dog-friendly space that hosts yoga classes, art exhibitions, and thousands of visitors every weekend. It has become a symbol of “active citizenship”—the idea that the residents of Johannesburg don’t have to wait for the government to fix their city; they can take ownership of their own neighborhoods. The park is also a critical ecological corridor; in a city that is increasingly paved over, The Wilds provides a habitat for indigenous birdlife and insects that would otherwise struggle to survive in the “concrete jungle.”