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Leaders of the Eldorado Park community, who have been camping in tents outside the Eldorado Park police station for 31 days in protest against gun violence and drug abuse in the area, on Wednesday announced a ban on hookah pipes.

“The ban will be effective on the 1st of November, but prior to the 1st of November, each and every shop will get a notification,” said Eldorado Park community leader Keith Duarte.

Buying a hookah pipe is not illegal but they are often used to smoke illicit substances.

“We have a task team together with the SAPS and JMPD [Johannesburg Metro Police Department] that will go around the shops and make sure that they are not selling [hookah pipes] and if we find anything there, they will be fined,” Duarte said.

“The proposal came as a result of the rampant increase of minor children under the age of 18 using and misusing hookah pipes to smoke various substances, mainly dagga,” an earlier statement released by the community leadership on Wednesday said.

“This compromises their education, health and their ability to contribute positively to society. Rehabilitation centres have recorded an influx of minors from Eldorado Park abusing substances through the use of hookah pipes.

“Informal spaza shop owners are instructed to refrain from selling hookah pipes and their accessories, such as flavours, foil, coal, etc, as of the 1st of November. Failure to adhere will lead to the permanent closure of the non-compliant shops,” read the statement.

The newly elected Johannesburg mayor, Dada Morero, visited Eldorado Park with his MMCs.

“I have appointed 10 members of the Mayoral Committee [MMCs] who will work with the community. The MEC of health and the MMC of health and social development, Eunice Mgcina, will help us deal with those issues,” Morero said.  

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He promised residents that the neglected local swimming pool, which some residents complained harboured criminal elements, would be demolished.

Eldorado Park has been battling violence and drugs for many years. The community escalated calls for safety after the murder of two youths in the area some weeks ago.

A few weeks ago, in an effort to amplify the call, a group of Eldorado Park resident and leaders gatecrashed an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Avalon Cemetery. The then mayor, Mpho Phalatse, was presiding over the event and visited Eldorado Park soon after.

She said: “The reality of the city is that we have huge backlogs. To give you an example, our infrastructure backlog in the city stands at R300-billion. I am giving you these figures just so you understand the scale of what we are dealing with.

“This is just to say to you that as much as you are crying, other communities are also crying. We are going to need to tell each other the truth about what a mountain is standing before us. We are going to need to be patient with each other and hold hands.”

In the past few days, a number of Johannesburg leaders and former leaders, including ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, have visited the community camping at the Eldorado Park police station. Phalatse also returned to the area to welcome a councillor who rejoined the Democratic Alliance from the Patriotic Alliance.

Mayor Morero said that his MMCs would provide feedback to the community next Friday about progress on resolving their problems, and that feedback would be provided every week after that.

“Now we want to ask you to please give us time,” said Morero. DM

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A local swimming pool is a great resource for an area: why is it being demolished? Can’t it be repaired and kept safe?

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