A Century of Melville Stories

What's up, Melville! October's going out with a bang - literally, between fireworks and fake monster noises. While you're trying to figure out if that scream was a Halloween prop or just someone spotting their electricity bill, here's what's been happening in our slice of Jozi! Kaboom!

In today’s Melville Untold,

• A Century of Melville Stories

• Tons Of Halloween Events

• Danny Comes In Clutch With Useful Emergency Contacts

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey Moloto, 

( Send us your special mentions for them to feature here)

A Century of Melville Stories

Let's look into the heritage and historic face of our neighbourhood. Today we're delving into the past, present and future of the Melville Kruisgemeente church. We’ll also be looking into their deep relationship with the Melville community. I was taken by Izak (the resident from last week's story) to a very progressive, but refreshing Ekhaya Church service on Sundays at 10.30 AM at Melville Kruisgemeente. After giving us a short but enlightening sermon, I sat down with Pastor Japie Krige who did well to just about dip my toes into the diverse and historic universe of Melville Kruisgemeente. After a quick chat, Japie led me to the holy grail of Kruis knowledge; Thys Page. A Mellville-born, lifelong member of the congregation and church facilities manager. Thys opened my eyes to the fact that this story was about more than the church itself. This story should be about the people who contributed to making it what it is today - the congregation and generations of the Melville community.

But first a brief history. The church was first established as the N.G. Gemeente Vrederust in 1913. This was a time of massive growth for Johannesburg. Melville and some surrounding suburbs were a farm owned by one Mr. Lourens Geldenhuys (Fun fact alert: Emmerentia is named after his wife). Mnr. Geldenhuys saw the rapid growth of the city and donated some land to religious groups for churches and schools. One piece became the land upon which Ds. Danie Theron laid a cornerstone for a hall that would serve as the initial place of worship for the future church. Before this pivotal moment, there were only two NG churches in the western part of the city. Fordsburg (est. 1896) and Langlaagte (est. 1892). By 1913 Fordsburg’s membership had grown so much that the church council decided to construct the church hall in Melville. The first pastor of this new Melville congregation was Ds. S.W. van Niekerk who led the congregation for 21 years and oversaw the inauguration of the grand church building in 1941. Major significant moments for the church are

• Merging with a portion of the Fordsburg members and relinquishing its section of Vrededorp to become an independent congregation of its own in 1920 with the name changing to Melville in 1927

• Outgrowing the expanded hall in 1939 led to the ambitious decision to build a grand church. A huge leap of faith considering its limited resources at the time (Thys chimed in that it was built upon the efforts of ladies who raised funds by selling pancakes and koeksisters)

• The consecration of the current church building in 1941

• The establishment of the Auckland Park, daughter congregation of Melville which became the student congregation of the then Rand Afrikaans University in later years

• The Merger of the Auckland Park and Jo’burg congregations, with the Auckland Park church building becoming the primary location for the combined congregation

• Finally, in 2003, when the Auckland Park church complex was sold, the Jo’burg congregation split again, and the Auckland Park student body merged with Melville to officially form what we now know as Melville Kruisgemeente on Fourth Avenue.

The church has had an evolving relationship with the Melville community as Melville itself has evolved over the years. In the early 20th century it served a primarily Afrikaans-speaking community and acted as a social and religious hub of Melville. It gave people a safe space for worship, fellowship and community events. As Melville started to become a more diverse and cosmopolitan area, the church recognised the need to change and engage with its changing people. This led to the establishment of the Ekhaya church. A ministry aimed at students and young adults from various backgrounds. It’s about embracing inclusivity and diversity. This is reflective of the church’s commitment to reaching out beyond its traditional base. The Kruis church actively participates in and runs several community initiatives like the Melville market every Saturday providing a space for local artisans and businesses to sell their goods. They run a weekly soup kitchen offering meals and a welcoming space for those in need. Thys mentioned a UJ student said to be doing his honours, who would come for a meal from time to time. They have various outreach programs as well. Pastor Japie says that they do prayer walks in the community. Another longstanding outreach project is an initiative in Inalegolo, Botswana that has been running for 30 years. They support a rural San community through practical assistance, religious instruction and community development.

The church has also faced some tough times over the years. They were hit extremely hard by the pandemic which led to a huge decline in membership. They went from about 450 members to less than 200 members after. This challenge caused enormous financial strain. They had to adapt and become resilient. The pandemic highlighted the importance of community support with members helping each other, the church and Melville through acts of kindness and generosity. Thys was on Oxygen support for 31 days and had no income for 8 months. He says that he came through it by the grace of God and the grace of people. The church addresses social and economic challenges in the community through programs like Ekhaya Church and Echo House. Echo House is a youth development program that provides mentorship, life skills and training. It’s even housing a U-Turn champion (a previously homeless person in 1 or more years of rehabilitation). Thys mentioned that they work closely with U-Turn and Hotel Hope Ministries and support each other to effectively help people. Both Thys and Pastor Japie emphasise the importance of going beyond the confines of the church building. They both convey a consistent message that spreading the word of God involves engaging with the community, building relationships and caring for those in need.

As a heritage building, the church has a spectacular grandeur about it. It has a 1940s Art Deco style known for its geometric shapes, streamlined designs and decorated elements. This poses Thys some major challenges to maintain the building's architectural integrity. It requires specialised knowledge and sourcing of materials that aren’t readily available. The stained glass cannot be found anywhere in the world, the clock needs special pieces found only in Europe, and the organ needs some elusive pieces too. These all cost an enormous amount of money which Thys believes should be helping the church be more effective in its mission; spreading the word of God, "It’s hard to maintain buildings that were made for 1940s practicality." Like many other churches, the Melville Kruisgemeente relies heavily on donations. Since Covid, they have struggled to break even and are now surviving on reserves. This is why, as much as the community may be against the coming cellphone tower mast ( see "The Tree That’s Not A Tree" story in issue #3) it presents a huge opportunity for the church to alleviate the strain from most of their monthly expenses.

Coming back to the personal touch, when we asked Thys about his most memorable moment in Melville and what he loved about it, he took us down the deepest ever Melville memory lane. Thys talked about his early life growing up here before a single restaurant ever arrived on the strip. He mentioned Scala barbershop and their fish shop too, the bioscope on the corner of 4th Avenue and 7th, the general dealers shop on Main, his grandmother's laundromat next to where Nuno’s used to be, the dairy farmhouse at the bottom of 8th Avenue that used to deliver milk and juice bottles to your door with an electric van and how they would hitch on the back when they were running late for school, the farm at the corner of Arundel road and Korea with a fresh fruit shop and finally, the prestigious Hotel Melville where Roxy’s was. This led him into a bit of a rant about how Roxy’s and the nightclubs brought alcoholism and drugs to this once wholesome suburb. He believes in embracing change and understands the importance of these types of businesses to the vibrancy of Melville, but still, he can’t ignore the tremendous negative impact clubs brought here. Finishing off on a positive note, what he loves about Melville is the church and its people. He has been a part of Kruis his whole life, he met his wife there and they married after the Sunday service in front of the congregation. To their surprise, many people from the Melville community also pitched up because they had heard that there was a wedding! Thys loves the church and its congregation most - his home and his people. 

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What’s Happenin’ 🎃

Here are some cool things you can get up to this Halloween week!

Kids And Family Friendly Things To Do 🏡

Bambanani 

30/10 Wednesday | Face Painting With Adi 2.30pm - 3:30pm R30 | Movie Night 5pm - 6.30pm

31/10 Thursday | Spooky Trick Or Treat Scavenger Hunt 10.30am-11.30am & 2.30m - 3.30pm R50

03/11 Sunday | 10am - 11am l 27 Boxes | Kids Capoeira Class

Karaoke Nights 🎤

30/10 - 03/11 Wednesday & Sunday | 6.30pm to 12am | Ratz Bar | Prizes to be won | Free entry

01/11 Friday | 8pm to 12am | SIX Cocktail Bar | Free entry

30/10 Wednesday | 2pm - 9pm | White Campus Square | Sip & Paint | R150 per person | Incl. all painting material and complimentary glass of wine | Bookings 0836428764

31/10 Thursday | 5.30pm for 6pm | LoveBooks Melville | Ons Klyntjie Zine Launch | RSVP to [email protected] 

01/11 Friday 6pm - 9pm | The Melville Mudroom | First Fridays With Kate Ballenden | R550 per person | Bookings: [email protected]

03/11 Sunday 2pm | SIX Cocktail Bar | Salsa Sunday’s - Lesson’s by Pule Putjas Seleki | Happy hour till 7pm

01/11 - 03/11 Friday - Sunday | Service Station Café | Service Station turns 25 Years Old | Stand a chance to win R1000 voucher, enter competition with your bill | A complimentary mimosa and slice of cake served with every meal

04/11 Monday | 8pm | SIX Cocktail Bar | Monday Night Comedy featuring new and seasoned comedians | Free entry

04/11 Monday | 5.30pm for 6pm | LoveBooks Melville | Jonathan Ancer - Bullsh!t, 50 Fibs That Made South Africa Book Launch | RSVP to [email protected] 

Melville Weather For The Week 🥵

Make sure you get your sun protection gear and sunscreen, we’re going to hit some very unhealthy temperatures later this week!

Tuesday

Wednesday 

27 🌡️ 13  | ☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | 9 km/h 💨

Thursday  

27 🌡️ 13 | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 1% | 13 km/h

Friday 

29 🌡️ 16 | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 1% | 15 km/h 💨

Saturday 

32 🌡️ 17 | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 0% | 17 km/h 💨

Sunday

33 🌡️ 18 |  🌤️ |  🌧️ 0% | 0 km/h 💨

Monday 

35 🌡️ 14 | ☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | 19 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

30/10 Wednesday | SIX Cocktails Bar | Live Jazz Sessions - Marcus Wyatt, Dave Cousins, Amaeshi Ikechi & Sphelelo Mazibuko | 8 pm til late | Free entrance 

01/11 Friday | Smoking Kills Bar | 4pm | Underground #17: Halloween Edition | R 50 Before 8pm, R100 After | Beat Battle/Open Mic R50 Entry

02/11 Saturday | 6 pm - 11 pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Stories Of Becoming With Grace Storm - Creative poetry writing workshop and live performance | Tickets from R180

01/11 Friday | 7 pm - 11 pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | John Paul McGee featuring Amaeshi Ikechi, Karabo mohlala & Siphiwe Shiburi | Tickets from R200

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For more updates as the week goes on, visit our instagram page @snapson7th

UJ Sport 🏉

Quick sports update - UJ's gearing up for their annual Sports Awards on November 1st in Houghton.

What makes this year special? Fresh faces! Only six athletes from last year are back in the running, including standouts like Cheswill Johnson and Caitlin Rooskrantz. The rest? All newcomers here to show what they're made of.

We're talking Olympic-level talent here! These student-athletes have repped South Africa at everything from Paralympics to World Championships.

Pretty impressive for students studying right here in our neighbourhood, right?

Civil Matters 👷‍♀️

What You Need to Know This Week

Let's get straight to the important stuff – no beating around the bush, just like our community likes it. We've got some planned interruptions coming up that you'll want to be aware of.

Power Down Wednesday: The Big One

Heads up! This Wednesday (October 30) is going to be a big maintenance day. City Power's crews will be rolling up their sleeves at Hursthill substation from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Who's Affected?

Pretty much all our neighbours – from Montclare to Westbury, Brixton to Auckland Park, and everywhere in between (full list below). This is one of those "all hands on deck" situations where the whole community needs to be prepared.

The Details You Need:

- When: Wednesday, October 30, 08:30 - 16:30

- What's Happening: Essential maintenance at Hursthill SS

- Why It Matters: This work keeps our power infrastructure reliable (and we all know how about that issue!)

Areas Going Dark:

- Parts of Melville, Richmond

- Montclare & Triomf

- Brixton & Newlands

- Claremont & Coronationville

- Northcliff (Ext. 15, 2, 25)

- Albertville (including Ext. 1 & 2)

- Rossmore & Auckland Park

- Westdene & Greymont

- Westbury (including Ext. 2 & 3)

- Hursthill & Newclare

Sunday Gas Works: Quick but Critical

Speaking of infrastructure, Egoli Gas has some crucial maintenance planned for Sunday morning as well.

The Short Version:

- When: Sunday, November 3, 05:00 - 10:00

- What: High-pressure infrastructure maintenance at Langlaagte

- Your Job: Keep those gas valves closed until service resumes

Your Emergency Contacts – Keep Them Handy!

Danny our local superhero and the MSI team have shared these important numbers across many social media channels this week. They're your direct line of help when you need it most. Here they are if you missed them!

Quick Response Team Numbers 🚨

- Police Emergency: 10111

- Brixton SAPS Direct Line: 071 675 6168

- Fire Department: 011 375 5911

- MSI Operations: 066 448 3249 (Call for urgent matters – they prefer it!)

Smart Emergency Tips

Just like Danny's approach to community work – practical, no-nonsense advice that actually helps:

1. Location, Location, Location: Spell it out clearly (M-E-L-V-I-L-L-E)

2. Numbers Are Your Friends: Use "4 Ave" instead of "Fourth Avenue"

3. Stay Calm, Stay Clear: Give emergency teams the space they need to work

4. Be Direct: No need for long stories – just the facts that matter

Keep in Touch

Got questions? Need updates? The City Power Call Centre (011 490 7484) and Egoli Gas Customer Service (011 356 5000) are standing by. For community security matters, you know the drill – MSI and Beagle Watch have our backs 24/7.

Mark these dates, save these numbers, and let's keep our community running smoothly.

Stay safe, stay prepared, and keep looking out for each other. That's the Melville way! 🏠✨

Compiled with love for our community, verified by your local heroes at MSI Operations

✨ EXTRA SPRINKLES ✨

🥾 We kicked off this week with an incredible 8km guided walk through our beloved Melville Koppies! We met some amazing people and learnt tons from the interesting guides like; The "Friends of the Melville Koppies" a group of locals doing dedicated work maintaining this precious heritage site. They carefully preserve indigenous plants and trees while conducting regular cleanups to keep our koppies beautiful. Want to join the next adventure? These guided walks happen every last Sunday of the month, starting from Marks Park at 8:30am. (R90 for adults, R50 for under 18s - call 079 532 0083 for details!)

🪔 Happy Diwali to our community members celebrating this week! As the Festival of Lights brings joy and celebration, please remember to be mindful of our community's animals, and keep pets safe and comfortable during the fireworks displays. Consider keeping them indoors during celebration times.

📱 Foodies, rejoice! Arturo Tequila and Coca Restaurant And Lounge have joined Uber Eats - bringing more of Melville's flavours right to your doorstep!

📋 Calling all Melville business owners! The new Melville Magic directory is launching, celebrating what makes our neighbourhood special. Don't miss out on being featured in this community-driven listing

🎃 Halloween spirit is in full swing across Melville! Following the spooktacular Melville Artisanal Market last Saturday, our community's getting into the ghostly groove. Watch out for more Halloween happenings, including Jo'anna Meltbar's Halloween Karaoke event, the family-friendly community party at 27 Boxes (Don't forget to RSVP!) and many more!

Thank you! 🙏

And that's another Melville saga wrapped up, folks! From street corners to coffee shop conversations, we've served up all the neighbourhood tea (or coffee, because... Melville!).

📝 Need some content magic for your business? Our words and camera work can sprinkle that special Melville flair on your brand story! From social media that pops to web content that converts - we've got the juice!

💼 Hey business owners! Want to get your brand in front of Melville's most engaged audience? Our newsletter sponsorship spots are going, only 2 spaces left for the month of November! Slide into our DMs or reply to this email for rates and packages.

Until next week, keep your coffee strong, your stories stronger, and your heart pure Melville!

Sending neighbourhood love ❤️

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Alvida! ✌️🤍