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Melville’s Very Own Superhero

Melville’s Very Own Superhero

Ratz Bar Brings Back The Food Menu, Why Are Gen-z’s Travelling Across Mzansi To Get Pierced By Zulu?

Snaps On Seventh
September 17, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 27 minutes

Hello Melville. Boom! Here with another hot issue of our weekly newsletter. 3 in a row? We’re on fire like the Aucklandpark Country Club! (Too soon?)

In today’s Melville Untold,

Melville’s Very Own Super Hero
Ratz Bar Brings Back The Food Menu
Why Are Gen-z’s Travelling Across Mzansi To Get Pierced By Zulu?

Let’s go.

Aubrey “Snaps” Moloto,

Special mention of the week: MBA, MSI, MRA, and Snaps On Seventh for keeping the community functioning. - Danny

📸 None shall pass. Danny in his element. Snapped by Snaps On Seventh

Melville's Very Own Super Hero

What makes a hero? A cape, superpowers or a tragic backstory? Well, in Mellies, it’s just a guy with a shovel, a passion for his community and an unwavering commitment to make things better. Enter Danny, our very own superhero. Danny is a straightforward guy. He patrols the streets while we sleep. He’s first on-site when anything happens and first to get his hands dirty when sh*t needs to get done. Danny would rather take action, than sit in meetings and have fat chats about the problem. If there HAS to be a meeting, it better end in clear, actionable steps. No work about work, just work! He describes himself as an old-school boots-on-the-ground type of person. He begins our interview by quoting Mark Twain “Find a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” And if you know Danny (I don’t know many who don’t), you can see that his love for what he does shines through, in every task and mission he attacks. Maria, a staff member at our primary school - Melpark, describes Danny as an invaluable asset to the school. “He helps with first-aid, handles our security on fun days, is our go-between the ward councillor when the City fails to sort things out, and when we recently had a break-in, Danny was the first person to arrive. He even walked around to make sure the school was clear.” Yup, that's our Danny. His cousin Yolandi told us that people who live in Melville at their church, come raving to her, every time he does a good deed for the community. “And that’s EVERY SUNDAY,” she says. Yolandi has one Afrikaans phrase that sums her cousin up perfectly; “Hy dra die gemeenskap se belong op die hart.” - it basically means that he has the community’s best interest at heart, it just doesn't slap the same! Yolandi also believes that Danny isn’t in it for the money. I feel that we all get that sense about him.

Danny is actually a very chill guy. He’s a Melville native, who serves as the operations manager for the Melville Security Initiative. He got involved in community work at a young age joining the Community Policing Forum at 18. He volunteered with CPF and the Sector Crime Forum where he gained valuable experience in community safety and security before Eric Van Gils and Andrew Pittman, the then directors of the MSI offered him a full-time job. Danny has now been with the MSI for 3 years and his duties as the Operations Manager consist of overlooking Beagle Watch’s work in the area, heading up the urban management side of the MSI’s operations and overseeing a team of eight people who work on various community projects. Danny then started a small business called CREASS that focuses on urban issues. This “side hustle” allows Danny to employ more people consistently and tackle more community projects. In his time with the MSI, he has done massive, impactful work like managing urban cleaning and maintenance projects. Most notably the Main Road pavement repair and clean-up, 8th Street and 4th Avenue side sidewalk repairs, where holes were left unclosed by COJ maintenance teams, litter clean-ups and security implementations for Melville community projects. Danny was proud to let us know that he has formed a solid, effective and action-based partnership with the SAPS sector manager and the head of Beagle’s Specialised Crimes Unit. They are a tight, proactive team that looks to tackle problems that push the needle. And In his very short times off, our Clark Kent tries to rest up as much as possible, spend time with his dog Ollie, jam some GTA on his gaming console and very rarely disconnect from Mellies by visiting a mall, window shop a little and grab a bite to eat. (He must not know that there’s absolutely no reason to leave Melville, ha!)

And as usual, we had to wrap the chat up by asking the two little questions that mean the most to us. “What’s your most memorable moment here?" and “What do you love about Melville?” Guys, these answers keep getting better, and better. He gave me goosebumps as he spoke with a heartfelt, strong tone and said there are many positives and negatives. “Melville will never forget certain things that happened here.” The best thing he has ever been involved with, was The Happening, the street festival that happened earlier this year (was that really this year??) He goes on to say that it’s been years since we’ve had an event in Melville like that, and was impressed that they managed to pull it off so well. “Most of it was the community spirit. The community and the businesses coming together to get the streets in shape.” It was even more special for him because he had the huge responsibility of getting the security plan together and ensuring that we had an event where 1500-2000 people had a positive experience throughout the day. He says with a proud smile, “That little breath of fresh air we brought back to Melville? We did that!” That was his favourite Melville experience.

What Danny loves about Melville is our sense of community, participation and spirit. “I love that I can go to my community and say; Guys, we’ve got this problem, we need to pull together and contribute toward the solution, and I will have multiple people reaching out to me.” He also loves the fact that we have a strong set of community bodies - The MSI for safety and security, The Business Association being strong when it comes to getting the business district up and going again and The Residents Association for pulling their weight and being committed to tackling issues in the back-office side of things. “I love the fact that as a community, we’re not one of those that are just sitting on their hands, waiting for something to happen. We try to come together and be a part of the resolution!” Wow guys, how impactful? These are the words of Melville’s very own superhero. Danyle Nunes, affectionately known by Melville as Danny.

After nearly 2 decades, Ratz bar serves food again! It was a little disorienting to eat there. I haven’t had food at Ratz since I had my first-ever Nachos there as a 7-year-old. My brother worked there (yes, yes, yes, I know it's, no under-23’s). They only had 2 meals, Burritos and Chicken Nachos. That’s it. (Reply to this email with your best Ratz food memories). Now, in 2024 they have more than doubled that number of meals, with a cute little selection consisting of Grilled Halloumi, Beef Rolls, Chicken Sliders (shout out TBMO) Fried Prawns and a Meat Platter For Four. The platter includes wings, ribs, chicken strips, and wors. Our taste experience was a pleasant one, and not just because we were starving! We tried the Beef Rolls and Chicken Sliders. My biomes were grateful for the real meat and fresh produce used! I particularly enjoyed the Beef Rolls. They had a gourmet vibe to them. They were flavourful, tender and laid in a delicious sweet sauce. They came with some red peppers, red onions and some other veggies wrapped up inside. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Solid 8 out of 10.

The sliders were also good but didn’t burst with flavours like the beef rolls did, so they’ll score a little lower. But high praise for the quality of ingredients used. The chicken sliders were garnished with pickled onions giving it a hint of sweetness, fresh lettuce and a yummy sauce, all sandwiched between an extra wholesome-looking sesame seed bun. I’d give it a 7. It was great, just outclassed by the beef rolls. We asked another customer who was having the chicken sliders what he thought. He said 10 out of 10, for the taste and price vs portions factor. He even bought another 3 to take home for only R85! We may have scored it higher had it not been our first-ever meal review in the Melville Untold newsletter. There are still many more meals in Melville to rank! (Restaurants, reply to this email if you want yours to be next!)

All-in-all, it was an above-average bar dining experience. We are very impressed by the new management’s efforts to improve the place since they arrived. They started by fixing the bathroom situation, upgraded the seating and decor, without deviating from the Ratz brand look and feel, changed the Rat’z logo back to the original Rat and even brought in a dart board. Denzil and the new Ratz team, your efforts are seen and felt. In due time, Melville will show its appreciation. Well done and congrats on the new menu guys. Up and up from here we hope!

Why Is Gen-Z Traveling Across Mzansi To Get Pierced By Zulu?

Contrary to popular belief, Pierced By Zulu is not one single person. It’s a team. A creative collective focused on providing a unique, therapeutic experience for people who want to get a piercing. For this business, more often than not, it seems to be very young people. “ Some people break down” chimed in one of the collectives' team members as she explained how they get into these deep, meaningful conversations with their customers while in the piercing chair. With a TikTok following of 239.5k in just two short years, this group of young professionals have clearly made a huge impact on the youth. The young man behind the brand who is affectionately known by his surname “Zulu” hails from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. Zulu, is a direct, principled and self-reflective person. His deep values shine through as he selflessly states that “Pierced By Zulu is not the product of any one man. We have to take it back to where it all began, with my previous collective - Broke Boys, and also give credit to those who unfortunately are not here with us today.” Their story begins at Indigo Thrift a popular thrift store in Zimbabwe focused on sustainability and affordable fashion. In an age of social media influencers, The Broke Boys, especially Zulu were “real-life” influencers. They are a very influential group in the streets and to the youth of Southern Africa. The group expresses itself through fashion, entrepreneurship and other artistic mediums. Zulu says that each of them who is still here today went on to do big things, some even greater than his modest self. This shows that the shared values the Broke Boys were built upon were a solid foundation. Zulu describes himself as a scholar, an avid reader, a pan-African and most importantly an intellectual who loves to share knowledge with his peers. These are the same values that Pierced By Zulu, the business, was built upon.

When we were still doing street photography, many Gen-Z’s would come asking for directions to Pierced By Zulu. Many of them come from extremely far away. Zulu said that he once had a girl come all the way from Ghana to get "pierced by Zulu" for her birthday. He also mentioned another person who drove up from Durban, got a piercing and drove right back. At the end of last year, the team went on the road and did pop-up stores ending off in Woodstock, Cape Town. The queues were as long as voting lines. Zulu believes that the youth resonates with them because they are youths too. He believes that they support each, other from traumas induced on them by the trials and tribulations of the past generations. He wants them to know they are not alone and that the Pierced By Zulu brand understands. You can find their store in 27 Boxes, Melville.

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📸 A karaoke night at Ratz Bar. Snapped by Snaps On Seventh

What’s Happenin’ 🤔

There’s tons to get up to this week in Mellies, here’s the lowdown.

Kids And Family Friendly Things To Do 🏡

17/09 Tuesday | 10.30am - 11.30am | Bambanani | Bamba Club - Exploration Of Nature

17/09 Tuesday | 2.30pm - 3.30pm | Bambanani | Bead Builders

17/09 Tuesday | 3.30pm - 4.30pm | Bambanani | Story Time

Bank: FNB

Account Name: Team SA

Account Number: 63104143887

Reference: Your Name Donation

17/09 Tuesday | All Day | Chopstix Melville | Chinese Mid-Autumn, Moon Festival | Complimentary traditional Chinese moon cake for the first 10 sit-down customers

Karaoke Nights 🎤

18/09 - 22/09 Wednesday & Sunday | 6.30pm to 12am | Ratz Bar | Prizes to be won | Free entry

19/09 Thursday | 7.30pm to 12am | Jo’anna Meltbar | Free entry

20/09 Friday | 8pm to 12am | SIX Cocktail Bar | Free entry

19/09 Thursday | 5.30 pm for 6 pm | LoveBooks Melville | Jacana Media Book Launch - Kally Forrest: Lydia: Anthem To The Unity Of Women. In conversation with Kally Forrest and Prof Sarah Mosoetsa (HSRC) | RSVP at [email protected] or [email protected] use LYDIA LAUNCH in the subject line

19/09 Thursday | Karaoke Kong | 6.30pm - 10pm | Snoop Dogg Themed Quiz Night | Tickets free

21/09 Saturday | 1.30 pm for 2 pm | Book Circle Capital, 27boxes | Book Launch: Mmusi Maimane: Dare To Believe (Why I Could Not Stay In The DA) | RSVP: [email protected]

22/09 Sunday 2pm | SIX Cocktail Bar | Salsa Sunday’s - Lesson’s by Pule Pujas Seleki | Happy hour till 7pm

22/09 Sunday | Blanco On 7th | Bottomless Mimosas Sundays | All day | Reservations 0662082548

23/09 Monday | 8pm | SIX Cocktail Bar | Monday Night Comedy featuring new and seasoned comedians | Free entry

Melville Weather For The Week ☔️

It looks like we’re in for all 4 seasons in one week. The first rains are upon us. Here’s how to make sure you don’t get caught in the rain!

Tuesday

26 🌡️ 13 | ⛅️ | 🌧️ 25% | 69 km/h 💨

Wednesday

27 🌡️ 11 | ☀️ | 🌧️ 2% | 15 km/h 💨

Thursday

28 🌡️ 10 | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | 13 km/h

Friday

21 🌡️ 4 | 🌤️ | 🌧️ 67% | 2.2mm | 17 km/h 💨

Saturday

14 🌡️ 6 | ☁️ | 🌧️ 2% | 9 km/h 💨

Sunday

17 🌡️ 10 | 🌧️ | 🌧️ 58% | 1.1mm | 9 km/h 💨

Monday

17 🌡️ 7 | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | 11 km/h 💨

📸 Rosie Parade playing at Smoking kills Bar last weekend. Snapped by Snaps On Seventh

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

18/09 Wednesday | SIX Cocktails Bar | Live Jazz Sessions - Marcus Wyatt, Dave Cousins, Amaeshi Ikechi & Peter Auret| 8 pm til late | Free entrance

20/09 Friday | 7 pm - 11 pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Just 6; Nkosie Hospas, Mtha Hospas, Skwara, Fezile Mavuso, Shakes & Smokes | Tickets from R200 and R250 the door

20/09 Friday | Smoking Kills Bar | Son Of Dod - Amen Drum & Bass: TRZN, Instate, Oracle, Stoney Maroney, Kingtash, Drvggs | Tickets from R50, R70 at the door

21/09 Saturday | 5 pm, show starts at 6 pm til 11 pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | Vincent Misscato - Memories We Made | Tickets from R160

21/09 Saturday | 7 pm - 2 am | Smoking Kills Bar | Hanna and Friends: Hanna, Money Badoo, Rarri, Nahledi & Ang | Pre-sale tickets R150 and R200 at the door (limited based on capacity)

23/09 Monday | Blanco On 7th | Mogodu Lifestyle Monday | Reservations 0662082548

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

UJ Sport 🏉

The 2024 FNB Varsity Netball Tournament is still on and live on the Supersport channel on DSTV. The girls are storming through their games. They beat their last rivals NWU Eagles 39 - 64. The Orange Army are unstoppable!

Now that test week is over, all sports seem to be back in full swing! Here’s a quick wrap-up of last week’s final scores.

PGC League Rugby Final (Wits Rugby Stadium)

NWU 15 - UJ 12

FNL Basketball League (Wits Hall)

Stars 33 - UJ 56

Wits 27 - UJ 31

UJ 35 - NWU 62

Hollywood Bets Super League (TUT Pretoria Stadium)

UJ 3 - Copperbelt Ladies 0

Congratulations go out to the UJ Rugby strength and conditioning coach Bhavik Hardeo who won silver with the Golden Lions U/12 & U/13 7s teams in the Interprovincial Tournament this past weekend.

📸 The Brixton Water Tower Project. Snap By Jonathan Thompson

Civil Matters 👷‍♀️

Melville Water Issues: The Brixton Tower Saga Continues

Remember our chat about Melville's water woes? Well, folks, it's time for that update we promised. Grab your hard hats because we're diving into the nitty-gritty of the Brixton Water Tower project. First up, the good news: construction on our new water tower is coming along nicely. In fact, it's only about 5% off the target timeframe. The crews are busy prepping the scaffolding to start building the tank. The pump station site is getting its fair share of attention too.

Now, let's talk about the Crosby Pump Station. This old-timer is the main pump feeding Hursthill 1&2 and our shiny new Brixton Tower complex. But here's the problem: it's running flat out, with pumps that have seen better days. The good news? Plans are afoot to upgrade to more efficient pumps and give the pipework a much-needed facelift. The tender for this work is in its final stages, and if all goes well, it should go out in December 2024. Next month, the ward council will be doing an oversight visit to the Crosby pump station. Stay tuned for more details on that front. Now, I know what you're thinking: "When can we pop the champagne and celebrate?" Hold your horses, folks. We're looking at a May/June 2025 completion date. And that's just for the construction. After that, we've got to put those systems through their paces before the grand handover and commissioning.

So, there you have it, folks. Progress is happening, albeit at a pace that might make a snail feel speedy. But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a functioning water system for Melville. Keep those taps closed when you're not using them, and maybe cross your fingers for good measure.

We'll be back with more updates as the saga unfolds. After all, in Melville, water isn't just a necessity - it's an adventure! Stay hydrated (when possible), Melville!

New Development: The "Tree" That's Not a Tree

In our ever-evolving Melville landscape, a new point of interest has recently come to light. The Melville Residence Land Use Committee was notified of a proposed 25m tall "tree" telecommunications mast. Here's what you need to know:

Location: Erf 443, 53 4th Avenue, Melville Gemeente Church
What it is: A telecommunications mast disguised as a tree (because who doesn't love a touch of surrealism in their skyline?)

This proposed structure aims to blend technology with... well, a semblance of nature. It's like our very own version of "Where's Waldo?", but instead, it's "Spot the Not-Tree!" For those just tuning in, there was an opportunity for residents to voice their thoughts on this tree impersonator. The deadline for objections was September 11th. As of today, September 17th, that window has closed. While the chance to formally object has passed, this development remains a topic of interest for our community. It raises questions about the balance between technological progress and maintaining the aesthetic and character of our beloved Melville.

The proposed mast, if approved and constructed, will become a new landmark in our neighbourhood - for better or worse. It represents the ongoing challenges of integrating modern infrastructure into established communities. As we move forward, it's worth considering how such developments might shape the future of Melville. Will we see more of these tech-nature hybrids popping up? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for any updates on the outcome of this proposal and its potential impact on our community.

📸 An idea of what the “tree” communications tower could look like. Image sourced from the MRA

The Icing On The Cake 🍰

📸 Image sourced from CREASS in the ILM Facebook group

Melville's Sidewalk Makeover

Well, folks, if you've been around 4th Avenue and 8th Street lately, you might have noticed something different underfoot. No, it's not just that spring in your step – it's our newly rehabilitated pavements! (We mentioned this a little in the section on our superhero) The 4th Ave and 8th Street pavements are getting a make-over, and it's not just cosmetic. This project is a shining example of what happens when a community comes together, quite literally, brick by brick.

The rehab is paying off, but there's still some work to be done. The team is committed to making a difference "brick by brick if we have to." Now that's dedication! A big round of applause to the Melville Security Initiative, Melville Residents' Association, and all the individual residents who chipped in for materials and labour costs.

There's still a bit more to do – levelling out the last area and replacing some pavers. This project is more than just about prettier pavements. It's about community pride, working together, and making Melville an even better place to live, one step at a time. So next time you're out for a stroll, take a moment to appreciate the smoother journey under your feet. And remember, in Melville, we don't just talk the talk – we walk the walk, on our community-improved pavements!

Keep an eye out for more updates, and who knows? Maybe you'll spot a neighbour with a spade in hand, adding their own touch to our lovely little suburb. (Yeah, it's mostly likely Danny!)

Thank you! 🙏

And that's a wrap, Melvillains! Boom! There you have it, folks – another scorcher of a Melville Untold, hot off the press and sizzling in your inbox! We've taken you on a rollercoaster ride from local heroes to pavement specials, proving once again that in Melville, even our civil matters are giving!

Got a friend who's Melville-curious? Don't be stingy with the good stuff – go on, share this newsletter. And hey, to all you business moguls out there, we're always open to adding some sponsor spice to our Melville news. Give us a shout!

Caught wind of a juicy Melville story we missed? Don't let it get stale! Slide into our DMs or hit reply faster than you can say "25m tall tree mast." Your scoop could be next week's headline!

Enjoyed this week's saga? Why not show some love and buy us a coffee? After all, keeping up with Melville's shenanigans is thirsty work!

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Until next Tuesday, keep it quirky, keep it real, and most importantly, keep it Melville!

Ciao for now! ✌️🤍