Hello Mellies! We’re back with another issue of Melville Untold. While we’re usually all about the happy and positive stories, in this week’s digest we have something a little different for you.

In today’s Melville Untold,

• The Forgotten Citizens

• Service Station Cafe Turn 25

• Melville Halloween Initiative 2024

Let’s go. 

— Aubrey “Snaps” Moloto, 

*Send us your special mentions and we’ll insert them here*

The Forgotten Citizens

At Melville Untold, we like to talk about positive matters. This publication's purpose is to help the people who live, work, and play in Melville make the best of our beautiful suburb, which also means touching on things that affect our daily lives. But this week's Wednesday post is not so lekker. We have always had massive issues of homelessness and dire poverty in South Africa, and in the last few years, it feels like it has gotten considerably worse. Its effects have impacted Melville considerably. We have an overwhelming number of people sleeping, begging, dealing and abusing substances on our streets. The country's forgotten citizens are here, in Melville, and making it a point to be seen. These are people who the Melville online forums and WhatsApp groups refer to as vagrants, the homeless, street kids and beggars. Melville is, and has always been one of Jozi's more popular suburbs. In last week's story about Tilt Coffee, Darren mentioned that one of the major reasons his family and he came to Melville is because of our great proximity to everything. It's of no surprise that the destitute are attracted to Melville too. We have many types and tiers of people migrating here, and in recent years it feels like the balance has become bottom-heavy. Poverty in this country is rife. With COVID, corruption and state organisations' negligence, communities like ours have become overpopulated with people in dire straits. They are here and looking to survive off the public's generosity. Melville thrives on commerce and an inclusive, united community. But we have now arrived at a point where residents, business owners, patrons and even staff don't feel safe. Our roads, pavements, landscapes and vacant homes are starting to dilapidate, overrun by squatters and desperate people. Many of these people are battling with socio-economic problems; lack of employment, education, skills, physical and mental health issues, social stigma and isolation, criminalisation, food insecurity, access to social services, family and domestic violence issues, and substance abuse. We felt that it was time to address the elephant in the room. We went out to speak to the community and local experts in charity and social development, to open up the conversation, and try to understand what the general feeling is around this matter, how it affects people and businesses, what their struggles are and how they deal with them, and what they feel the best way to help these peoples struggles is. But most importantly, how do we stop the negative cost to the neighbourhood?

We started at a little-known, but possibly the most competent organisation to deal with this matter; U-turn Homeless Organisation, on the corner of 4th Avenue and 7th Street. It's a non-profit organisation, based in Capetown and aimed at helping homeless people regain their independence and self-sufficiency. Meeting Lyndley, the media rep for U-turn was an insightful and eye-opening experience for us. U-turn is what people in this field call; an institution with a developmental pathway. They aim to provide a structured pathway out of homelessness through a phased program that includes:

Basic Needs Provision: Initially, beneficiaries receive necessities through a voucher system, which promotes dignity and accountability. These vouchers can be earned through informal work or purchased by community members.

Rehabilitation and Counceling: The program includes therapy and workshops aimed at addressing issues such as substance abuse

Skills Training: Participants engage in life skills training and work placements within U-turn's social enterprises, allowing them to gain real-world experience and develop job skills over an 18-24 month period.

Job Placement and Community Integration: The final phase focuses on securing employment and stable housing. U-turn assists participants with career goal setting, CV writing, and job applications. Graduates receive follow-up support to ensure long-term success.

U-turn arrived in Melville 2 years ago. Over the last few years, it has significantly expanded its reach, tripling the number of individuals it serves. As of recent reports, more than 80% of graduates remain sober and employed six months after completing their program. The organisation also runs over 15 charity shops that provide on-the-job training for formerly homeless individuals while generating funds to support its initiatives. They actively encourage community involvement through their various initiatives like the Mi-change vouchers; A city-wide initiative allowing residents to donate responsibly by providing vouchers redeemable for essential services instead of cash. They also have Volunteering opportunities where community members can volunteer their time or skills to assist in various capacities within their organisation. The Melville branch currently employs twenty previously homeless people and can take on a maximum of 36. Lyndley dropped some mind-blowing stats on us, most notably that homeless people in Capetown on average receive R744m a year through begging. In Johannesburg, it's R154m a year. A beggar makes about R4300 a month on average, that's very close to minimum wage!

Lyndley claims that since they've been in Melville, the amount of people living on the streets has grown exponentially. And since homelessness is their industry, they constantly have eyes on it. He went on to tell us that there are different types of homeless people; " some people are involved in criminal elements, some people are just genuinely down on their luck and in need of help." He feels that for the community to take this matter on, they first need to get educated on how to respond appropriately and to refer to institutions that know how to help effectively. Throughout our conversation, Lyndley drums on and emphasises GIVING RESPONSIBLY. He goes on to say "It's good to give, but the best thing a community can do is give in a way that helps. Sometimes by giving, you might enable. You might give someone money who's on substances and by giving them you're fuelling that addiction, which in turn, keeps them on the street. Even by giving them food or clothes, they may become entitled or dependant and act aggressively the next time you don't want to give". He concluded by saying that if people start giving responsibly and consistently it changes the behaviour of those who are in need and over time they learn to go to places that can help them. These are institutions with developmental pathways. Organisations like U-turn, Street Scapes, Mould Empower Serve and Hope Exchange. These organisations focus on equipping the homeless with the tools they need to regain independence and find long-term solutions to homelessness. After speaking to Lyndley and understanding what U-turn is about, it seems like a good first step that we can take to help a willing person on the street we care about, maybe to purchase essential service vouchers from U-turn to gift them. They can then go to one of the service depots in Northcliff, Blairgowrie or Braamfontein to redeem it for food, clothes a place to sleep and more. From there they can then complete tasks for more vouchers and start their journey to independence with U-turn, one small step at a time.

From U-turn, we had a chat with one of our own, Oliver, a Melville resident, business owner and charity expert to gain more insights on this matter. Oliver owns Hotel Hope Ministries, a registered children's care centre with charity shops on 7th Street and Main. Hotel Hope is an organisation dedicated to supporting vulnerable families, particularly mothers and their children facing crises. Their mission is to provide shelter, care and support, with a strong focus on creating a nurturing environment for those in need. As a concerned resident, Oliver feels that the amount of homeless people here is way more than the suburb can handle. He thinks that in the few years since COVID, these people have become a lot more desperate. He goes on to say that it used to be largely a main road issue, but has become a 4th Avenue and 7th Street one as well. And unfortunately for businesses, especially restaurants, it has become a deterrent for customers. We asked Oliver what he feels the community can do to resolve this matter, and he boldly stated that we cannot. The solution has to come at the state level. He believes that we do not have enough resources to effectively irradicate homelessness and that it's not a Melville issue, it's a country issue. He gave us an example of Sweden's homelessness best practice model called assisted living which provides people in need foundational needs like food and access to shelter. Oliver says that it's extremely difficult for us to do that here in South Africa, especially since the government has slashed social development budgets and subsidies for organisations like his and "reallocated" the money to substance abuse organisations. When Oliver spoke to people in organisations like the South African National Council On Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) he found that they had their subsidies cut too. Which makes people working in the social development sectors feel like corruption could be at play here.

Bringing it back to a human level, Oliver says "It's tough to work with these types of issues because there's no blanket solution, these are individuals with different needs". He feels that the most important thing is to provide shelter for them. Safe living. He then goes on to say that another important thing we MUST NOT do is to enable them. Above and beyond that we desperately need police intervention. Not only Oliver alone, but many of us, including people on the I Love Melville group see homeless people trooping up and down Main Road and into the koppies at the bottom, near Judith Road to (what many people think) buy drugs. The pavements are littered with pink needles and are full of people blatantly injecting themselves in broad daylight. Quite frankly, as a pedestrian myself, it's an overwhelming site. I understand where Oliver is coming from, When we, the untrained public see and know that it's happening and where it is sold, it's baffling why the police choose not to intervene and cut the substance abuse right off at the source! We left the talk with Oliver having a great appreciation for the individual issues affecting the homeless in our community, and the need for different types of solutions, but more importantly, an appreciation for the magnitude of the daunting task at hand.

From Hotel Hope, we hit 7th street and spoke to a young man living in our streets who works as an unofficial car guard on 7th (Diego), a resident (Izak) and a part-owner and manager of a business on the strip (Moratiso.) We asked Diego some thought-provoking questions while trying to also be sensitive to his situation. After talking stats and theoreticals, Diego's answers abruptly brought me back down to earth and reminded me just how human these guys are. In that moment, he was not a vagrant, a stat or a number, but a young man about my age, with hopes and dreams like me as well. Here's a link to the transcript:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGUdQYJD30/RBPQkuNNr4oTq_0IuVPW0Q/edit?utm_content=DAGUdQYJD30&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

We ended our talk with Diego by telling him about U-turn and what they provide. We then asked if he would be interested and he replied that he was very interested. It's just that he doesn't see them helping people in Melville. He says that he feels abandoned by society. After Diego, we spoke to the Ratz bar manager, Moratiso who feels that as a person, he is sympathetic because "you never know what causes these people to land up in the street, but as a business, it's a problem because they chase away our customers," but at the same time, he feels that they are obliged to help because businesses have a social responsibility. He keeps extra coins so when they come to his establishment he can always help. Moratiso says that they aren't all bad and that some can be an asset because they know what's going on in the street. "If a crime gets committed, having one or two of them in your pocket can help you find the criminal quickly."

And lastly, we spoke to a resident walking a super cute Basset Hound; Isak. Isak moved into Melville a year ago from Linden. He's also conflicted. He feels sympathetic, but starts by saying "I want to be able to walk my dog on the strip without being asked for money the whole time. On the one hand it's kind of just people trying to make a plan for themselves, so it's tricky". He also talked a bit about how hard it is for people to reclaim a house occupied by illegal squatters. It's made difficult by the impractical laws and regulations surrounding these issues, but he also thinks that it's sad because the people living in these vacant homes are being exploited by "landlords" charging them R1500 per room when they're living 5 people in a room, with the windows locked and using the pool as a toilet. He is less concerned with beggars troubling privileged people and more concerned with these people's harsh living conditions and their exploitation. "People keep telling me how they wish Melville was like Parkhurst, I don't like Parkhurst!" Isak feels like we can't solve this matter anytime soon, but we can start by not seeing these people as vagrants, but see them as individuals. Once we know them by name and not a group of unwanted people, we can stop being scared of them and see that they're just human beings.

Compiling this article was an enlightening and huge eye-opening experience for us. There are so many polarising ideologies and thoughts on this matter. We all hear businesses, residents and patrons complain about the negative effects this matter has on their business, safety and comfort. Then we have another side that tries to be empathetic or sympathetic, whether it's based on their faith, life experiences, privilege-guilt or nature it sounds like they mostly feel that this matter is not a problem for the community, but a problem for the world. They generally do what they feel is right and give how they see fit. Whatever camp you fall under, this article was not written to change your stance, whether it's a Melville issue or a human issue, I think that if we are divided in our efforts, we will be counterproductive and the issues will continue compounding and get way worse. Just as Oliver said, we can't tackle South Africa's homeless problem, but I believe that we can make a positive change in our community. There are people here like Ira Bekker and Sipho Ncube from the I Love Melville group on Facebook who have done incredible things in the past to purposefully help those that they can and they have managed to change some lives.

When I first moved back to Melville and started taking snaps on the strip, there was a well-spoken and mentally ill teen named Bongani Lebone. After speaking to him a few times, I realised that he was lost and needed help. I spent some days getting to know him and gaining his trust. I eventually found out that he went to Potch Boys High School. I reached out to the school on Instagram, and they gave me his family's details via the missing poster. I called the number and spoke to his father who almost broke into tears when he heard that I had found little Bongani. And then at 4 am on the 25th of December 2022, like a Christmas miracle, his cousin Jabu (a famous rapper) rolled into Melville in a Lexus. He picked me up from Liquid Blue (where I was also working at the time), And we found Bongani, in my mining work boots and jeans. He was sleeping behind the green power box on the corner of 2nd Avenue and 5th Street, by Melpark Primary School.

Thinking back on that whole ordeal made me realise just how right everyone we had talked to was. Oliver said that homeless people are all individuals with different problems. Isak said we shouldn't be scared to get to know them. Moratiso said that you never know what it is that makes a person land in the street in the first place and Lyndley said to help responsibly and consistently. I had no clue about any of these things. I went against the many opinions telling me not to get myself into something that I couldn't see through to the end. Heck, security, the police and multiple churches turned me and Bongani away. I started crying silently. The tears progressively got worse at each point we got to but still, I never gave up. Somehow I used these rules of thumb that I was to only learn two years later, by honestly trying to do what I felt was right. I think that deep down, we all know what we have to do and when it is us that has to do it, especially when it's time to give a helping hand.

We're talking about people here, so a human approach is needed. These experts say that we must help responsibly, and give with a purpose. Just like all the other things we've accomplished in this community; like resurrecting commerce after COVID through the Melville Business Association, organising successful festivals once again with The Happening, and even getting the municipality to finally sort out our ongoing water issues with the Hursthill water system and Brixton water tower infrastructure upgrades. When the people of Melville come together, and work as a cohesive unit, with the support of our 3 body system and led into action by our very own superhero (Danny) we can accomplish anything! We're no experts, so please take our advice with a pinch of salt. The key lessons we've gathered here are to help responsibly, and consistently. If seeing it through seems too hard for you, consult our local experts and organisations. You can also donate or volunteer to assist these organisations in helping our forgotten citizens effectively. If you want to help an individual privately, it sounds like the best first step is shelter. With everything that we have seen, experienced and learned in our research what we urge you NOT to do is enable or create dependence on you or the generosity of the Melville people.

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What’s Happenin’ 🎃

Halloween week is here, and here are somethings that you can get up to!

Kids And Family Friendly Things To Do 🏡

Bambanani 

23/10 Wednesday | Wacky Wizard 2.30pm - 3:30pm | Movie Night 5pm

24/10 Thursday | Bamba Club 10.30am-11.30am R50 | Eco Explorer 2.30m - 3.30pm R50

25/10 Friday | Toddler Crafts 10.30am-11.30am R30 | Friday Craft 2.30 - 2.30 R30

26/10 Saturday | Weekend Games 10.30 - 11.30 | Haunted House & Halloween Dress Up 2:30pm Onwards | Kids Dress-Up Disco 6pm - 8.pm

27/10 Sunday | Weekend Games 10:30pm - 11:30pm l Magico Brilho Magic Show 2:30pm - 3:30pm

26/10 Saturday | 2pm - 4pm l The Melville Artisanal Market | Get Your Spook On - Halloween Trick Or Treat Event | Face Painting, hunt for ghosts and prizes for best costume

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

Karaoke Nights 🎤

23/10 - 27/10 Wednesday & Sunday | 6.30pm to 12am | Ratz Bar | Prizes to be won | Free entry

24/10 Thursday | 7.30pm to 12am | Jo’anna Meltbar | Free entry

25/10 Friday | 8pm to 12am | SIX Cocktail Bar | Free entry

27/10 Sunday | Karaoke Kong | 7.30pm - 10.30pm | Karaoke Superstar: Free Singing Competition | Tickets free

Pride Weekend at Liquid Blue

24/10 Thursday | 4pm - 2am | Liquid Blue | Pride Weekend - Thirstday | ½ price drinks from 4-8pm | Book your table 0739522399

25/10 Thursday | 4pm - 2am | Liquid Blue | Pride Weekend - Pre-Pride | ½ price cocktails from 4-8pm | Book your table 0739522399

26/10 Thursday | 4pm - 2am | Liquid Blue | Pride Weekend - Pride After Party | Book your table 0739522399

26/10 - 27/10 |  Wed - Sun | 9.30 - 4pm | 27 Boxes Melville. Shop 113 | Sipping With Brushes - Grand Opening Special | Painting materials and equipment provided and one complimentary drink | Tickets from R195 | For more info contact 0105007505 or Whatsapp 0835347527

28/10 Saturday | 5pm - 8pm | IT Corner | Bunda Gala 3 - Annual fashion show, live music and entertainment industry panel discussion | Tickets from R80

23/10 Wednesday | Karaoke Kong | 6.30pm - 10pm | Sabrina Carpenter & Chappell Roan | Tickets free

26/10 Saturday | 1.30 pm for 2 pm | Book Circle Capital, 27boxes | Book Launch: Lesedi Molefi: Patient 12A - Lesedi will be in conversation with Sewela Langeni | RSVP: [email protected]

27/10 Sunday 2pm | SIX Cocktail Bar | Salsa Sunday’s - Lesson’s by Pule Putjas Seleki | Happy hour till 7pm

27/10 Sunday | Blanco On 7th | Bottomless Mimosas Sundays | All day | Reservations 0662082548

28/10 Monday | 8pm | SIX Cocktail Bar | Monday Night Comedy featuring new and seasoned comedians | Free entry

Melville Weather For The Week ☀️  

Here’s what weather to expect this week!

Thursday  

27° 🌡️ 14° | ☀️ | 🌧️ 0% | 9 km/h

Friday 

30° 🌡️ 15° | ☀️ |  🌧️ 0% | 7 km/h 💨

Saturday 

31° 🌡️ 12° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 2% | 20 km/h 💨

Sunday

31° 🌡️ 11° |  ☀️ |  🌧️ 2% |  15 km/h 💨

Monday 

29° 🌡️ 12° | 🌤️ |  🌧️ 3% | 13 km/h 💨

Live & Music Events Lowdown 🎸

23/10 Wednesday | SIX Cocktails Bar | Live Jazz Sessions - Marcus Wyatt, Vuma Levin, Romy Brauteseth & Peter Auret| 8 pm til late | Free entrance 

24/10 Thursday| 6pm- 2am | Ratz Bar | Thursday Hip Hop Nights | Half price on Jägermeister shots |

24/10 Thursday | 7pm - 11pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | L’anderer (Switzerland) featuring Cara Stacey, Reza Khota, Beat Keller, Martin Perret | Tickets from R160 and R250 the door

25/10 Friday | 6pm - 11pm | Chiesa di PAZZO LUPi | 2Lee Stark with Keyboytuks, Daniel Van Niekerk, Given Zulu, Sakhile Twala and a special guest performance | Tickets from R250 

25/10 Friday | Smoking Kills Bar | Cut Throat Bass Featuring PH Fat & Haezer - PH Fat, Haezer, Instate & Drvggs | R500 for best Halloween costume | Tickets from R100, R150 at the door, Limited to 200 tickets| SK69SK 10 discount code

26/10 Saturday | Zouk Melville  | Apex Saturday - Benny Chill, DJ Lesa, Sapphire, Divar, DJ Skyy & more | Entrance R50 at the door | Contact Falcon for guest list 0617318081

27/10 Sunday| 4pm | Jo’anna Meltbar | Sola Vida Drum & Bass | 1/2 price cocktails | Free entry all day

If this comprehensive weather and gig guide helped you, consider buying us a coffee.
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For more updates as the week goes on, visit our instagram page @snapson7th

Attention Melville: Your Prepaid Meter Needs Some Love!

Hey Melville residents, here's some important news you'll want to mark on your calendar (seriously, go do it right now – we'll wait). Eskom has announced a critical deadline for all prepaid electricity users, and this is one deadline you won't want to miss.

What's Happening?

All prepaid electricity meters need to be recorded by November 24, 2024. This isn't just another optional update – it's what Eskom calls a "make or break moment." After this date, your meter won't accept electricity tokens unless it's updated to what they're calling Key Revision Number (KRN) 2.

Why Is This Important?

Think of it like this: it's similar to when banks update their security systems. The Standard Transfer Specification Association (STSA) requires this update, and Eskom is being crystal clear – there will be NO extensions to this deadline.

What You Need to Know:

- Deadline: November 24, 2024

- What's Required: Meter recoding to KRN 2

- Who's Affected: All prepaid electricity customers

- Extensions: None will be given

What Happens If You Don't Update?

Let's be straight here – if you miss this deadline, you won't be able to load new electricity tokens onto your meter. And nobody wants to be caught without power, especially given our recent experiences with outages!

What Should You Do?

1. Don't wait until the last minute (we all know how that usually turns out)

2. Contact your electricity provider NOW to arrange the update

3. Share this information with your neighbours (especially those who might not be on social media)

4. Keep your proof of update once it's done

Community Support

As always, our Melville community groups are here to help. If you know of elderly residents or anyone who might need assistance with this process, please reach out to the Residents Association. We're stronger when we work together!

Stay Updated

We'll keep you posted on any developments through our usual channels. Remember, this isn't just about following rules – it's about ensuring our community stays powered up and running smoothly.

Remember folks, mark that date: November 24, 2024. It might seem far away, but when it comes to essential services, it's better to be early than sorry!

🧁 Icing on the Cake: This Week's Sweet Bits!

🎃 Spooktacular Community Spirit Alert!

Hold onto your broomsticks, Melville! The Halloween Community Committee and MRA have cooked up something special this year. Remember last year when 5th Avenue was the solo trick-or-treat spot? Well, this year we're levelling up! The team has planned a hauntingly awesome community party at 27 Boxes on November 2nd (4pm-7pm).

Here's the scoop: 14 residents and 6 teenagers (our future community leaders!) have volunteered to create this spooky spectacular. CREASS has jumped in to support too, because that's just how Melville rolls! Think DIY costume contests, mountains of sweets (yes, they mentioned it twice on the poster – it's THAT important), and a chance to actually meet the humans behind those Halloween masks!

Insider's Tip: The organisers are still accepting sweet donations to make sure every little monster gets their fair share of treats. Reach out to them if you'd like to contribute to the candy cauldron!

🥖 Look Who's Back Kneading Our Hearts!

Stop the presses – the Baker Brothers are BACK! If you've been missing their legendary loaves, your carb prayers have been answered. You can find their freshly baked goodness at The Melville Artisanal Market every Saturday morning (9am-2pm). Judging by the community's reaction on social media (we see those heart emojis!), we're not the only ones excited about this flour-powered reunion!

🎂 Quarter Century of Yum!

Speaking of celebrations, Service Station Cafe is turning 25! They're throwing a three-day party from November 1-3, complete with complimentary mimosas and birthday cake. Plus, there's a chance to win a R1000 voucher! Here's to 25 more years of feeding our community with love.

Remember, these are the moments that make Melville... well, Melville! Whether you're trick-or-treating, bread-eating, or birthday-celebrating, it's all about coming together as a community. And isn't that just the sweetest thing?

See you at all these events, neighbours! (Yes, we're coming for the cake. All of it.)

Thank you! 🙏

And that’s that for this week’s Melville Untold!

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Until next week, keep it human Melville!

Salang! ✌️🤍