After more than three decades of struggle, advocacy, and resilience, Hospital Hills in Lenasia South has finally been officially proclaimed – marking a historic breakthrough for a community that has long lived on the margins of formal development.
For residents, this moment signals more than just administrative recognition. It represents hope – for infrastructure, housing, and a future built on dignity.
For GLOBE POST, it is also a deeply personal milestone.
From our earliest days as Southern Globe, we consistently highlighted the plight of Hospital Hills residents. In 2009, those very stories were used by former MP Ismail Vadi to escalate the urgent need for the area to be formally recognised and serviced.
“It has taken more than 30 years to get to this point. This is a well-deserved and incredibly proud moment – not just as a publisher, but as someone who has walked this journey with the community long before our first edition went to print.”
For years, Hospital Hills remained excluded from formal planning processes, largely because it did not exist on paper in the way it needed to.
Councillor Puseletso Nzimande explained that the absence of basic town planning elements created a major barrier to development.
“There were no street names, so infrastructure couldn’t be brought in. It was difficult for the area to be recognised in the IDP because there was nothing before the whole process started.”
This meant that even when there were efforts to formalise the area, progress stalled.
“When it was time to start with title deeds, they couldn’t start because the streets had no names,” she said.
To move the process forward, previously proposed street names – some dating back 15 to 20 years – had to be revived and agreed upon with the community.
“If we were to start afresh, it would delay things. So we called a community meeting to agree on the proposed street names so that rezoning could move forward.”
After years of documentation, engagement, and persistence, the turning point finally came.
“Three months after submitting everything, they gave me the map and told me that Extension 10 is officially rezoned,” Nzimande confirmed.
With proclamation now in place, the area can finally be included in formal development planning.
“Now that Hospital Hills is proclaimed in the IDP, we can start planning for roads and bulk infrastructure,” she said.
Nzimande added that she has already engaged the City to begin unlocking resources.
“I spoke to the Mayor to kindly reserve R5 million for layout plans so engineers can begin working on roads.”
For the first time, Hospital Hills residents can look forward to formal roads and infrastructure, RDP housing development, title deeds, and full integration into municipal planning.
“Community members must go to the IDP meetings and tell them that the area is now rezoned so that infrastructure can be prioritised,” Nzimande urged.
For long-time community activist Joseph Panyane, the proclamation will have a direct impact on daily life.
“You can’t request e-hailing services because your location doesn’t show. This will make things easier,” he said.
However, he also raised concerns about communication gaps, noting that a planned engagement with the community was cancelled and has yet to be rescheduled.
This milestone did not happen overnight. It is the result of years of persistence – from residents, civic activists, and community voices who refused to accept being overlooked.
For Globe Post, the journey has been one of consistent advocacy – using journalism as a tool to hold authorities accountable and to amplify the lived realities of the community.
“This moment belongs to the people of Hospital Hills – to every resident, every activist, and every voice that refused to be ignored.”
While proclamation marks a significant victory, it is only the beginning. The real work now lies in ensuring that plans translate into visible, tangible development on the ground.
Because for Hospital Hills, this is not just about recognition.
It is about dignity. It is about inclusion. And finally, it is about being seen.
