The prolonged closure of the Portlands Community Hall in Mitchells Plain has raised alarm among early childhood development practitioners and senior citizens. The centre, situated in Merrydale Avenue, has been closed since April 2026 following storm damage that caused water to leak onto an electrical box. This has displaced vulnerable residents and placed community organisations under severe strain.
Portlands Educare, a longstanding early childhood development centre, has been forced to operate from the private home of its principal, Priscilla Pelston. Pelston said operating from her house was not the same as having a dedicated educare space, where teachers could build relationships with children, their families, and the wider community.
The closure has also hit the Portlands Senior Club hard, with its chairperson, Elizabeth Diaz, saying members had initially been told in April that the hall would remain closed until further notice. By June, Diaz was told officials were waiting for quotations and that the centre could possibly reopen in September, but when she followed up on September 10, she was told work had still not started.
The Portlands Senior Club's roughly 20 members previously gathered at the hall every Thursday for exercise, arts and crafts, social activities, and visits from people who donated food and gifts. Without the hall, members have been moving between private homes across Mitchells Plain, with some gatherings taking place in small lounges and others under carports during the cold winter months.
Community activist Yolanda Sage said the matter was now being taken to the South African Human Rights Commission amid concerns about the prolonged closure and the displacement of community organisations. Sage said the complaint would ask the SAHRC to investigate whether the situation had infringed the rights of children, ECD practitioners, and senior citizens.
Ward councillor Gouwa Timm said she had followed up with City officials and had subsequently received confirmation that the facility remained closed. Officials advised her that the community hall would remain closed until further notice, with updates to be communicated once they became available.
Community groups have also raised concerns about a compliance notice allegedly issued in April, threatening organisations with removal from the Community Organisation Database, which they claim was undated, unsigned, and unstamped.
Key points
- The Portlands Community Hall has been closed since April 2026 due to storm damage.
- The closure has displaced Portlands Educare and the Portlands Senior Club, with members forced to meet in private homes.
- The situation is being taken to the South African Human Rights Commission amid concerns about the prolonged closure and displacement of community organisations.
