The East Bank of Emmarentia Dam is an important and environmentally fragile recreational area used by hundreds if not thousands of people on an annual basis, which, according to City of Johannesburg is one of their Flagship Parks.

 All the Infrastructure on the East Bank of Emmarentia Dam is in a serious state of disrepair and neglect and the environment badly polluted.

The entire East Bank is under siege from :

• Fishermen who dig up the bank for worms
• Campers and Fishermen who pitch tents
• park their vehicles illegally on the embankment
• Picnickers who light fires on the ground 
• an excess of braai ash just accumulates and that is never cleaned
• inadequate supply of rubbish bins that are serviced too infrequently - particularly before, during and after public holidays and weekends and concerts.
• The un-maintained condition of the walkway and parking spaces along the bank make walking and jogging a hazardous experience, particularly for senior citizens who have to walk in traffic to avoid illegally parked cars and piles of mud.
• The encroachment of papyrus along the bank serves as a refuge for criminals (compromising resident’s security) and is being used by the public as an open air toilet. 
• Broken bottles, old cans (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and litter are a serious cause of concern for wild life and people’s health.

We, the Emmarentia Residents Association call on the City of Johannesburg to show its commitment to its environmental policy by developing a joint strategy to rehabilitate and protect this area from further deterioration and develop an integrated master plan for the East Bank area including ongoing long-term maintenance, for the greater good of the community and the wildlife.

We also call on the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Police to enforce City by-laws that are broken here on a daily basis.