Dear Melville Residents,

The MRA was approached a month ago by Oxygen Media about the possibility of hosting a Mardi Gras event in Melville. Oxygen Media met with MRA volunteers online and pitched the project to obtain a letter of ‘non-objection’ from the Committee. A concept note was then sent to a volunteer, and the volunteer sent it on to the Committee and other volunteers.

The MRA Committee moved to be unable to support the occurrence of the event at this time, due to the limited information provided but indicated that the Committee would be happy to consider it once a comprehensive proposal is received outlying solutions to the following.

The main points for being unable to agree to an event taking place are:

1) The concept note had little to no detail around planning, security, safety, noise levels, or hours of operation for the event. Considering the current challenges faced by Melville residents, without this information, it would be difficult to advise how the event could affect residents.

2) Public drinking and liquor continue to be a challenge in Melville. An event that enables such activities without adequate oversight and bylaw enforcement may be detrimental to residents and other establishments in the suburb. There was no clear indication of how such activities would be managed, or how noncompliance with bylaws would be handled.

3) The concept note lacked information that is required by JOC, which includes a detailed event plan including a number of guests/ participants, event overview, and details (e.g., hours of operation, set up preparation plans, clean-up plans during and after, parking, toilets, etc.), event program/running order and a list of VIP’s attending, event manager/organizer contact details, emergency contact numbers, including security and medics.

The Committee has previously supported events in the suburb, like Streetopia, that was incredibly successful and amenable to the artist-nature of Melville. Without the above details, it is difficult to assess impacts on residents and the suburb.

The Committee would like to ensure it will be an overall positive event for the suburb that takes residents into account during planning and the day of the event. Please note that the event may occur without the support of the MRA. If you would like to have your say, please reach out to mra@ilovemelville.co.za.