Dear Melville Community,

After a particularly turbulent year for Melville and South Africa in general, the MRA Executive Committee would like to thank the Melville residents and businesses for their contribution in various ways to ensuring that Melville remains a livable, walkable and diverse neighbourhood. In addition, our ward councillor, Bridget Steer, has been invaluable in assisting residents with their various queries and is hopefully enjoying her well earned break.

Many Melville residents have been actively involved with the MRA in some form and we would like to thank them for their time and resources spent on critical issues that Melville experiences. Various businesses have also established open lines of communication and we hope that more businesses do so in the New Year. This is vital for our suburb as we have a higher number of businesses which creates the potential for more friction and conflict between residents and these businesses. At the same time however, as residents we surely value the convenience and amenities these businesses add to our lives.

The coming year will be a challenging one, as the number of liquor licenses in the suburb passed the 30 mark, there will be an increasing need to liaise and negotiate with these business owners to ensure that a sustainable and peaceful co-existence between businesses and residents is maintained. Any community members who wish to volunteer their time in any small way are most welcome to contact the committee with their details and interests. (mra@ilovemelville.co.za)