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A brief history of Frankenwald
1894 Alfred Beit purchased Frankenwald (2,000 acres), which then was bare veld.

1904 Alfred Beit created the Agricultural and Horticultural Estate in Transvaal

1905 Alfred Beit donated Frankenwald to the Colony of Transvaal to be used for “Education in Perpetuity” as per deed of Gift.

1922 Transferred to WITS University by an Act of Parliament after donation by the government of land by the government

1932 Major Grassland experiments to natural veld were carried out by Professor Philips with T D Hall of AE&CI fertilisers

1935 General Smuts opened the first laboratory on Frankenwald

1937 The first comprehensive study of the Flora of Frankenwald was made by Phil Glover for his MSc degree.

1969 Edward Roux, Professor of Botany (1962) published the book “Grass – the story of Frankenwald” which describes scientific work and historic background.

???? Frankenwald East of N3 split off, Alfred Beit Deed of Gift erroneously removed from title deeds and part sold to the JHB Pension Fund. Later rezoned to light industrial and sold off

1985 onwards general degradation due to major dumping of imploded building materials, rock, roads etc. for sports fields and then continued to dump after the sports fields were created.

1987 WITS submitted an application to the Transvaal Provincial Administration for Frankenwald to be zoned “special” for Educational and Scientific research purposes and ancillary uses.

1988 Application approved by Sandton Town Council.

1994 WITS attempted to sell Frankenwald to Regional Services Council for R 25,000,000.

1994 Offer by Norwich Life to purchase Frankenwald at R 30,000,000 for education and training.

1994 Wildlife Society issued conservation report prepared by David Lindley

1995 Dumping continued while offer from RSC was in place.

1996 Auditor General’s report stated that Regional Services Council purchase of Frankenwald was not a “committed project”, was not in the budget and did not have the approval of the Minister of Finance.

1997 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations became law.

1998 Offer by Triton to purchase Frankenwald for a Science TechnoPark with allied businesses was declined by WITS.

1998 Through intervention of the Public Protector, offer to purchase by Eastern Metropolitan Substructure Council withdrawn. With interest, the R 25,000,000 paid to WITS Trust account grew to R 31,500,000. This money remained in WITS Trust account after the offer to purchase was withdrawn. R 1,000,000 was retained by WITS. On 31st March 1998, after legal action by Triangle Communities, the offer to purchase was set aside by the High Court.

1999 Eastern Metropolitan Local Council (Sandton Council changed to this and the Johannesburg Metro) stakeholder workshop agreed to Science TechnoPark and related allied business development. This was approved at the monthly public meeting of the Eastern Metropolitan Local Council July 1999.

1999/2000 Offer of R 133,500,000 accepted by WITS from Maharishi religious organisation. This included a $ 1,000,000 non-refundable deposit. The transaction was not concluded. The deposit was not returned.

1999 to 2005 Further degradation along the riverine and wetland areas due removal of almost all trees which now requires specialist environmental rehabilitation.

2001 Pre-Application Environmental Impact Assessment Exemption checklist submitted by WITS planner to Gauteng Provincial Government (Environment) but did not declare 600,000 to 1,000,000 cu m of dumping, the wetland along the tributary (plans to build over it), skyline change, density of housing etc in the application.

2002 Environmental Impact Assessment exemption granted, based on Pre-Application Environmental Impact Assessment Exemption checklist.

2003/4 Proposed regional centre shopping centre development etc. is substantially different to Environmental Impact Assessment exemption application.

2004 Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Council tribunal approved mixture of 167,000 sq m regional shopping centre, Commerce, High Density housing, medium density housing and industry, contradicting the Beit Deed of Gift (in perpetuity) and EIA requirements.

2005 EIA contraventions became punishable in law via an amendment in Parliament.

Around 2005 Flattening of land close to for golf driving range without EIA

2005 to 2008 Zoning is under appeal with the GJMC Tribunal and/or Townships Board of Gauteng and now at the High Court.

2005/6 Investigation by Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa, report available. Confirmation of Professor Roux’s “Grass – the Story of Frankenwald” as an authority on Frankenwald Estate

2006 to 2012 5 year legal battle by WITS senior management costing in excess of R 30,000,000 to plan and retain “Regional Shopping Centre” rights

Around 2014 Flattening of land for model airplane strip without EIA

2015 Settlement with Waterfall Islamic institute

2016 Project No CPP0100-FWEOI-2016 expression of interest

2017- meeting with representatives of Frankenwald Development Committee (FDC) and Wits representatives, who undertook to include FDC in all development processes including the forwarding of FDC contact details to all developers.