Springs, Gauteng

Originally published: FixLocal

19 March 2025

A loca

l Springs resident turned nostalgia and memory into action, starting with restoring and protecting heritage assets in his community for more people to enjoy. Then he let these success stories spark more spin-off initiatives to start community-wide upliftment projects.

What was the problem?

The year 2014 marked 20 years of democracy. For the community of Springs, Gauteng it was also a moment to take stock. The town had fallen into a slump of neglect and dilapidation. At risk too was the loss of rich heritage resources. Memorial parks for the fallen were vandalised, overrun by vagrants and used for drug dealing. Also vulnerable was the state of the newspaper archives held in the public library, as the upkeep of the library declined. As the parks and the library were allowed to fade into ruin, the despondency of people also grew. Springs was at one time a booming mining town then an industrial and economic node. It attracted migrants from around the world for generations but lost its shine over the past 30 to 40 years.

How did they solve it?

A local history buff and businessman, Tony da Cruz, took it upon himself to digitise the newspaper archives held in the local library. Together with three retired librarians that he enlisted, they set about scanning all the newspaper and photo archives that date back to the late 1890s. The project took several months to complete. But by the end of 2014 they had secured the archive.

To keep interest going and to reach a broader community, Cruz created a Facebook page called Springs – History of a Mining town. He still posts daily with snippets from the saved archives. It’s reignited interest in Springs’ history and heritage, earning the page 38,000 followers. Da Cruz told FixLocal that the strong engagement on social media captured people’s imagination and sparked memories. Both, he says, he could tap into to remind local business owners that they (and often their families) have long ties with the town and therefore have a role to play in safeguarding and uplifting the town.

The success and interest from the archive project led Da Cruz to start a clean-up project of the war memorial parks across the town and to open a museum. This led to the Springs Mine and Military Museum coming into being along the Paul Kruger highway.

Da Cruz approached local businesses to make donations and gave them publicity on his social media platform in return. Da Cruz says the success of the archive and the museum led to the project for local businesses to “adopt” memorial parks in their area – committing to cleaning, maintenance and security. As businesses have signed on, they’ve also committed to keeping streets, pavements and traffic islands around their businesses clean, tidy and safe.

“The response has been phenomenal. There’s more self-respect for Springs and people are proud again of our home,” says Da Cruz.

So how did they do it:

• One person put into action a project based on his personal passions. But he was intent on sharing the success with the community.
• He used consistent social media interaction to create visibility for his project. Social media ensured that word spread not just locally, but across the world to people who have roots in Springs. This raised more interest, boosted donations from local businesses and those living abroad.
• Tapping into the things that people hold dear – like memories and personal history – helps remind people why it still matters to become involved.
• Success builds more success … and sustainability. Completing work on one memorial park was a demonstration of what could be done, making more business owners open to the idea of adopting a memorial park.
• Building goodwill by acknowledging donors and volunteers.

Acknowledgements

Author: FixLocal Reporter

Original articles: FixLocal

Photograph: Supplied/ Tony Da Cruz

For more information/ further contact details: www.facebook.com/@springshistory/

Get your community involved

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Think about starting or joining community groups like a street WhatsApp group, residents' association, or community policing forum (CPF) to get help and to stay informed and involved in local issues.

• How to set up a community group [link]
• How to start a WhatsApp group [link]
• How to start a residents’ association [link]
• How to set up a community policing forum [link]
• How to set up a neighbourhood watch [link]
• How to organise community action [link]
• How to use media to create pressure for change [link]

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