OPERRA's Vision & Mission

It is OPERRA's vision to bring together like-minded Associations with mutual interests and concerns and pursue objectives in the best interest of the Associations.

 The Associations involved have a common purpose in serving the residents and ratepayers of their designated areas and representing the views of their members to organisations, institutions and spheres of government.

 These Associations aim to better serve and represent the residents and ratepayers of their designated areas through the following actions:

• Identifying interests and concerns common to all residents and ratepayers

• Representing and pursue the best interests of their members

• Sharing information, expertise and capacity

• Coming together in an alliance to better address these common interests and concerns

 • Acting in concert in the furtherance of common purpose 

• Acting in a non-partisan and apolitical manner without any affiliation

Matters affecting residents and ratepayers include but are not restricted to:

• Civic Pride

• Crime and Security

• Electoral and Ward Structures

• Environmental and Recycling

• Heritage Preservation

• Planning and Zoning (including Re-Zoning)

• Service Delivery

Priority Issues

1. Strengthening the linkages and two-way communications within OPERRA and between RRAs, including promoting wider participation of other RRAs through Associate Membership and through the Communications portfolio;

2. Progressing the ‘Buddy’ or Mentoring System to assist and support fledgling and/or struggling RRAs, that may not be as active or as strong in terms of membership and resources, to become more established;

3. Strengthening the functioning of the OPERRA Sub-Committees to focus on the issues of (i) Heritage Protection; (ii) Spatial Development and Planning & Zoning; (iii) Crime & Security; (iv) Ward & Electoral Issues; (v) Environmental & Recycling; and (vi) Infrastructure and Service Delivery;

4. Development of Precinct Plans for each RRA and a consolidated OPERRA Plan for the ‘Old Pretoria East’ catchment area, in particular addressing the University of Pretoria proposal to develop a Precinct Plan involving the contiguous areas of Hatfield, Clydesdale, Sunnyside East and, to a lesser extent, Arcadia residential areas, under the UP3 proposal. While CoT does not recognise this community-driven approach to precinct-based planning, the benefits from the process to the community more than outweigh the cost and challenges to the process (in terms of community participation, clarity on issues and their prioritisation, lobbying power and readiness to integrate with any future CoT initiatives that may take place in this regard); 

5. Maintaining a proactive and informed approach to the relentless densification of sections of Pretoria arising from the Menlyn Node and the Hatfield Urban Management Plan, which directly affects all RRAs surrounding this development ‘corridor’, with the potential to destroy the heritage legacy in ‘old’ Pretoria East;

6. Enforcement follow-up on Planning & Zoning, Heritage and Service Delivery aspects, which should be documented by each RRA and submitted to CoT, and consolidated into one overall submission to CoT by OPERRA, as well as pursuing the enforcement of Differential Rates for illegal property use;

7. Estate Agent Mis-Selling and Other Malpractices need continued vigilance and follow-up, as this practice is often the catalyst and/or root-cause of illegal property use in residential precincts;

Ensuring the enforcement of by-laws, more regular meetings with council officials are needed. OPERRA has sought meetings with the new CoT Executive Mayor, relevant MMCs, Councillors and relevant officials to explore areas of mutual priority and importance, with particular emphasis on the adoption and enforcement of Differential Rates; 

Interested parties may request OPERRA's full Memorandum of Association, subject to approval from the Executive Committee.