Mitchell’s Plain Advice Office: 38 Years of community care and advocacy

For more than three decades, the Mitchell’s Plain Advice Office has stood as a pillar of support for the community, guiding residents through some of life’s most pressing challenges. 

What began as the Mitchell’s Plain Crisis Committee in 1985 - formed by parents of pupils protesting in the late 70s for equality as well as quality in education - has grown into a full-fledged advice office, offering free assistance on non-criminal matters to anyone who walks through its doors.

The Mitchell’s Plain Advice Office is a registered non-profit organisation under the Department of Social Development, dedicated to serving the community.

Jerimia Thuynsma, who joined the organisation in 1987, has seen it evolve firsthand. 

In 1990, as South Africa moved past apartheid, the committee officially became the Mitchell’s Plain Advice Office. 

“We began as a walk-in foundation,” he said. “People came to us with issues ranging from evictions and municipal service problems to domestic violence. We were there to help in any way we could.”

Over the years, the office has moved several times. Initially located in the town centre, it occupied the old Foschini building, then the Engen Garage building, before returning to Foschini and finally settling in Eastridge. 

Through all its moves, the office remained committed to its mission: addressing urgent social issues and advocating for the community.

The Advice Office’s early work included tackling poor housing conditions in Eastridge and Lentegeur, campaigning for a general hospital, and assisting residents who had no easy access to healthcare. 

Before the Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital opened, residents had to travel to Jooste Hospital in Athlone, navigating a lack of trains and limited bus routes. 

“For someone living in Eastridge, you had to walk to Westridge fire station and then travel to Manenberg just to reach Jooste,” Mr Thuynsma said.

As municipal services expanded, new challenges emerged. The office has long dealt with issues around municipal accounts, evictions, and, more recently, threats of home repossession ("Mitchell’s Plain speak to acting public protector" Plainsman April 27 2023). 

In 2023, the office intervened to help a 75-year-old pensioner facing repossession of her house, negotiating with the local bank and seeking legal advice from ENSafrica (ENS) to prevent a family from losing their home. ENS is Africa’s largest law firm, providing a wide range of legal services and pro bono support to communities, including Mitchell’s Plain.

“These are serious cases,” Mr Thuynsma said. 

“People often come to us at the last minute, when judgments have already been made. We do what we can to help.”

The Advice Office also played a role in the creation of the Mitchell’s Plain Crisis Line, formed as a branch to focus specifically on family violence, amongst others. 

Over the years, unemployment and poverty have increased, heightening reliance on South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grants, which were unavailable to residents before 1994, he said. 

“One of the big changes we’ve seen,” Mr Thuynsma said, “is the access to grants. These are mostly poverty safety net grants, but they provide some support to the community. We hope Mitchell’s Plain will move from being a dormitory town to a place with more opportunities for its people,” he said.

Housing remains a critical concern. Despite long waiting lists, projects such as the Beacon Valley housing initiative have struggled to deliver, leaving backyard dwellers and informal settlement residents waiting for decades ("The long wait for a place called home" Plainsman February 16 2022; "‘Construction mafia’ delay housing project" Plainsman May 24 2023). 

“The Mitchell’s Plain housing problem can’t be solved in this town alone,” Mr Thuynsma said. “Municipalities must look beyond our borders to find solutions. Children are growing up in these conditions, and the problem continues to compound.”

Yet, amidst these ongoing challenges, hope remains central to the office’s philosophy. “As long as we’re alive, there is always hope,” Mr Thuynsma said. 

The office is increasingly focusing on the youth, offering guidance on education, careers, and civic engagement. The approach is hands-on, encouraging young people to take initiative and access opportunities rather than waiting for solutions to be handed to them.

For Mr Thuynsma, who moved to Mitchell’s Plain in 1979, the office represents not only a place of support but also a call to revive the sense of community that was once central to the area. 

“We must find our humanity again,” he said. “Before Mitchell’s Plain existed, people looked after one another. That spirit must return. Your child is my child, your neighbour is my brother, my sister. Only then can we rise above the social challenges we face.”

From its beginnings as a crisis committee to its current role advocating for residents in Eastridge, the Mitchell’s Plain Advice Office has been a steadfast champion of community welfare. 

Through decades of social change, it has remained committed to helping residents navigate life’s difficulties, uphold their rights, and build a stronger, more connected community.