Home Our CommitteeRod Rankine

Rod Rankine

Rod Rankine is one of the directors of the RRVA, and is also the acting deputy Chairman. Below is a short Biography of Rod.

“I have lived in Randpark Ridge for almost 20 years. Along with my wife and teenage daughter, I share a deep love of nature and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including sailing, hiking and cycling. We really enjoy walking the neighbourhood and greenbelts. 

My family are deeply conscious of our impact on the natural world and have done much to make our household’s ecological footprint as small as possible. This includes making our own compost, growing some vegetables, recycling etc. 

I am a hands-on, practical person who enjoys spending time in my workshop with various projects involving building, modifying, repairing and innovating. I am a registered professional civil engineer and run my own engineering practice, specialising in the field of construction materials and the science of building. 

My deep love of nature and my engineering background led me to heading up the Environmental Committee on the RRVA. I have grown increasingly concerned by the damaged and collapsing infrastructure urgently needing maintenance in Randpark Ridge, and have written a number of engineering reports which have been submitted to JHB municipality. These have resulted in meetings with municipality appointed contractors and I continue to engage with relevant parties in an attempt to get the urgent repairs and maintenance under way. 

I help to oversee the RRVA maintenance team, assigning them maintenance tasks such as the cutting of grass in the greenbelts, litter collection, cutting up of fallen branches, painting of fencing, traffic barriers and street signs etc. 

I consider myself an activist who strives to better our world through commitment to community. I firmly believe that “The greatest threat to our community is the belief that saving it is someone else’s responsibility”.”

We have asked him a couple of questions that will gives us more insight into his life and his understanding of the RRVA and our community:

Q1: What line of work/ business are you in? Registered professional civil engineer specialising in the science of building and construction materials.
Q2: Please tell us a bit about your family? Married to Christine. We are blessed with a 14 year old daughter (Robyn), a cat and three budgies. I have four orphan cousins – cousin George died in Dec 2018 at 50.
Q3: How long have you lived in Randpark Ridge? 19 years
Q4: What made you chose to make a home in Randpark Ridge? We found a house we could afford when I was earning very little. It had three garages and potential for extending. The area seemed safe and properties here were more affordable than in many other suburbs.
Q5: What to you are the greatest strength/s of our community? We have good basic infrastructure and some good people plus some beautiful places/parks on our doorstep. We are centrally located near the N1 Highway and in easy access of two international airports, Joburg, Pretoria, Midrand, West Rand and Vanderbijlpark.
Q6: What is your greatest concern for our community? That too many residents don’t take ownership or responsibility for their own suburb.
Q7: What needs to change or improve? Residents need to start to care about their immediate environment, their neighbours, homeless people and their own families and properties.
Q8: What do you see are the greatest needs for the community? For residents to start speaking to one another and to start helping one another.
Q9: What are the key issues that need to be resolved? We need residents to join us, get involved and work with us – rather than against us. Too many residents believe that resolving the problems in our area is someone else’s responsibility. We currently have too many armchair critics.
Q10: What is the importance of The Randpark Ridge Village Association in our community? It is the platform for residents to create the community they wish to inhabit.
Q11: What are your goals as a RRVA Director? To obtain commitment and buy-in from more residents. We need to increase membership. I would love to build a reclaimers transfer area where ARO reclaimers can sort and process waste with dignity and pride (with proper toilets), where we can have a store and workshop and where we can make our own compost, cut and sell firewood and make biochar.
Q12: What is your vision for our area and our community? To persuade 80% or residents to care and become members of RRVA, get involved, and make a positive contribution by taking ownership and building the community we wish for our families to enjoy.
Q13: What can members of the community be doing to make RRVA the absolute best it can be? Get involved, find little things that you can do to make a positive difference. Start by maintaining your own verge, cut the lawn on your pavement and pick up litter. Go over to your next door neighbor and introduce yourself and exchange contact details.
Q14: What do you do in your spare time and what are your interests and hobbies? Life scholar of philosophy and science. Energy enthusiast (especially alternative sustainable energy), love to make/fix/modify/improve things in my home workshop, sailing home-built yacht, cycling, hiking and geology.
Q15:What is your philosophy in life? Do no harm – leave things better than I found them in my wake.
Q16: What book are you reading right now? Two books: Energy & Civilization by Vaclav Smill & Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (the story of a psychologist who survived three Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Dachau, and who used this opportunity to analyse the traits that gave himself and other fellow prisoners the inner strength, courage and fortitude to survive this ordeal.
Q17: How do you like to get feedback? Anyway that is convenient but timeously.
Q18: What advice do you have for any new Directors? This is a long marathon – not a race. Try not to take offense – always assume good intent.
Q19: What makes you smile when you get up in the morning? Sunshine and my beautiful family – I have so much to be grateful for.
Q20: What misconceptions do people have about The RRVA? That the RRVA is a for-profit business and the directors get remunerated and have sinister objectives.

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