Pay it back to Alex, urges Sandton businessman
ALEXANDRA – A Sandton businessman has called on fellow Sandtonites to pay it back to Alex.
A Sandton businessman charged with fundraising for the We Love Alex Community Makeover Project has called on the broader Sandton community to stand up and be counted in helping to rebuild Alexandra.
Chris Hart of Alex Investment Fund who is also the executive chairperson of Sandton-based Impact Investment Africa made the call in an interview with Alex News.
Hart urged Sandton businesses, individuals and foundations that have for many years benefitted from the labour in Alexandra to reciprocate by rebuilding the township and contributing to its success.
“It is for the good and benefit of Sandtonites in the long run as they cannot afford to have an impoverished island in the midst of an affluent neighbour that has the hallmark of being the country and the African continent’s richest square mile.
“There is no reason why Alexandra cannot be an affluent community on its own and we need the goodwill of the people of Sandton to make this happen. It cannot be right and proper that only Sandton continues to benefit from this neighbourliness,” Hart said.
With sufficient funds from the fundraising efforts, Hart said they would also like to rehabilitate the major industrial areas of Kew, Wynberg and Marlboro which have since fallen into disrepair.
“We want to revitalise these industrial major zones so that people in Alexandra can also work close to where they live. We may not have money as we speak but we have people that have committed themselves to avail their financial resources to us once the project picks up,” Hart said.
Hart estimated that it might take 10 or so years for the Alex project to achieve the desired goals. “This is a long term project and there are no short cuts to it. Alex’s problems are humongous and we need to take bite size chunks at a time if we’re to be successful.”
