THE days of illegal occupation, open fires and suspicious criminal activities are finally over for one location on Magwaza Maphalala (Gale) Street. A new chapter is opening up for local businesses and the surrounding communities as the birth of a new eatery is upon them. All thanks go to the Umbilo Business Association (UBA) for championing this move.
Ian Campbell-Gillies, UBA’s director of policy, shared his excitement about the new venture, which he described as ‘Ubuntu Economics’.
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“It is always so fulfilling to witness a green zone surrounded by social decay transforming into business and job solutions. The area was once taken over by the homeless and became an eyesore and ticking time bomb for neighbouring businesses. The safety of the surrounding communities was also compromised. A power substation in sight burnt down, and this disheartened business operators.”
“When one businessman, who runs a restaurant inside Dalton Hostel, approached UBA for assistance in 2022 to secure the Gale Street spot, we could not turn him down. Steve Mzobe and his nephew, Nkululeko Shabalala, had their eyes on opening a new business venture, a Shisanyama. With our assistance, the eThekwini Municipality approved the request under a lease basis,” said Campbell-Gillies.
The site is currently abuzz as the completion of the Umbilo Park Café restaurant is near. The eatery will open its doors to the public in October this year.
Umbilo-based Siza Architects designed the look and feel of the establishment. “Our vision matched that of our client, and it was aligned with ‘reclaiming land’, bearing in mind that the structure had to be moveable because the location is leased, hence our use of shipping containers, steel and timber. And it is so great to see the end result,” said Siphiwe Gumede, one of the architects.
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Campbell-Gillies added that the project was a great site for the recovery of the area.
“Although we are mindful of consistent petty crimes in the area, we often ensure that we put business where the crime is. By so doing, we aim to bring opportunities for employment and to reward the community. For close to 20 years, UBA has stood on the ideal of Ubuntu principles, meaning local business cannot ignore the challenges faced by neighbouring communities. UBA’s involvement in this project may be smaller, but it is largely significant,” concluded Campbell-Gillies.
UBA is currently involved in reclaiming three more parks in the Umbilo and Glenwood areas for the purpose of face-lifting and converting them into valuable, income-generating community gardens.
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