Help CIP revitalise Boksburg CBD
Business people and property owners in the Boksburg CBD are urged to join in and take action to rescue the CBD.
The community project, known as the City Improvement Project (CIP), was launched in 2022 to rescue the Boksburg CBD from degenerating into a shantytown.
After its launch, the CIP hit the ground running, with impressive buy-in from residents, resulting in the formation of subcommittees dubbed action groups, and a series of community projects including clean-ups, road maintenance, and upgrade renovations of dilapidated buildings by some of the property owners and business operators in the CBD.
However, due to dwindling resources and support from residents, the initiative has been gradually losing momentum.
The founding chairperson of the CIP, Derek Fox, admitted while the organisation is still in existence, it is no longer holding community projects as often as it used to.
“We still have supportive members who help us to continue carrying out projects like patching of potholes now and again, but there has been a lack of buy-in from some residents.“
In efforts to revitalise the project and restore the lost vitality, the remaining members of the CIP committee are appealing to residents, particularly property owners and business operators to come on board, as the functions of CIP are integral to the social and economic state of the business district.
To enhance the community projects, the CPI committee has been in talks with other community organisations where it proposes they work together.
“The plan is to form an umbrella organisation where the small groups become affiliates or combine to form one structure. We have already proposed the name, Community Council.
“Speaking with one voice to get the message across will make our work easier, particularly when we approach the government or businesses and the community to request their buy-ins when to whatever project we intend to do and need their support.”
Fox stated a series of concepts have been developed. One of them is that because some people who do not have anything to do with the CBD are reluctant to support any initiative in the area, their contributions can then be directed to the projects concentrated on their area of choice.
“The CIP will remain concentrated on the CBD focusing on crime, illegal dumping, advocating for revamp and upgrade on the old buildings, especially those that are falling apart, and the maintenance of public spaces.
“I know some people would say why must we do the municipality’s job when we already pay for services? But, the reality here is that residents, particularly businesses and property owners, take the brunt of the government’s failures, such as the lack of service delivery.
For example, if your car hits a pothole you will be left with a bill amounting to thousands of rand, yet you are not prepared to donate R200 to patch the pothole before it damages your car.”
Therefore, business people and property owners in the Boksburg CBD are urged to join in and take action to rescue the CBD.
Anyone willing to support the initiative in any way may contact Derek Fox on 082 886 0651.
Fox also touched on the new multi-million rand development underway at the Checkers Hyper Shopping Centre on Rondebult Road.
“This huge development is one of the opportunities that present commercial spin-offs for the CBD and surrounding areas. Hence we must get all hands on deck to secure an exciting future of our city’s CBD.
“We need to improve not only its buildings but provide an even better experience for residents and visitors, whether they’re here shopping, dining out or accessing other services.
“We have the biggest airport on our doorsteps, but goods and people land here and get shipped to other places because we have got nothing positive to keep visitors and attract investors.”
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