Westmead business owners take back their area

IN an effort to decrease crime and uplift the community, businesses in the greater Westmead area, along with Jan Mare and the Younited team, have set up an association. Their ultimate aim is to look after the entire area by forming sustainable and beneficial public/private partnerships.

Younite specialises in the creation, development and oversight of community-based Public Benefit Organisations.

Speaking to the Highway Mail, Mare, Younited managing director, said the Greater Westmead Association is proposing a massive undertaking to get a budgeted target of 60% of businesses to come together, pay more fees in these tough times, and work together to create a secured community/area to protect businesses and individuals working in the area as well as customers visiting it.

“Our aim is also to uplift and regenerate the area to take it back to where it once was and uplift the local communities at the same time.”

The team said they had done what they can to fight crime and believe this association will yield great results as they will have a security team patrolling the area 24/7.

“We will also have people to do maintenance – our aim is to be able to work together with the businesses and the municipality and take control of the area,” said Steelbank’s managing director Robin Kotze.

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According to Kotze, the association will include security, staff safety, greeneries and verge cutting, general infrastructure repairs – potholes, etc, and social-responsibility upgrades and repairs.

“We have already started the process, and this association is well on its way, with multiple companies signed up and lots of contracts requested,” he said.

In addition, he said the decrease in crime and uplifting of the area will have a significant effect on their staff’s safety.

“My staff cannot even walk past this notorious M13 bridge without threat or intimidation,” highlighted Kotze.

Mare mentioned that the decrease in crime and uplifting of the area will not only have a significant effect on safety but also on the image of the businesses.

“With all the things we want to put in place, there will be job opportunities, as well, so it is a win-win situation for everyone,” he said.

Candice Nefdt from Vision Elevators said the area has deteriorated drastically in the last number of years, with no sign of stopping. Among their plans is to totally revamp the taxi rank on Richmond Road.

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“We want to take control and lead the way on how we think businesses will need to come together going forward in order to survive in South Africa, and at the same time, uplift and improve the infrastructure, parks and lives of the housing areas within our precinct.”

Kotze said the founders’ agreement is a legally binding agreement, which has been extensively reviewed by his independent lawyers to ensure that the money they are spending is used for this great initiative only, along with compulsory accounting and tax audits.

“A lot of due diligence has been done to create a transparent and solid bedrock of the NPC, and the plans as to what will be done with security and infrastructure development are very detailed and comprehensive.

“It is time to come together and work together to sort out ourselves and our investments!” Nefdt said.

For more information on The Greater Westmead Association, please visit https://greaterwestmead.co.za/

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