Councillor appeals for public-private partnerships via RAs
With most service-related issues seemingly falling into the hands of the public, Ward 89 councillor Amelia Bester has again encouraged residents to get on board with their RAs in a bid to drive community projects in their respective precincts.
In most suburbs in Roodepoort, it has become evident that a lot can be achieved when community members work hand in hand with their Residents Associations (RAs).
With most service-related issues seemingly falling into the hands of the public, Ward 89 councillor Amelia Bester has again encouraged residents to get on board with their RAs in a bid to drive community projects in their respective precincts.
“After taking office in 2016, I quickly realised that the City administration did not have the institutional knowledge, political will or capital to maintain and secure public open spaces. To curb urban decay, I started driving public-private partnerships (PPPs), which I called ‘adoptions’. Although the community showed great interest and I received calls from across the city, the administration was slow to come on board. A Region C staff member went as far as calling me out to be racist for wanting to deny people access to public spaces. I know of applications submitted years ago, which probably landed in file 13,” Amelia shared her daunting experience.
“I also had an uphill battle with the policy unit in the mayor’s office, in an effort to simplify the application procedure. A final document never saw the light of day,” she added.
She told Northsider that it’s ironic that the City has now put out a call for PPPs, saying, “… this after it has become all too apparent that the coffers have run dry. In 2020/ 21 we have had little benefit from communal services. The grass in public open spaces have not been cut, trees not pruned, alien vegetation not removed and a string of by-law infringements has set in. Crime levels are also on the rise,” she complained.
“With a failing state, this is the way of the future and I call on the residents to assist by getting involved in established projects or driving the adoption of problematic areas. The terms of the PPPs vary. In some instances, the community only fences and aids in locking gates between 6am and 6pm. In other instances the community undertakes the horticultural services,” she suggested, adding that, “What we’re striving to achieve is a better quality of life in our built environment”.
Amelia quoted the Panorama Residents Association (PRA) chaired by Dave Baxter, and Constantia Village Residents Association (CVRA) chaired by Karen Poole as excellent examples of successful PPP undertakings in their areas.
In the case of Dave’s RA, for only R250 a year members can enjoy information pertaining to crime and community projects such as clean-ups, while in Karen’s RA, members can enjoy maintenance and access to the gated park, information pertaining to crime and community projects, and security patrols for as little as R100 per month.
To join the PRA in Weltevreden Park, contact Dave on 083 990 0966; or call Karen on 082 851 5918 to become a member of the CVRA.
