But Church Road is lowering the tone
In the belief that a cleaner neighbourhood is a safer neighbourhood, public safety efforts in the Muizenberg Improvement District go well beyond obvious top-up measures like the dedicated MID patrol vehicle. Community safety also means reducing grime and anti-social behaviour which impact resident’s quality of life and their right to live without constant fear of crime.
However, according to the latest NCC Cleaning report, Church Road is the most challenging road to maintain and continues to lower the tone of the improvement district.
Dumping at the unenclosed transformer, bin pickers, and dumping on the vacant lot cnr Church and Alexander Roads
NCC is contracted to provide MID public spaces with top up services additional to those provided by the City. Their work includes litter management, street sweeping, graffiti management, drain cleaning, maintenance of green areas, and reporting of environmental threats to public health and safety within the improvement district. Despite their evident commitment to the job at hand, NCC wages an unrelenting battle against illegal dumping, overflowing bins, suspicious loitering and bin pickers which exacerbate the mayhem and mess in Church Road.
MID Security Director Aloy Gowne said:
A cleaner neighbourhood is a safer neighbourhood. This is why the MID prioritises complementary strategies like cleaning and greening. But as much as we can provide top up services to counter grime, property owners and residents also need to do their bit. Does no one notice when people dump rubble? Why do residents do nothing to discourage bin picking? And why turn a blind eye to loitering when the MID 24/7 public safety service is a phone call away and can respond within minutes to suspicious or intimidating behaviour?
Over the years the MID has achieved success by working with city officials to clean up bad buildings in Church Road where tenant overcrowding, property neglect and criminal activity was rife. Yet despite this concerted effort, resident and owner apathy remains a major obstacle. The majority of bins in Church road are missing their lids or broken. Illegal dumping continues at a transformer which is not properly enclosed despite MID repeatedly bringing this to the attention of the responsible councillor.
So what can be done?
The MID encourages residents to work together to uplift run down areas in the district. Solving the bin issues for example can be simply resolved. To apply for a replacement bin, a resident needs to report the theft of the bin to SAPS. Once they have an SAPS case number they can contact the City’s Call Centre on 0860 103 089 or e-mail Wastewise.User@capetown.gov.za with the details and within 5 days a new bin will be delivered to them.
A coat of paint, a little attention and most of the crime and grime in Church Road could be sorted out. Each month there is a half hour slot at the MID Board meeting for public discussion and engagement. Residents and Property owners in Church road are encouraged to make use of this opportunity. Click here for more information
Click here for more information on the street cleaning schedule within the Muizenberg Improvement District
Issued by Lesley Schroeder, Stakeholder Engagement Director, MID
About MID
The Muizenberg Improvement District [MID] is a geographic area where property owners have contracted to pay a levy to facilitate a joint effort by the City of Cape Town and the local community to ensure more effective management of public areas and to promote business confidence.
The MID supplements normal municipal services provided by the City. It uses its funds to combat crime and grime, enhance the environment, and find work workable solutions to social issues like vagrancy and the plight of the homeless. The Muizenberg Improvement District is a legal entity established under the City’s Special Rating Areas by-law and also governed by the South African Companies Act 2008. Website: https://www.mid.org.za
Enquiries: Chevone Petersen manager@mid.org.za Tel: 021 788 1196 Cell: 082 463 1525