BUFFALO City Metro is scheduled to meet a business delegation today in a further step towards a public-private partnership to make East London the cleanest city in South Africa by 2015.
From the low base of our current state, that is a big ask, but it is quite doable if local government and the private sector really are willing to work together.
As we have reported this week, Mercedes-Benz is also considering a request to join the programme to tidy up our city.
According to the proposal on the table, business will partner with the municipality to clean the city and build structures to keep it clean and will then withdraw and hand the project back to the city.
Our mayor, Zukisa Ncita, has thrown her weight behind the programme, too, so there is no obvious reason why we cannot look forward to a significantly cleaner and more attractive city.
The department of public works has already committed 650 workers under the government-funded expanded public works programme. With the addition of private sector management capacity, they should be able to make a significant difference.
The Daily Dispatch receives many letters – from residents and visitors – lamenting the sorry state of our city. They are right that East London, King William’s Town and the rest of the BCM complex is dirty and rundown.
It does not have to be that way.
As Trevor Manuel, architect of our national development plan, said at Monday’s dialogue presented by the Daily Dispatch, the University of Fort Hare and the Eastern Cape government: “It is not a shortage of policies, it is not a shortage of money, it it is a shortage of will that blocks our development.”
The mayor has indicated that she has the will, the Border-Kei Chamber of Commerce has demonstrated that it has the will and Mercedes-Benz seems likely to get with the programme.
It is appropriate that the private sector should get involved alongside the municipality. If the plan succeeds, a cleaner, better maintained city will bring new business for everyone.
We can all play a part in this by making use of the improved facilities and by taking care of them.
Schools can play a role by teaching children not to litter or to vandalise – and explaining why that is a good thing.
We can help by painting our own facades, by not dropping our litter at our own feet and by making it clear to those who do that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep BCM looking good.
We commend the mayor and BKCOB and we urge Mercedes-Benz to confirm their involvement as soon as possible.
Kudos to the mayor
From the low base of our current state, that is a big ask, but it is quite doable if local government and the private sector really are willing to work together.
As we have reported this week, Mercedes-Benz is also considering a request to join the programme to tidy up our city.
According to the proposal on the table, business will partner with the municipality to clean the city and build structures to keep it clean and will then withdraw and hand the project back to the city.
Our mayor, Zukisa Ncita, has thrown her weight behind the programme, too, so there is no obvious reason why we cannot look forward to a significantly cleaner and more attractive city.
The department of public works has already committed 650 workers under the government-funded expanded public works programme. With the addition of private sector management capacity, they should be able to make a significant difference.
The Daily Dispatch receives many letters – from residents and visitors – lamenting the sorry state of our city. They are right that East London, King William’s Town and the rest of the BCM complex is dirty and rundown.
It does not have to be that way.
As Trevor Manuel, architect of our national development plan, said at Monday’s dialogue presented by the Daily Dispatch, the University of Fort Hare and the Eastern Cape government: “It is not a shortage of policies, it is not a shortage of money, it it is a shortage of will that blocks our development.”
The mayor has indicated that she has the will, the Border-Kei Chamber of Commerce has demonstrated that it has the will and Mercedes-Benz seems likely to get with the programme.
It is appropriate that the private sector should get involved alongside the municipality. If the plan succeeds, a cleaner, better maintained city will bring new business for everyone.
We can all play a part in this by making use of the improved facilities and by taking care of them.
Schools can play a role by teaching children not to litter or to vandalise – and explaining why that is a good thing.
We can help by painting our own facades, by not dropping our litter at our own feet and by making it clear to those who do that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep BCM looking good.
We commend the mayor and BKCOB and we urge Mercedes-Benz to confirm their involvement as soon as possible.
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