Central residents are doing it for themselves with a combination of sustainable funding, partnerships and passion.
As Nelson Mandela Bay’s oldest suburb, Central had been declining for decades with its famous heritage architecture and community spirit overshadowed by rampant crime and grime.
But the five-year-old Central Special Rating Area (SRA) team is turning the ship around and, bar a few problem spots, the inner city heart of the Bay is beating more strongly than it has for a long time.
Central SRA chair David Edwards said though some property owners were sceptical about the formation of an SRA, residents for the most part saw the good work being done and believed they were getting fair value for money.
“Also in recent years, there has been evidence of renovation and renewal and this bodes well for property values in the area and would tend to indicate owners see a positive long-term spinoff from the activities of the SRA,” he said.
Central SRA board member Johan van Rooyen, 25, said on Tuesday he was now proud to live in the area.
“A little while ago, I would not have said the same but today, judging from police stats, we are one of the safer suburbs in the metro.
“The streets are clean, people are going back to the parks, and investment and development activity are picking up.”
He said the maintenance and rejuvenation projects hinged on an additional levy paid by Central property owners through the municipality to the community-run SRA.
The system got under way in mid-2020.
“In so doing, property owners have created a dedicated vehicle to deliver top-up services, improve safety and restore order.
“Guided by an elected board, the SRA ensures that every effort directly benefits the people who live and work in the neighbourhood.”
He said several of the key top-up services focused on security.
“Currently the Central SRA has 88 cameras, along with the Mandela Bay Development Agency’s additional 75 cameras.
“They are all linked to a centralised control room monitored 24/7 by CityWide Security, which is paid for by the SRA as a service provider.
“CityWide also deploys two patrol vehicles that never leave Central, and the control room monitors the SRA emergency WhatsApp groups and dispatches the vehicles where needed.
“Every resident inside the SRA boundary benefits from this service, which has brought a visible sense of safety back to the suburb.
“The system gives residents access to an emergency WhatsApp group to report any issues, with an average response time of less than five minutes for security personnel to arrive.”
The CityWide officers were also contracted to remove illegal shelters, and a hi-tech drone with an infrared camera was used to scout for tucked away spots, even at night.
Van Rooyen said the SRA’s other key focus was keeping streets and parks clean.
“To achieve that, our staff do a clean-up across the whole of Central every day except for Sundays.
“We work in conjunction with the metro street sweepers and partner with EP Waste Management to ensure the rubbish we collect goes to the tip.
“Our top-up waste service team collects on average about 3,500 black bags of rubbish a month.”
He said to complement this system, the SRC regularly recruited the help of homeless people from the Schauderville shelter, Mould, Empower, Serve (Mes).
“These guys currently work for us once a week, doing cleaning, gardening and maintenance.
“It helps them regain stability, dignity and purpose.
“The impact is felt socially and visually, with cleaner streets, cared-for parks and a community uplifted by giving people a second chance.”
He said the Mes team had recently tackled Central’s crumbling roads.
“The metro did not have sufficient budget so we contracted the Mes guys and they filled every single pothole across the whole of Central.”
He said other SRC projects included collaboration with Nelson Mandela University to improve security measures for students living in Central, and installation of solar lights in key pedestrian areas.
“We paid an artist to paint the giant mural of late former president Nelson Mandela in Parliament Street and fenced off known escape paths used by criminals.
“We also sponsor a monthly Central heritage walk.”
Other projects included community clean-ups and initiatives to encourage residents and businesses to maintain green spaces, and working with property owners to demolish or renovate problem buildings.
Van Rooyen said Parliament Street was still a problem area linked not least to littering and dumping of waste, and more municipal town rangers issuing fines would be welcomed.
“But in general, our model is proving that a neighbourhood long defined by decline can be revived when a community chooses hope, unity and action.
“Residents are driven by a collective determination to reclaim their streets and restore the suburb’s historic character and dignity.
“What once felt like an area slipping away is now a neighbourhood rediscovering its identity.
“The Central SRA stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved when a community decides to act rather than complain, build rather than despair, and invest rather than withdraw.
“The progress made so far shows that even small, consistent interventions, when guided by unity and purpose, can transform a neighbourhood.
“As the SRA continues its work, Central is becoming not only cleaner and safer, but a symbol of what is possible when people believe in the place they call home.”
He said that, having got on top of the basics, the SRA was aiming in 2026 to move up a notch.
“We want to redo the bathrooms in Trinder Square and introduce an astro-turf pitch and floodlights so people can play sport at night.
“We want to make Central beautiful again.
“I would definitely recommend that other suburbs look to replicate our model and in that way we can resurrect Nelson Mandela Bay.”
Self-defence instructor Kenric Britton, 47, said he was impressed with the changes he was seeing in Central.
“There’s a positive gentrification happening, with a lot of young families that have moved in, and at the same time less guys doing nefarious business.
“I love what is happening here,” he said.
The Herald
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