The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s decision to pump more than R1.1m into reviving neglected township business hubs is a welcome investment into reviving local enterprises.
But, for this project to have a lasting impact, the city must ensure the buildings are secure once refurbished.
The Veeplaas Incubator and KwaNobuhle Youth Advisory Centre have, in recent years, become badly vandalised.
From illegal electricity connections to blocked drains and vandalised ablution facilities, the signs of neglect are glaring and must be considered before more money is pumped into fixing them. Or, they will merely become soft targets again.
Councillors are right to demand clarity on what measures will be in place to protect the infrastructure and the small businesses trying to build a future from within.
The municipality must ensure that before a single rand is spent, there is a comprehensive plan for the ongoing security and management of these hubs.
This includes fencing, lighting, surveillance, and partnerships with local safety stakeholders.
Importantly, it also includes transparency and accountability and ensuring that whoever is tasked with running these centres does so under a clear mandate, with oversight and community buy-in.
But the responsibility cannot rest with government alone. Communities must also step up.
Public facilities are not government-owned; they are community-owned.
When a hub is vandalised, when a fence is stolen, it is not just the city that loses, but the entrepreneurs, jobseekers, and youth who rely on those spaces for opportunities.
It is vital that local residents, including ward councillors, business committees and civic groups, become active custodians of these resources.
We need a new culture of shared responsibility, where safeguarding public infrastructure is seen not as an optional extra, but as a cornerstone of sustainable development.
A refurbished hub is only as valuable as its ability to remain functional.
Without a proper security plan and a community ready to protect what is theirs, the R1.1m spend will be merely a temporary facelift.
The Herald
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