A better Ballito together

This letter serves to provide clarity on what the Ballito UIP is, its role, services and particularly the UIP relationships with KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM). The UIP is a property owner funded non-profit company which partners with KDM with the specific mandate of improving the quality of public areas in Ballito – in a nutshell creating a better Ballito.
Those who visit Cape Town central and the secondary CBDs often remark on how well public areas are managed. What most are not aware of is that in the 90’s Cape Town’s CBD had succumbed to urban decay and rampant crime. The untold story to this remarkable turnaround of Cape Town is the driving role which the Cape Town equivalent of the UIP, the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) played. Today the Cape Town CCID has an annual budget of R50 million which is funded by the private sector. Furthermore, there are 33 CID’s in the greater Cape Town Metropole with a combined annual budget of R180 million, all funded by the private sector. In Ethekwini municipality the UIP’s are also funded by the private sector.
Back to Ballito. Without the support of KDM, the Ballito UIP would not have been established nor would it be financially sustainable. Importantly, the UIP does not replace KDM services, instead provides supplementary services to that of KDM. So what does that mean in practical terms? For example, the UIP and KDM’s Parks and Gardens Dept. have an agreed integrated service plan which lays out which areas and services the UIP and KDM provide, e.g. UIP starts cleaning the boardwalk and beach from 5.30am to 8am when KDM takes over until 4pm, thereafter the UIP cleans to 6pm – cleaning is now provided for 12.5 hours a day, seven days per week.
Another good example of the KDM/UIP partnership is improving public area infrastructure and amenities. A major historical problem that KDM has faced on the beachfront and boardwalk is that of ongoing vandalism to public infrastructure and amenities. With the UIP now in a position to provide 24 hour security in these areas there will be a drastic reduction in vandalism to the benefit of all.
Those walkers on the boardwalk with an eagle eye would have noticed new concrete bins all along the boardwalk which were provided by KDM. An integrated public area security plan is being formulated under the guidance of KDM to enhance the safety and experience of public areas.
In closing, the UIP would like to extend a thank you to KDM for the support and assistance provided to the UIP team. It is in all of our interests, irrespective of resident, business owner, tourist, general public and KDM to see the KDM/UIP partnership grow and flourish – after all who does not want to see a safe, clean and well maintained Ballito? It is for this reason that the UIP management team is encouraging the public to support and correspond in a way that enhances the KDM /UIP partnership in improving the quality of public areas. Let us all work together for a better Ballito for all!

BRIAN WRIGHT (UIP CEO)
Ballito