As we head into the colder months, we’re preparing you with some winter readiness tips to keep both yourself and your property safe.
Additionally, we share some tips on keeping your wheelie bin safe so that you know it’ll always find its way back home, as well as some exciting news about a greening initiative being run in Woodstock.
And, we share some recent updates from our WID manager on their operational achievements in the CID.
It’s been full steam ahead launching into 2024 for the Woodstock Improvement District. As we look forward to the Easter break, we share our CID’s stats and achievements for the first quarter of the year.
Don’t forget to review the Draft National Business Licensing Policy before 31 March if you haven’t done so already. And, we remind you to stay safe on the roads over this busy holiday period.
Since 1994, a substantial body of new laws has emerged from all levels of government to fulfil the mandate presented by the 1996 Constitution. The journey towards a constitutional, democratic order began with the adoption of the Constitution in 1996 and has continued with the enactment of new laws and the amendment and/or repeal of old laws.
Part of developing new legislation and even amending existing legislation is the development of a policy paper that will inform the policy thrust and direction of the proposed legislation. The Department has developed the draft National Business Licensing Policy, which will inform the review of the Businesses Act of 1991.
Members of the public are hereby invited to send comments to MMasoga@dsbd.gov.za or submit by hand at The DTI Campus, Department of Small Business Development, 77 Meintjies Street, Sunnyside, Pretoria, Block G Ground Floor within 30 (thirty) days of publication of this notice. This means that the comments period is from the 1st of March 2024 to the 31st of March 2024.
Access the draft national business licensing policy here.
We encourage you to provide your comments by completing this survey at the link.
The City of Cape Town has announced the commencement of road resurfacing works along Victoria Road and Albert Road in the Woodstock and Salt River areas.
The project began on 25 March, and completion is expected by the end of June this year, weather permitting.
Work will be conducted on weekdays and Sundays between 8:30am and 3:30pm, with occasional night shifts from 6:30pm to 5:30am.
It’s a busy time of year on the roads and we urge you to take extreme caution at this time. Check your vehicle before embarking on long trips, be sure to take necessary breaks as the driver, remain aware of other road users and never, ever drink and drive.
Read more on our post on Road Safety Tips here.
Wishing you all a happy Easter!
It’s been another year of successes and tackling challenges head-on for the Woodstock Improvement District. As part of our renewed commitment to public safety and urban cleaning and management, we persist in leading the way toward the continuous improvement of Woodstock as a thriving residential and business hub.
Our team has increased their presence on the ground, resulting in improved statistics across the board for 2023. We’ve driven more kilometres in our patrol vehicles, engaged with more members of the public and attended to more service requests and urban defects than ever before. We’ll continue with this increased presence in the community in 2024 and the years beyond.
This year, with 51 CIDs now in operation in the City of Cape Town, the new CID by-law and policy has come into effect. Geocentric, who has now been working with city improvement district initiatives for more than 2 decades, is proud to be responsible for over 25% of the total CIDs in operation.
In addition to taking care of the public’s safety and urban cleaning, our CID placed a focus on greening areas across Woodstock in 2023. These urban beautification projects will be continued throughout 2024, in line with the goal of continuously upgrading our community.
“Despite the challenges of a struggling economy, ongoing load shedding and higher fuel prices, the aim of the Woodstock Improvement District remained focussed on delivering top-up services to the public spaces of Woodstock throughout the year,” says Gene Lohrentz of Geocentric Urban Management, tasked with the delivery of the WID services.
The WID Board and Geocentric management team is committed to finding innovative, efficient and cost-effective ways to continue delivering on the vision for a safer, cleaner, well-maintained and vibrant Woodstock. We look forward to more opportunities to make a tangible difference in 2024.
As the festive season approaches, it is essential to prioritise safety at this time, as crime, accidents and fire hazards are usually on the rise during the holiday period.
Being mindful of potential risks and hazards can help safeguard you, your business and your property – from road safety considerations to vigilance against petty crimes in crowded business premises to more serious crimes such as hijacking and robbery.
Along with keeping your personal safety in mind, if you are a business owner, it is imperative to be vigilant and proactive in implementing strategies that protect your assets, property and staff during the busiest time of year.
Prevention is better than cure. That’s why we urge property and business owners to make every effort to prepare their properties, businesses, staff and themselves against opportunists and criminals with our safety tips below:
Continue readingAs the chilly and wet winter season approaches, it’s time to prepare ourselves for the unique challenges and delights that it brings.
From the brisk air to the rain-soaked streets, Cape Town winter demands our attention and readiness. Here, we explore practical tips to help you navigate the winter months with ease. From maintaining your home and business’ functionality to prioritising safety on the roads, these essential suggestions will ensure you’re well-prepared to go with the flow this winter. Let’s dive in and discover how to make the most of the wet season while keeping everything running smoothly.
After a challenging 2021, filled with great uncertainty and change globally, many of us are looking forward to wrapping things up for a well deserved holiday with family and friends. Ensuring that your property is secure and your business protected is the best Christmas gift you can give yourself and will give you the peace of mind that will allow you to relax and recuperate.
The Table Mountain fires that have just begun to be contained have sparked debate in Cape Town once again around homelessness. On Sunday 18 April, the day that the fires began, reports that Table Mountain National Park “surmised that the origin of the fire is from a vacated vagrant fire” were broadcast in the news. However, forensic expert investigating the fires David Klatzow disagrees, saying he is “not convinced” a vagrant is behind the Table Mountain blaze. He is asking for further investigations into both SANPark’s and UCT’s roles in possible negligence that led to the fires getting out of control in the height of fire season when measures should be taken to prevent the spread of fires that do occur.
It is not hard to believe that there is a bigger picture to consider and that placing the blame on a “vagrant” as an easy scapegoat is too simple an answer.
Did you know? Cape Town’s City Improvement Districts – also known as Special Ratings Area (SRA) – were established in 2000 with the flagship CCID as a non-profit organisation, funded by property owners with a vision to provide essential top-up safety and cleaning services, urban maintenance, social upliftment and upgrading of the environment in the city centre.
The spreading of CIDs and connected forms of public-private partnership as an international model of urban renewal has been linked to the rise of ‘urban entrepreneurialism’ and the neoliberalization of policies and practices, at a time when competition between cities in the global economy has never been greater. Continue reading
As President Cyril Ramaphosa announces the closure of all schools until after the Easter Weekend, parents are concerned about how they will manage to keep their kids entertained (other than Netflix or browsing the Internet!) without having to physically leave the house.
Fear not! We have compiled a list of things you may find helpful to ease the boredom and keep the children (and even yourself) busy until the Coronavirus panic dies down.
WID community safety
One of WID’s two main objectives is to provide top-up security services to the Woodstock community. This involves supplementing the services already provided by the City of Cape Town and working cooperatively with the City and private sector to make Woodstock a safer, cleaner and greener environment.
While we work tirelessly to achieve these goals, individuals also have an important role to play in ensuring their own safety and security.
Those familiar with the work of the Woodstock Improvement District (WID) will know that our official mandate is to provide top-up cleaning and security services to the Woodstock community.
More than that, we’re committed to serving and supporting the community in practical ways. This includes finding sustainable ways of addressing poverty, unemployment and homelessness.
One of the successful ways that we’ve managed to do this is in partnership with Khulisa Social Solutions, a non-profit organisation working to empower and enable vulnerable communities to unlock their potential and develop skills towards a sustainable future.
The premise of the partnership is to take people off the streets of Woodstock and give them a job, typically in cleaning, for which they earn a monthly stipend of R3000. We have countless success stories that demonstrate how having a job and earning an income gives people a sense of purpose and security, which has a knock-on effect on other social problems within the community.
We want to get more people off the streets, working and with a sense of dignity. But in order to do this we need financial support.
Please consider helping just one person off the street with a monthly contribution of R3000. The orientation process is managed entirely by WID and Khulisa, with no further expectations from business, except the benefit of working and living in a safer, more resilient community.
With your help we can empower people and create more resilient communities, and as such we kindly urge you to consider getting involved.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or queries on 021 462 7321 or info@wid.co.za.
