Tackling the big challenges to revive historic Central Gqeberha

For years, Central Gqeberha, the historic hub around which the city developed, had been allowed to slowly deteriorate – evident in decaying buildings, growing piles of rubbish on street corners and all manner of illicit dealings.

However, over the past five years, the degradation has diminished, and the city’s beating heart is slowly recovering its rhythm.

The heaps of filth have disappeared as clean-up teams roam the streets to improve the overall cleanliness and hygiene of the streets.

Dedicated private security teams patrol the blocks around Central, while specialised cameras monitor suspicious movement coming and going from the area.

Ruined buildings are being turned into investment opportunities, no longer housing vagrants and drug dens, but students flocking to Nelson Mandela Bay to further their studies at one of several tertiary education institutes.

Read more: Anonymous group applauded for unsanctioned demolition of notorious Gqeberha building

And the driving force behind this slow and steady upliftment are the dedicated members of the Central Special Rates Area (SRA).

The SRA was founded by a group of like-minded individuals who either own property and business in the historic suburb, or who want to preserve the oldest part of Gqeberha out of a sense of pride, nostalgia and their love of history.

It was established in 2020, but only truly got off the ground in 2021 when the first funding was approved, much of which is contributed by residents, businesses and property owners in the area.

Chaired by local businessman David Edwards, the SRA covers a few square kilometres stretching between Rink Street and the Donkin Reserve, and across from Russell Road to the northern ridge of the Baakens Valley.

Cleaning up the streets and tackling crime

“From a young age I was taken in by the old world charm and rich history of Central, and I believe we can revive it.

“Granted, the area has seen better days and there are many challenges. But I believe through smart collaborations and the right partners, we can not only restore Central, but we can turn it into something special,” Edwards said.

“I believe through smart collaborations and the right partners, we can not only restore Central, but we can turn it into something special.”

While the SRA has several projects in the pipeline, its key focus areas remain security, cleanliness, economic investment and promoting the historic significance of the area, as well as avenues where these aspects often overlap.

With regards to security, a strategic partnership with private security firm City Wide Security has made a major impact on crime in the area.

A director at the firm, Stephen Moore, said the deployment of specialised licence plate recognition (LPR) cameras in key locations has played a significant role in halting criminal activity.

“There are more than 80 cameras deployed in strategic locations throughout Central. These cameras belong to the SRA, Mandela Bay Development Agency, the Business Chamber and the neighbourhood watch, but all are linked onto one network that we monitor constantly,” Moore said.

“The goal is for Central to develop a reputation among criminals as a no-go zone. If they come into our area they will be spotted, and the only way they leave is in police custody.”

To further bolster security, City Wide’s dedicated patrol units move continuously through the area, keeping an eye out for suspicious activity.

Reviving buildings and boosting investment

One major source of concern is a number of abandoned buildings in the area that attract transient people and become hives for criminality.

One such example was 35 Clyde Street, a historic structure that once served as the city’s Community Chest offices before it was abandoned, taken over, gutted in a fire and became the scene of a horrific mass shooting in 2021, in which four people were killed and five more wounded.

In the months that followed, the SRA was able to relocate some of the homeless people with the help of another partner – the MES homeless shelter – before securing funding and the necessary permissions to demolish the troublesome building.

“In recent years Central has become the hub of student life. Providing these students with accommodation continues to be a major economic injection and driver for investment and development in the area.”

However, not every problematic structure can simply be knocked down, and many businessmen, such Edwards, have shown an interest in restoring old buildings and converting them for business purposes, particularly student accommodation.

“In recent years Central has become the hub of student life. Providing these students with accommodation continues to be a major economic injection and driver for investment and development in the area.

“In fact, this has led to several historic buildings getting a new lease on life,” Edwards said.

The Green Team keeps Central tidy

Cleaning up the streets in Central has proven to be a full-time job, and SRA operations manager Hayley Stirk oversees the daily efforts of the SRA’s crack team of cleaners, known as the Green Team.

“Dumping in open spaces is a major problem, and while the municipal crews come to remove refuse bags, we have taken it upon ourselves to keep our streets as clean as we can,” Stirk said.

The Green Team roams the streets with a bakkie and brooms, removing up to four tonnes of waste a day, operating six days a week.

“Once a month we also host community clean-ups where we earmark a specific area and invite members of the community to assist. We have been very happy with turnout, often getting 30 or more people to participate. It shows there is an interest in preserving, cleaning and developing the area,” Stirk said.

Plans for sports and community spaces

With an eye on future projects, the SRA has already put feelers out to several potential partners that could help it further improve Central.

One such project involves the development of a community sports complex at Trinder Park, a location that currently presents more problems than it addresses.

While the historic significance of Trinder Park is unclear, Edwards said it has become problematic as it attracts vagrants and drug abuse.

But the SRA has set money aside and submitted proposals to fence it in, install specialised turf and establish a complex where students and community teams can participate in sports such as netball or seven-a-side soccer.

Another initiative could see the SRA fence off the Donkin Reserve, allocate money towards improved security and market it as a prime location for picnics with a view of the city and sea.

Promoting tourism and the historic hub

The SRA currently offers monthly guided walking tours through the suburb to share information about the area’s history. To build on this initiative, it is currently in talks with cruise line operator MSC to make the guided tours part of a tourism package for foreigners visiting Gqeberha’s shores.

“Instead of leaving tourists to their own devices and potentially exposing them to opportunistic criminals, we want to partner with them to offer their passengers safe and insightful tours. We want to incorporate the beachfront and show off what our city has to offer as a holiday destination, as well as a historically and culturally rich location,” Edwards said.

Read more: Gqeberha’s St Augustine’s Cathedral fights ‘stone cancer’ through art

While these plans might sound like a pipe dream to some, Edwards believes that with the right partnerships and collaborations the SRA can bring real improvement and development to the heart of the city.

“We are not blind to the challenges of Central. It is far from ideal, and sometimes finding people to take an interest in the area can be frustrating.

“But I really believe we are slowly winning, and if we can get the right people on board we can turn Central in the tourism, student and business hub it is meant to be,” Edwards said. DM