The FF Plus welcomes the adoption of the community upliftment precincts (CUP) policy and looks forward to communities’ initiatives within this framework and the successful implementation thereof.
The FF Plus in the Tshwane metro council was instrumental in developing this project which was adopted during a council meeting on 30 November.
It supplements the current by-law on Internal Municipal Service Districts (IMSD), formerly also known as City Improvement Districts (CID).
The CUP allows community members to become active participants and implement lawful, diverse maintenance services in the areas where they work and live by means of a formal service delivery agreement.
It allows the community to, on a voluntary basis, halt further decline in the community and ensure the community’s safety.
The community actions included in the policy are, among other things, cleaning and maintaining specific community facilities such as parks, establishing and managing neighbourhood watches, installing CCTV cameras according to specific guidelines, and painting road signs.
Other projects include the basic maintenance of public road reserves, putting up advertisements at approved locations, erecting road signs, and temporarily redirecting traffic.
Each agreement relates to a geographic area or a set of standards that outline the policy’s permitted actions which are unique to the specific area.
Residents and businesses can draw up an operational plan outlining the responsibilities of the Metro and the community in question.
It will dictate how the respective parties should fulfil their responsibilities.
The application process is simple as well as quick and easy to implement. The agreement between the CUP and the municipality is valid for a period of three years, after which it can be revised and extended for another specified period of time.
There are already areas in the Tshwane Metro where it has been successfully implemented, such as Pretoria North, the Moot, Eersterust, Hatfield and Rosslyn.
A positive and actively participating community will play a significant role in maintaining and improving its environment in the future, which will benefit the entire metro and all its people.
The FF Plus believes that it will stimulate economic growth and promote self-determination in communities through facilitating constructive cooperation with the metro.