Services & Programs

Making Claremont a better place for All

Development Strategy

The CIDC has moved beyond its crime and grime objective without losing these twin elements as building blocks.

The CIDC’s vision is to “Make Claremont CBD the top mixed-use centre in the metropolitan area by capitalizing upon, and enhancing, its compact, heterogeneous and permeable nature and its multi-modal accessibility, thereby ensuring the creation of a high-quality urban environment that is an attractive place to work, shop, play and live for all stakeholders”.

 

A number of significant investments by both the private and public sectors in the Claremont business district have ensured that Claremont’s development objectives are significantly met and have ensured the Claremont CBD is a major retail and commercial investments hub within the wider metropole.  These include:

  • Levy contribution by  CIDC levy payers, which saw a direct investment of over R34 million.
  • Private Investment – which is an agreed mechanism for Urban Regeneration and shows business confidence in an area.  Examples of this type of investment include the 95 apartment development called Seven Miles South, which was sold out within 10 days of launching; the MontClare mixed-use development which saw over R450 Million spent on this SAPOA award-winning development for innovative excellence in property development at the SAPOA awards held in Sun City in 2010; the Claremont which saw tired retail being developed into a mixed-use residential and retail development with 322 apartments and 520 undercover parking bays.
  • Public Investment – the most significant piece of public investment in Claremont was the R38 million development of the Claremont Public Transport Interchange, which opened in October 2008.  This integrated transport hub caters to over 30 000 commuters on a daily basis
  • Return and arrival of new business – such as the acquisition of a local call center by the Global multi-million dollar E-telecare Global Solutions, which will see at full capacity 1200 new employment opportunities in Claremont.  In 2009 Juta and Company also arrived in Claremont, opening its new flagship book store in the Sunclare building and moving its head office operations to the office space above.
  • Public-private investments – the jewel in the crown of public-private investments is undoubtedly the partnership between the CIDC and the City of Cape Town, which saw over R45 million invested, which saw the building of the Claremont Boulevard

There remains, however, an unfinished agenda within Claremont which requires the multitude of stakeholders, the CIDC and the City of Cape Town to maintain the momentum of urban development and regeneration.  These include:

  • Integrated transport solutions, which build on the significant investments in infrastructure already available in Claremont.
  • A land use transport model, which allows for ongoing monitoring of growth and change within the greater Claremont area.
  • A myriad of street light, street furniture and pedestrian and cycling upgrades, which allow for greater movement of people within Claremont.
  • The implementation of Council’s Four Square’s Policy, which will also allow for greater pedestrian movement in dignified public spaces. 

Security and Safety

The CIDC security in partnership with the South African Police Services, Law Enforcement, Securitas, its dedicated service provider, as well as other security organisations and stakeholders, have formed a tight security net around Claremont CBD.

Owing to this effort, the crime rate has dropped significantly and many crime  incidents are prevented from happening. The valuable complementary services provided by the CIDC security officers are being deployed in the Claremont CBD 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Safety and Security measures include:

  • Visible policing
  • Regulation of informal trading
  • Event security
  • Security forums

Currently, the CIDC security component on the streets of Claremont consists of:

  • 1 dedicated CIDC security manager
  • 4 Shift supervisors
  • 3 Control room officers
  • 3 mobile assistants per shift
  • 21 foot officers

The CIDC has various crime prevention initiatives that have begun to yield dividends. With the SAPS we have identified crime hot spots. We have distributed safety pamphlets and cards to the public and ensured that the channels of communication between our stakeholders and the CIDC remain open.

Sector Policing

Sector policing allows community members to communicate with a dedicated person who coordinates all crime-related issues in a defined area. Improved communication within this network results in problems being solved quickly and effectively. Sector policing originated with the South African Police Services dividing their area of responsibility into smaller, more manageable precincts, with a designated manager for each area. Huge community involvement in solving crime-related  problems and issues is the key to success.

Communities and property owners are alert for any suspicious behavior in their areas, which they channel to a dedicated person who can react immediately. Better communication is established in this way and crimes are solved quickly and effectively.

Weekly Crime Tasking Meetings, as well as a monthly forum meeting and also meetings with the Claremont Public Transport Interchange (PTI) and Metrorail are held on a regular basis. The CIDC, with its partner the SAPS, invite Stakeholders from the area, to inform them about crime trends, hot spots and tendencies. They are then advised on how to combat these. This valuable system also addresses social and other urban issues.

The SAPS manager for the Claremont sector is Warrant Officer Michael Coetzee,  Sector 2 Manager 084 800 8478

Cleaning and Urban Management 

The CIDC monitors the streets and public spaces in Claremont on a daily basis. Defects are reported and regular follow up meetings with the local authorities take place to develop urban management solutions.

The CIDC provides dedicated top-up cleansing services in the Claremont CBD. Streets and public spaces are kept clean and graffiti free by 17 dedicated cleaners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The CIDC works together with various NGO’s such as the organization Straatwerk, on both Urban Management and Social Development projects

Social Outreach

The CIDC’s Social Development department focuses on assisting homeless people in the Claremont CBD, as well as alleviating poverty by supporting skills training and job creation projects. It works in partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders.

The CIDC has  formed partnerships with the following organizations to assist them in the Claremont CBD:

  • Straatwerk – an NGO that employs previously homeless people and assists them in rebuilding their lives, on a daily basis. They are used for special projects such as graffiti removal, removal of posters, drain cleaning and any other cleaning projects.
  • The Haven  which runs a  shelter  for homeless people and children in the Claremont area, as well as providing a soup kitchen.
  • U turn who in addition to running interventions like second hand clothing for the homeless, have a successful voucher programme. This enables members of the public to give responsibly, by purchasing a voucher from any number of outlets in the Claremont area and giving it to the homeless. The voucher enables the homeless to redeem any number of services from U-turn including food and clothing.

The CIDC Social Department has  developed a holistic strategy focusing on four main areas of intervention:

Shelters

By building relationships of trust with people on the street, the CIDC succeeded in partnering with existing NGOs in the Claremont area, allowing the destitute adults and children to find comfort in places of safety.

Reunification

The CIDC successfully reunited 3 out of the 40 adult homeless people, who call Claremont home,  back with their families in 2009.

Job Creation

Job-creation projects in partnership with businesses and NGOs enjoy high priority. So far two successful job creation projects in the fields of cleaning and removal of graffiti, have been initiated with Straatwerk.

Channeling donations 

The CIDC uses its role as facilitator to link sponsors looking for a worthy cause, with the right beneficiaries. As a result of its many partnerships, many businesses send clothing and food supplies to the CIDC, which then channels these donations to NGOs in the area and directly to people in need.

The CIDC has shown that by working with social partners, much can be achieved with limited resources. The CIDC has demonstrated that businesses can and should be involved in meeting the needs of poor and homeless people living on the streets of  Claremont.

Feel free to donate money, food or clothing, please contribute to a registered organization. 

 

Useful Social Contacts

General Social Interventions (within the Claremont CBD only)

CIDC 24 hr emergency toll free number        0800 200 597

By-law Enforcement

City of Cape Town Law Enforcement              107 /                                                             021 480 7700

Give Responsibly

The Haven – Adult homeless                          (021) 671 4209

U- Turn – Youth and adult homeless            (021) 683 4948

Straatwerk                                                          (021) 930 8055

Reporting Social Crime & Criminality amongst the Homeless

Warrant Officer Chetty – Claremont SAPS    079 894 1492

SAPS Emergency                                          10111

Social Development

Children                                                            0800 220 250