Councillor Solomon Philander has met with formal businesses in the Mitchells Plain Town Centre to build stronger ties around safety, economic growth, and creating a more welcoming environment for traders and shoppers.

A long-overdue conversation

Philander, who is also the Wolfgat Subcouncil chair, says the meeting was long overdue. While the City of Cape Town regularly engages various stakeholders in the Town Centre, one voice had been missing: that of formal business operators. The Mitchells Plain CID meets with property owners, the City meets with informal traders, and safety structures hold their own meetings — but formal businesses had not had a dedicated space to raise their concerns directly. This meeting set out to change that, he said.

“I received various meeting requests from the business community, hence it was practical to call an open meeting to deal with the challenges and give a collective response,” he said.

About 25 business owners attended

Approximately 25 businesses took part, from small business owners to anchor tenants, Philander said, with all sharing their experiences and raising concerns.

The meeting brought together key role players, including representatives from the South African Police Service (Saps), Metro Police, Area Economic Development (AED), Law Enforcement, the City Improvement District (CID), the precinct manager, and the sub-council.

A productive outcome

According to Philander, the meeting achieved its goal. Businesses had a direct platform to raise their concerns, while responsible officials gave an overview of their services and responded to issues in real time.

The subcouncil chair said contact details were also exchanged between parties to help improve service delivery in the Mitchell’s Plain CBD.

Philander confirmed the engagement was well received by all.

“Both parties acknowledged that the Town Centre is Mitchell’s Plain’s economic hub and that it serves the community where shoppers get bargains,” he said.

Businesses also recognised the good work being done by the City and enforcement agencies, noting that property break-ins and robberies had decreased.

Challenges raised

Philander said several concerns were brought to the table during the meeting:

• Public lighting in the Town Centre needs urgent attention
• A permanent precinct manager is needed to improve day-to-day management of the Town Centre
• Unpermitted trading in lanes and non-trading areas has grown, with little to no enforcement taking place
• General safety concerns persist in the CBD, including gang-related activity
• Traffic violations in parking areas need to be addressed
• Specific municipal account issues need to be resolved quickly

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