The Ballito UIP has been honoured at the prestigious KwaDukuza Municipality (KDM) Masakhane Awards evening, receiving the esteemed Best Community Public Private Partnership award.
What are the Masakhane Awards?
The Masakhane Awardsare are crucial in identifying and celebrating outstanding groups, individuals, and institutions that significantly contribute to our culture, society, and shape the identity and values of our municipality. Named to reflect our rich cultural heritage, these awards serve as symbols of pride and identity, echoing the call for unity and collective action.
Former President Mandela beautifully captured the essence of this concept when he launched the “Masakhane Campaign” twenty years ago. He emphasised the importance of collective effort in nation-building, stating, “Each brick that is used to build a wall is the result of many peopleโs work… Let us all build together and let us build each other.”
The Best Community Public Private Partnership Award
The Best Community Public Private Partnership Awardย recognises the pivotal role played by businesses in collaborating with public entities to address societal needs, enhance infrastructure, and drive positive change. It acknowledges companies that exemplify collaboration with the municipality in various areas.
In the case of the Ballito UIP, our recognition stems from the unique public-private collaboration between KwaDukuza Municipality and commercial property owners in Ballito, facilitated by the Ilembe Chamber of Business. This collaboration was established to address community needs and enhance infrastructure, including the establishment of a Special Rating Area.
Since its establishment eight years ago, the Ballito UIP has worked tirelessly to preserve Ballito’s status as a sought-after warm water destination on the North Coast. During it’s time, the Ballito UIP has implemented various social upliftment programmes including:
- Training and development of informal traders.
- Providing trading infrastructure and carts to informal traders around Ballito.
- Providing of beach access marts for disabled beach goers.
- Installing of 550 meters Clearvu safety fence on the high traffic P445, to protect pedestrian users.
- Continuous monitoring of water quality on our beach
Thierry Leclezio, Ballito UIP Precinct Manager, comments: “We are immensely proud of this recognition, which underscores the dedication of our team and the collaborative spirit within our community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the KwaDukuza Municipality for this honour and to our dedicated Board of Directors for their invaluable support.”
Continued support drives efforts
As members and residents of the Ballito UIP, your continued support drives our ongoing efforts to enhance our community. Let us continue collaborating to make Ballito an even more vibrant, inclusive, and thriving place to call home.
Thank you for being a part of our success story.