EMIHLE MBANGATHA
The Quigney Ratepayers and Residents Association (QRPRA) is celebrating a year of successful initiatives which have helped reintroduce tourism back into the area, benefitting businesses.
The association began its operations in July last year with the goal of transforming Quigney into one of the safest and cleanest suburbs in East London.
Since then, the association’s projects have included a range of community improvement activities such as removing illegal car washers, prohibiting public drinking, curbing indecent behaviour and addressing prostitution.
The association’s finance and operations representative Satish Nair said: “We are uplifting and maintaining Heroes Park as our main tourist attraction, while also addressing the presence of vagrants and bush dwellers who pose a potential risk for criminal activity.
“We’re also focusing on the cleanliness of the area — cutting grass, removing weeds, and sweeping pavements and gutters around Quigney on a daily basis.
“More community members are getting involved every day as they experience the improved safety and cleanliness brought about by this initiative and businesses are benefiting too, seeing increased foot traffic and profits due to the cleaner, safer environment.
“They’ve also been generous in their support — contributing financially, donating tools and consumables, and even providing food for workers.”
The association plans to prioritise further improvements in law enforcement and infrastructure, but limited resources and funding are holding them back.
“So far, this has been a community-led project, but we are appealing to Buffalo City Metro for support in the form of funding and resources so we can expand the scope of our work,” said Nair. “The project has proven to be sustainable for now, as long as our current level of funding continues.
“We welcome support from any relevant or interested stakeholders.
“We’re a non-political, non-profit association focused solely on bettering our community.”
Nair said that while the project covered only 30% to 50% of Quigney at present, the goal was to extend it to the entire suburb — and eventually, even beyond into other areas of East London.
Norman Thorne, owner of Wimpy at the beachfront, expressed strong support for the initiative.
“We’ve always believed that a thriving business depends on a thriving community.
“When we saw local residents and the QRPRA stepping up to take responsibility for their environment, we felt compelled to support those efforts.
“It’s inspiring to see people take pride in their neighbourhood, and we wanted to be part of that positive energy.”
Thorne said Wimpy has played a significant role in supporting the association’s mission.
“We’ve provided practical support — through sponsorships, assisting with clean-up campaigns, offering space or materials, and using our platform to raise awareness of community events.
“We’ve also helped fund tools and safety initiatives, and encouraged our staff to volunteer.
“Alongside other businesses, we’ve kept public areas clean and safe, and made our premises available as a community resource.”
Thorne said the impact was clearly visible.
“There’s a stronger sense of pride and ownership now.
“Public spaces are cleaner, there’s a growing feeling of safety and unity, and people are starting to believe in Quigney’s potential again.
“It’s encouraging to see how collective effort can bring about real, visible change.”
