Cape Town - What has been a dream project for over 20 years has now come to fruition for residents living in Bayview, Chatsworth, in KwaZulu-Natal.
On Monday, a sod-turning event for much-needed community services took place, which will see the Sibaya Community Trust investing over R4 million.
Brandon Pillay, an ANC Member of Parliament in the National Assembly, has had a vision to build and improve community services for residents in Bayview.
He is also the founding member of the Bayview Flats Residents Association, which was established in 1999 with the guidance of late stalwart Professor Fatima Meer.
During the sod-turning event, which was attended by the founder and chairperson of Sibaya Community Trust, Vivian Reddy and MEC for social development Nonhlanhla Khoza, it was announced the construction of the Ubuntu Bayview Community Centre is set to start in the coming weeks.
During the ceremony, Pillay fondly reflected on his first meeting with Reddy, who promised that his dream of bringing services to Bayview residents would be recognised.
Pillay said Reddy, who has become his role model and mentor, has instilled a quote which always stood out for him: ‘if you can dream it, you can achieve it’, and there is no better time than now that his words ring true.
“This has certainly been a dream that has been achieved,” Pillay said.
Reddy said while the community has been waiting for this project for many years, this legacy project will be one that offers many benefits to those in the local and surrounding areas.
The community centre will be hosting programmes such as:
- A daily soup kitchen
- A medical camp
- Advisory desk for youth and elderly
- A hub for programmes on gender-based violence (GBV)
- Skills development
- Drug and substance abuse programmes.
“I am especially heartened by the fact that there is going to be a white door centre of hope and women’s shelter, a much-needed facility. GBV is a pandemic in our communities, one that must be treated with radical interventions.
“I have been involved in the work of this community since 1999 and have supported many programmes for the Bayview community over the years,” he said.
“My tribute goes to Brandon Pillay, his passion and dedication since the age of 17 have shaped the future for Bayview Residents. It is through his perseverance that we stand here today to make miracles happen,” Reddy said.
MEC Khoza said she was delighted to learn that the Sibaya Community Trust has spent over R250 million on social upliftment and called Reddy ‘the father of KwaZulu-Natal’ for his philanthropic projects and the responsibility he felt to the most vulnerable in society.
“It’s people like Vivian Reddy who help ease the lives of masses of vulnerable people,” she said.
With Reddy’s birthday just days away, Khoza said he had given the best gift to the community of Bayview.
Construction is expected to be completed by July.