- 033 394 4980
- info@besg.co.za
- 331 Bulwer Street, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Built Environment Support Group are proud to have our contribution to local communities featured in local newspapers, national and international media outlets.
We are able to provide services and support to communities because of the generous donations we receive from local and international Corporate Social Investment programmes.
Having our work featured in local and international media provides valuable exposure for the organisations and individuals that support us and validates the importance of our contribution in the lives of the communities we serve.
We have attached links to newspaper and magazine articles that feature our stories. Please also visit our blog for updates on the work we are doing, insights into the communities we serve, and powerful stories about the work we do.
Click on the title to read a brief description of the article, and then click on the link to view the full article.
'Balancing the books' is an article featured in The Witness
One of the rarely debated elements in the fight against corruption is the protection afforded to
whistle-blowers.
Community halls, when built as an integral part of a housing project, have the
potential to act as a hub for social, cultural, educational, and welfare activities.
Yet they are very frequently a low priority if they are considered at all.
Community-based
organisations play an
important role in educating
communities, creating
awareness and facilitating
public participation, as the
experience of Impendle
shows.
Although the city has been saved from bankruptcy there are still serious issues to be dealt with.
Public participation is crucial in bringing about change within the local municipality.
A dispute over electricity tariffs in Msunduzi reveals underlying rot in our
democracy.
Planact and Built Environment Support Group (BESG) – members of the Good Governance Learning Network (GGLN) – recently hosted a learning event on informal settlement upgrading, aimed at sharing insights around human settlements policy and implementation
Participative budgeting allows rate and taxpayers to decide how their money should best be invested within local communities.
Partnerships between municipalities, ward committees and community are important for small communities to flourish.
ROB Haswell does a good spin on the challenges facing Msunduzi Municipality in the
November 23 issue of The Witness.
Analysis of what went wrong and who is to blame
NGOs continue to do good work despite the many challenges.
Criticism of public services and informal settlements by Cameron Brisbane.
On 24th October, the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature held a unique public consultation at Pietermaritzburg City Hall.
Its objective was “to develop a people’s public participation model for Parliament and Provincial Legislatures.”
Coincidentally, less than two weeks prior to the legislature hearing, I delivered a presentation to officials from
the Office of the Premier and Provincial Treasury on a very similar theme – how to enhance public
participation in the administration of government. MPLs make the policy, their officials implement the policy.
Click on the title to read a brief description of the article, and then click on the link to view the full article.
Forced to flee political violence, a mother turned her life around and built a career from her work as a volunteer
eKhaya Lethemba is providing help for vulnerable children
Rising to the challenge of dealing with AIDS and housing shortages within the community.
THE KZN FLOODS: MEETING THE KEY CHALLENGES OF RAPID
URBANISATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE – APRIL 2022
Water and sanitation - “How can you practice washing
hands if you have no water supply?”
A Pietermaritzburg project is winning international recognition with a creative solution to the problem of services and maintenance in low cost housing developments.
An appeal to corporate companies to support local communities.
A transition from being an outcast in society to being an activist for communities.
A feature of a collaboration between BESG, corporates and a community to change the lives of a small, forgotten community in Pietermaritzburg.
Opposition mounts as irregularities in tender process is queried.
Uncertain times lie ahead as good homes aren’t being built fast enough to keep up with population growth.
After a 6 year struggle to secure funding from KZN Department of Human Settlements, a partnership between Youth for Christ KZN and our trading company, BESG Development Services, finally came to fruition with the handover of a R3.5m building contract on 19
October. The project is to renovate two dilapidated buildings in the upper CBD of Pietermaritzburg that form the Khayalethu Shelters for Street Children.
A local creche has benefited from a local building project.
Still no end in sight in struggle to acquire decent housing for persons with special needs.
What solutions does the city have to 'deal' with street children?
The agenda has changed and the pressure to deliver services for informal settlements is on.
Have a valuable skill you’d like to contribute to our community? Awesome, we would love to hear from you. Touch base with us.
From helping families rebuild their homes to funding community projects that matter, your contribution goes a long way.
Looking for a Corporate Social Investment programme that will deliver significant returns on your investment? We’ve got heaps.
