3. MAYOR GEORDIN HILL-LEWIS REPORT (GHL)
Mayor GHL thanked everyone for the turnout and thanked Cllr Jowell for her work and efforts to date.
What is he trying to achieve?
1. GHL stood for Mayor so that he could set the example of what is possible. He wasn’t happy to accept poor service delivery and failures. We should never accept loadshedding. We somehow celebrate when loadshedding goes down levels. He believes that can get positive things done. Wants people of Cape Town to feel a sense of positivity that the future is sustainable and positive.
2. GHL wants a City that is inclusive, caring, responsibly run, professional civil servants and invests in infrastructure.
3. The City has the wherewithal, assets and attractions.
4. Cape Town is the only City in SA that has a growing rates base which helps on the asset side of the Balance sheet.
5. What makes us anxious about SA and what can the City do about these things? We making things sustainable, but have to get people jobs and out of poverty.
6. CPT has incredible assets but we haven’t achieved breakout growth. Biggest handbrake is loadshedding which is due to political and bureaucratic reasons. We don’t set our bar on the rest of the country. We should have no loadshedding in CPT within 3 years by reducing reliance on Eskom by 20%. City already amended policy whereby businesses can get paid for giving power back to the City and by mid-2023 this will also include residential properties.
7. Crime and safety also top of mind. SAPS is primarily responsible for crime fighting but they in a state of decline partly due to financial constraints. Much of national debt goes to servicing debt and not crime fighting. SAPS are working without many resources, eg bulletproof vests, ammunition, vehicles). SAPS only gets their firearm relicensed every 5 years while Metro Police does this every year. City has invested R1bn together with the Western Cape government to roll out 1300 Law Enforcement and Metro Police officers . This model is working. Violent crime in CPT is down in all major hotspot areas over an extended period (past 3 or 4 quarters). The Mayor asked Metro Police head what was needed. They want crime fighting technology rather than more officers. A new unit has just been rolled out which will have all vehicles kitted out with cameras (license plate recognition) and officers will have bodycam’s as well. Within 1st hour of the rollout, arrested someone with stolen vehicle. This technology will be rolled out to all officers. Also have drone technology which can have eyes anywhere within 4 minutes. City has also just appointed their first Chief Technology Officer.
8. City wants control of the train / rail system. National government also seems to want this, but National Department of Transport is dragging their feet.
9. Infrastructure: CPT invests the most in SA but still nowhere close to enough. Infrastructure needs to keep up with migration and inward growth. It does look like there is adequate investment in the pipeline and next year this will double. The City has “petrol in the tank” in terms of finances to fulfil these investments, but we must be able to deliver on time and in budget (already spent R30m on upskilling project management and infrastructure support).
10. Water and sewerage. Budget for sewerage and water has quadrupled. Busy securing water supplies (aquifer drilling). Also increasing Bergriver/Voelvlei dam capacity. Alien cleaning around dams happening. Water recycling plant will be the biggest in the world in 5 years’ time. Desalination will be a last resort.
11. Cleanups: Mayor GHL is very keen on cleaning up the City. There must be no litter. We need to show pride in our City. People need to see benefits and therefore take more care in the City. Mayor GHL has attended beach cleanups.
12. Homelessness: Refer link to article in Daily Maverick https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-07-10-cape-town-mayor-hill-lewis-wants-to-shift-approach-on-homelessness-from-law-enforcement-to-care-intervention/. No one can be removed from any structure without Court order due to PIE Act. The current judgment operating in the City of Cape Town is that the City must provide alternative accommodation in the vicinity, but no one knows what “in the vicinity” actually means. It seems as if everyone is passing the parcel around with regards alternative accommodation, i.e. the City believes this should be a local government issue and local government believes it should be a National government issue. The City is trying to re-integrate homeless with Safe Spaces (part of the “Give Dignity” campaign). More Safe Spaces are going to be rolled out (spending +-R155m). This will include 2 hot meals per day, job placement opportunities, substance addiction support, id book support and other interventions to assist homeless. Every homeless person in our area has been visited and details have been obtained. Only 28 homeless people have taken up offer of assistance out of 161. The main reasons for refusing assistance is twofold, namely there was no couples accommodation (this is now being offered) and secondly use of narcotics is not allowed (this can never be allowed). The City concluded many interventions and now will approach the Courts with the message that they have tried everything and now need the Courts support to force the homeless to take up shelter. We must all support and encourage the “Give Dignity” program. All money from this program goes to support the shelters. This will be a safer place for the homeless to stay.
Questions & Answers:
1. CW asked about the MPT. The MPT is made up of mostly planners, architects and planning officials and appointed by Municipal council. Elected Municipal Councillors are excluded from being Members of the MPT. Municipal planning is a local government function ito the Constitution of SA. National government has told municipalities that elected Councillors should not be members of municipal planning tribunals. Will you (as Mayor) support a position whereby elected municipal Councillors are allowed to become members of MPT’s. In your opinion, would that improve democracy at a local government level?
Mayor GHL: Yes, he would support elected Councillors being on MPT’s. Councillors are currently allowed to speak at MPT meetings. He continued by saying that all Camps Bay matters that comes before him, he reads carefully and takes legal advice since he knows Camps Bay is a litigious area. He tries to take appropriate balance between both parties.
2. Anthony Pamm: Wanted to know who enforces accountability in the City and whether there was an ability and willingness to enforce accountability.
Mayor GHL: GHL has read many e-mails that Mr Pamm has sent over many years and has taken legal advice. Just because Mr Pamm doesn’t like what is reported back to him doesn’t mean that he is being fobbed off. Mr Pamm needs to take his own legal advice, but from the City’s perspective, Mr Pamm needs to move on.
3. Paul Jacobson: Evictions of homeless taking up to 2 years. Visible policing needed. Where are the 100 Mayoral LE officers?
Mayor GHL: The evictions of homeless is a lengthy process due to the PIE Act. Focus of LE is the CBD, but it is meant to be shared. There were extra LE along beaches (especially weekends and Valedictory weekend). GHL wants to top up the deployment but needs to check financing.
4. Robert Blumberg: SAPS station has reduced from 48 people to 28 people and there is talk of making it a satellite station (part of Sea Point). There have been 4 muggings, 2 attempted muggings and 1 attempted abduction from CBHS. Residents pay local security to assist in the area. If the SAPS station does go (and become just a satellite station) then we would rather have Metro Police using the space. We need 24/7 Police patrol on the beaches. Cllr Jowell assisted with problems on Clifton 4th beach this past weekend. There are 55 000 vehicles per day x average 4 people per vehicle which equals 220 000 people per day therefore we need 24/7 beach patrol.
Mayor GHL: Acknowledges challenges with SAPS. It is the City’s plan to roll out dedicated beach patrol and more metro police and LE (need vehicles, firearms, staff, training). Highway patrol has just started which is currently 30 strong and will grow. It is intended that something similar will happen with beach patrols.
5. Question was asked about loadshedding, Homeless sleeping in toilets and Taxi problems.
Mayor GHL: GHL has zero confidence that Eskom will be able to achieve what is needed to put an end to loadshedding. The City will need to plug the loadshedding gap. PIE Act is the law so City can’t do illegal evictions. But the City can monitor the toilets and homeless can’t take occupation in toilets. With regards the taxis, the City has highway patrols which is impounding taxis regularly. Fees for the release of the taxis is now far higher than before since new Bylaws were passed. The City is actually running out of space for impounded vehicles. They have now bought a vehicle crusher.
6. Question posed by a guy who moved back to Cape Town after being away for 28 years. He previously tried to help homeless by offering to pay for them to buy stuff from Pick ‘n Pay. This caused some chaos. His question was what growth rate the City can expect and how we can reduce the timelines to achieve the growth required and also reduce expenses.
Mayor GHL: Growth is currently at +-15 but population growth is about 2.5% so everyone is actually getting poorer. GHL wants to at least keep pace with population growth. This will only be possible if we can get electricity under control.
7. Question asked about immediate (short term) plans to reduce settlements
Mayor GHL: City recently got a successful eviction in 2-3 months for 19 people settlement (which is small). We hoping this is an important precedent, but it may be different when it is a 600 people settlement. Immediate plan is the Court process. The current court case is between the City and SAHRC/EFF. The City won the counter-spoliation application. It is also very important that as soon as anyone sees City Land (or any Public Property) being set up / structure erected thereon, then contact the City asap. This will be treated as a priority 1 call (i.e. Emergency call) then LE must act immediately. Contact # is 107 from a Landline and 0214807700 from a cell phone.
8. Cindy Nel: She noted that the homeless are being supported by the Community. She asked about paid parking on Victoria Rd and also moving the taxi rank which is currently in front of Pick ‘n Pay.
Mayor GHL: He confirms that many homeless are being supported by the Community and the homeless are spending R200-R300 per day on their addictions. The City is trying to get the homeless the help they need. Cllr Jowell will respond regarding paid parking and taxi rank.
9. Doug: He raised the issue that Mossel Bay has plenty of gas offshore which should reduce or eliminate our reliance on Eskom. He is also concerned about developers abusing planning laws. CW also commented about the developers wanting Title Deed restrictions removed/stripped. CW is of the view that Camps Bay should remain primarily a single residential neighbourhood (or at most dual dwelling) and the exploitation of removal of Title Deed restrictions should be stopped. CW mentioned that almost all Title Deed removals are granted.
Mayor GHL: Total are looking at Mossel Bay gas. This would certainly benefit CT tremendously. With regards developers and removal of Title Deeds, GHL says that he tries to have a balanced and fair approach and tries to be reasonable. He does look at all Camps Bay matters that get to him very closely. He mentioned that last week he declined an application and within 24 hours he was served Court papers from the Developers.
10. David Raad: What is the plan with the pump station and how safe is the ocean water? What is the latest with the Maidens Cove Development that was proposed some years ago?
Mayor GHL: GHL acknowledges that many of the pump stations around CT are in bad condition. The City has allocated R650m for upgrades. He isn’t sure how much of this is for the Camps Bay pump station but it is relatively small (Langa pump station is the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere). With regards the Maidens Cove Development this isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
With regards the ocean water, Darryl Colenbrander from the City Coastal Management Department (been with the City for 15 years) discussed this. He mentioned the various independent studies that were done which were submitted to various Committees. It was recommended that these studies be made available to the Public. The studies were focused on the impact on Marine Biodiversity and Coastal Water quality. The results were that they don’t exceed acceptable limits. The recommendations from the reports were that pre-screening should be improved so as to reduce the impact of the Marine Outfall. He is happy to engage with the Community. Per CW, our Professors we have previously engaged will check the data and revert.
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