22 JUNE 2011
SPEECH BY EXECUTIVE MAYOR ALDERMAN PATRICIA DE LILLE:
COUNCIL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 2011
Mr. Speaker, councillors, City officials, ladies and gentlemen.
Good morning, goeiedag, molweni.
I would like to take a moment to express this Council’s sympathy with
those people affected by the fire in Mfuleni last week. Four children were
injured and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the emergency
services for their efforts in preventing further injuries and loss.
I would also like to thank the City’s Winter Readiness Committee for the
work that they are doing to help provide relief to flood victims during this
season of heavy rainfall. Their proactive response through exploring new
engineering solutions to problems, as well as their reactive response to
provide immediate relief to people in need, deserves this Council’s thanks.
This Council has only been in office for less than a month. The process of
councillor engagement with communities is just beginning as our people
begin to get to know their elected representatives. Those relationships will
inform the way we govern as an engaged administration going forward
over the next five years.
Despite our short term in office, this administration has already taken
positive steps forward. This Council has passed a budget that will help us
deliver services to everyone, especially the poor, and help us fulfil our
mandate to the people of Cape Town.
Based on the strategy of investing in infrastructure-led growth, the
budget will help us maintain our position as the best metro in the country
for service delivery. The funding prescribed will help us position ourselves
as a City that creates the economic environment in which jobs can be
created and opportunities for our people can grow.
To implement our strategy of creating new opportunities, this
administration has undertaken a revision of Mayco portfolios. For
instance, the Executive Deputy Mayor now has the responsibility of
ensuring that we have even better relations with the National and
Provincial Governments.
The new Mayco portfolio of Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning
will assist us in shaping the environment and conditions in which
opportunities can grow in this city. And the portfolio of Tourism, Events
and Marketing will help position us as a City that builds on our current
strengths and assets to attract new investment that can help us grow.
We are committed to delivering on our mandate given to us by the people
of this city. We believe in an accountable government that is always
answerable to the people first, especially when handling City resources.
This administration is on track to spend 85% of its Capital Budget for this
financial year, which is not yet concluded. This expenditure has been
openly monitored, tracked and explained through public deliberations of
the Mayco.
Cape Town remains the only metro in the country where Mayco meetings
and City finances are open to the public. Such transparency would not be
possible in a metro like Johannesburg, for instance, where City finances
remain a secret.
Mr. Speaker, this administration will only be satisfied once we have a
figure approaching 100% of our capital budget spent. We will be engaging
with our City’s management team to ensure that we achieve this goal
going forward.
However, we remain proud of our financial performance and reporting,
and indeed our recognition from National Treasury as a metro that always
spends the money allocated to us.
But there are also other achievements which we can be proud of before
we go into recess. As this Council knows, the City has been exploring
means of making peace in Hangberg with the Hangberg Community Peace
and Mediation Forum.
Last week, we took another important step in the process of mediation.
One of the steps that we agreed to with the Forum was the eventual
transfer of ownership of 60 row houses from the City to the tenants that
have occupied them for decades.
I met with the tenants and gave them the City’s letters of commitment
that state that, after all due legal processes have been followed and
completed, that the City will transfer ownership to them.
The Hangberg community and the City of Cape Town took an important
step forward together that day.
Addressing the concerns of the Hangberg community was only one of the
items on the agenda for dealing with issues that divided us in the past. As
this Council knows, the enclosure of City- installed toilets in Khayelitsha
has remained from the previous administration.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand here today and say that the City will
be addressing this issue. By my instruction, tomorrow, community
facilitators, with City officials, will go to the people of the three
communities in SS2, Town 2 and Makhaza.
The people of these communities will be informed that the City will be
enclosing their toilets with concrete in compliance with the court order.
The facilitators will keep records of our efforts to comply with this order
and report back on the progress in the communities.
As we embark on this process of enclosure, which the City has attempted
numerous times, I ask that all parties respect the decision of the court
and the City’s programme to comply with it.
With mutual respect and consideration for the people affected, we can lay
this issue to rest.
Furthermore, there have been outstanding issues of the name changes
adopted by the previous Council, which this administration is committed
to enacting.
Mr. Speaker, after due consultation, I am pleased to announce that on 15
July this year, the City of Cape Town will officially rename Eastern
Boulevard after former president Mandela.
President Mandela’s vision of a people united in their diversity is a vision
that the City of Cape Town is giving life to every day and I am proud to
say that we will honour Madiba’s legacy in this city.
This administration will move ahead with the other street name changes
as soon as possible.
In so doing, we will respect the heritage of all of our citizens so that we
can create the cohesion necessary for a truly united city that includes
everyone.
As we go into recess for a well-deserved rest after the election, we must
realise that we can deliver to the people of Cape Town. The only things
that stand in our way are the artificial barriers created by some to sow
division. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind this Council that the people
of Cape Town and their needs do not go into recess. I want to appeal to
councillors to continue to engage with their communities to ensure that
the administration of Cape Town always serves the people.
Thank you.