Speech by the Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de
Lille, at the full Council meeting on 5 December 2012
Good morning, goeidag, molweni.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by remembering two South African
heroes.
The first is Professor Jakes Gerwel, former director-general in the
presidency, who passed away a week ago.
Prof. Gerwel dedicated his intellectual gifts to liberate and serve this
country.
The second is Arthur Chaskalson, former chief justice, who passed away
over the weekend.
Justice Chaskalson was not only one of the main architects of our
Constitution - he worked tirelessly to achieve dignity and human rights for
his fellow South Africans long before we finally became a constitutional
democracy.
We remember and honour them.
Mr. Speaker, through you, may I request a moment of silence.
Thank you.
Our history is truly one of great individuals.
But we are working to make democratic South Africa more than just the
legacy of great men and women.
We are working to make this a country with a living future of hope.
I believe that that feeling of hope and goodwill runs through this city.
It was evident when we inaugurated Table Mountain as one of the New
Seven Wonders of the natural world on Sunday.
It was evident when we celebrated the holiday season by turning on the
lights in the CBD with over one hundred thousand people in attendance.
And it was evident two nights ago as the CBD played host to yet another
global superstar.
It is that sense of hope, that sense of community, that spirit of a city
united that underpins Cape Town’s long-term strategic positioning as not
only the best city in South Africa, but one of the best cities in the world.
But you do not need to take my word for it.
The South African local government intelligence organisation, Municipal
IQ, recently released the rankings of its Municipal Productivity Index,
ranking Cape Town as the country’s most productive city.
This calculation was made by assessing the extent of poverty in the
municipality and the response to it; access to municipal services;
infrastructure provision; financial governance; and occupancy rates.
While I am pleased that we beat out our local competitors, such as
Johannesburg and Ethekwini, I have long stated that we are holding
ourselves to a higher international standard.
And I am pleased that we have lived up to our goals for the past calendar
year – a year that has seen a series of accolades for Cape Town.
Last month, we were named ‘Favourite City Worldwide’ in a new poll by
the Telegraph Travel Awards.
In October, we were voted second best city in the world by Conde Nast
Traveller.
Our Council Rental Units (CRUs) refurbishment programme won an award
from the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE).
Eight of our beaches and two marinas were awarded blue flag status by
the Blue Flag Programme.
The Spatial Development Framework won the best municipal project
award from the South African Planning Institute.
Our City Parks won gold at the Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show.
Our electricity department won gold and silver awards for outstanding
service delivery at the annual Pragma Awards.
And a Director in our Finance Directorate, Louise Muller, was elected
president of the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers, bringing
tremendous honour on herself and the City.
And these are only some of the awards made in the later part of the year.
We are truly excelling with the pace of our service delivery and the kind of
environment we offer to our visitors from around the country and
overseas.
Mr. Speaker, these awards don’t just appear out of thin air.
They are the end result of the hard work and dedication this City and its
officials put into making this great city even greater.
And we have witnessed a series of service delivery successes in the past
year from our various directorates.
Among the many examples, a few exceptional examples stand out.
In Community Services, the Kuyasa library in Khayelitsha, as a centre for
learning and community involvement, is a stand-out project this year.
In Environmental, Economic Development and Spatial Planning, the
Economic Development Partnership (EDP) was launched and we
established the Energy and Climate Change Committee.
In Finance, amidst a downgrade of the sovereign credit rating, we
retained our Double A credit rating from Moody’s, gave R1,1 billion in free
basic services to people in formal housing, and free basic services to
820 000 people in informal settlements and a total of almost R900 million
in rates rebates.
In Human Settlements, we handed over title deeds to 236 houses in the
Kewtown Infill Housing Project, committed to the near-future transfer of
2500 title deeds, had 250 houses retrofitted in Mamre to make up for the
design flaws of the past and launched the new Manenberg Human
Settlements Contact Centre.
In Utilities, we rolled out a janitorial services programme for informal
settlements and committed R190 million to electrification of informal
settlements.
In Safety and Security, we stepped up our campaign against the gangs
and drug lords and our Disaster Risk Management took the lead amongst
South African cities in terms of disaster readiness plans.
In Tourism, Events and Marketing, we took the first steps towards
opening up our tourism market to Turkey and have successfully hosted a
series of major international events at our iconic stadium.
In Health we opened the outpatient alcohol and drug treatment site in
Khayelitsha, and in Social Development and Early Childhood
Development, we launched the ‘Give Responsibly’ campaign to support
organisations that help street people.
In Corporate Services, we have committed R213 million to the roll-out of
broadband infrastructure across the metro and have installed fifty free call
lines in City facilities to improve communication with residents.
In Transport, Roads and Stormwater, we launched the transport
authority, we launched Transport for Cape Town, rolled-out our street
naming and renaming campaign and committed R1,2 billion to Integrated
Rapid Transit - related infrastructure.
It has truly been a year of service delivery excellence, informed by our
five pillars: the Opportunity City; the Safe City; the Caring City; the
Inclusive City; and the Well-run City.
I would like to commend our officials, led by the City Manager, Achmat
Ebrahim and assisted by his deputy, Mike Marsden, for all of their hard
work.
The work of the organisation’s staff is one of the key components in
making Cape Town what it is today.
Where there is evidence that we might have failed to live up to our own
high standards, we do everything we can to put the City back on track.
In that regard Mr. Speaker, I undertook to report on the Aurecon tender
issue in relation to the decommissioning of the Athlone Power Station.
Forensic Auditors were appointed by the City on 11 September and they
delivered their report on 22 October.
Our external attorneys and senior counsel were briefed for an opinion on
the way forward, which was provided on 7 November.
Guided by that opinion, the City has written to Aurecon and we are
considering their response, and deciding on how to proceed.
This matter remains a work in progress and I undertake to keep the
Council informed.
Rest assured, Mr. Speaker, we will remain vigilant to ensure that we live
up to our pledge to be a Well-Run City.
As evidence of our commitment to taking this city to the next level, I am
pleased to announce that the City’s overall performance in the Expanded
Public Works Programme has increased by more than 100% over the past
two financial years.
Indeed, we are now the top performing municipality in terms of the
number of EPWP work opportunities created.
Our total allocation for EPWP projects in this financial year is now R174,4
million, the majority of which will be spent on wages to provide temporary
poverty relief to the poor of this city through EPWP work opportunities.
The EPWP roll-out is a critical component of our strategy to provide
poverty alleviation while we work on the long-term economic goals of
creating the enabling environment in which investment grows and jobs
can be created.
As part of that strategy, I am pleased to propose to Council today that the
City signs a collaborative agreement with the Greater Tygerberg
Partnership (GTP) to create a node of social and economic revival in the
northern part of our city.
As we tackle urban decay and revitalise areas through our urban
regeneration campaign, we need to think critically about the different
economic centres we link and the work needed to get those centres
functioning at optimal level.
I am confident that by partnering with business and civil society in the
GTP, we will be making a long-term investment in the Bellville area and
broader region of the Voortrekker Road Corridor.
These partnerships, these achievements, this commitment to our people,
has led to perhaps the most important accolade of all given South Africa’s
history.
The latest United Nations (UN) State of the Cities report, for 2012/2013,
has found that Cape Town is the most equal city in South Africa.
Buffalo City, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni were found to be the most
unequal cities in the world.
Total inequality, as measured by the UN, is a result of both income
inequality and inequality of access to services and infrastructure.
In this calculation, Cape Town was found to be the least unequal in the
country.
Mr. Speaker, I regard this as a vindication of our efforts and proof that
the strategy we are following to change Cape Town for the better is
working.
I would advise the opposition in this Council to note the findings of this
report and to think twice from now on before they launch into reactionary
objections to the kind of change this government is bringing to Cape
Town.
For it is the kind of change that allows us to grow beyond the great
individuals that made this country.
It is the kind of change that allows us to grow into a nation of hope.
And it is the kind of change that, from the advance of history, leads to a
better future.
In conclusion, let me wish everyone well for the holiday season.
I hope that all councillors and officials take some time to rest and be with
their loved ones after a busy year.
But let me also remind this Council that the work of government never
stops and we must not forget our obligations to ourselves and to the
people of this great city.
I will be touring our depots next week to visit the staff of our services to
thank them for working over the festive season.
And I will once again be visiting the team in our budget department who
will be working right through the holidays and thanking them for their
dedication.
I call on councillors to emulate their example and realise that our work for
citizens must continue.
Thank you, baie dankie, enkosi.