Speech by Executive Mayor, Alderman Patricia de Lille,
at the last Council meeting for 2011, on 8 December
2011
Good morning, goeiedag, molweni.
Mr Speaker, election years are long years. All of us in this chamber went
through the long process of campaigning, with all the personal sacrifices
one has to make in the process. But that is what democracy requires and
I am proud that Cape Town remains the most vibrant place for democratic
contest in the country.
After the frenzy of the election, we began to govern. Those of us not in
government set down to represent opposing viewpoints.
But throughout, all of us have been engaging with each other and working
for the people of Cape Town.
I would like to thank all of you for your hard work and dedication: the
members of the Mayoral Committee, Sub-Council Chairs, Councillors and
of course City officials led by our able City Manager, Achmat Ebrahim.
Officials help keep this city going and help us achieve our objectives for
all the people of Cape Town.
I would also like to thank the opposition for the role that they have played
in the democratic process.
Mr Speaker, this time of year is a time for reflection: an assessment of
what we have done and what we still want to do.
All reflections must be honest. We must learn to look at ourselves without
compromise, to know our weaknesses so that we can do better next year.
Otherwise we would lose ourselves in pointless self-admiration.
For governments must assess performance and improve. We cannot be
static entities rolling-on from year to year engaged in the waking dream
of business as usual.
Reflection must show us our true selves, not the delusion of what we
imagine ourselves to be.
This government has only been in office for six months. But in that time, I
believe that we have achieved a great deal and that we have laid the
foundations of the city we said we wanted to build.
We have seen a re-orientation of the City’s structures according to the
five pillars of our government: the Opportunity City; the Safe City; the
Inclusive City; the Caring City; and the Well-run City.
This policy agenda has been reflected in the very departments that
comprise the City’s bureaucracy.
We created new portfolios that would help drive the agenda of the five
pillars.
The portfolios of Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning and
Events, Marketing and Tourism are working to create the economic
environment in which investment grows and jobs can be created.
Those portfolios will be ably assisted by the Economic Development
Partnership (EDP), an initiative driven by this administration to help us
build on our competitive advantages and generate job-creating growth.
We have also passed a budget that is helping us fulfil our obligations
under our five-pillar plan, a budget managed with the utmost
professionalism and transparency.
Indeed, I am pleased to announce that for the eighth year in a row, the
City of Cape Town has received an unqualified audit from the AuditorGeneral.
This despite an unprecedented level of scrutiny, the extent of which may
well see Cape Town stand alone as the only metro in South Africa to be
awarded this status.
These are core achievements in a City that is committed to being wellrun.
A well-run City believes in transparency and accountability.
We live by those principles. They inform all that we do. That is why this
administration has kept Mayoral Committee meetings open. It is why we
were the first metro to have a multi-party oversight committee on
spending. It is why we have by far the most open and public tender
process of any municipality in South Africa.
Even if metros governed by other political parties refuse to be scrutinised
by their people, this government will resist the tendency for secrecy that
seems to inform some political philosophies and I assure you that we will
never hide behind closed doors or undemocratic legislation.
We are also making steady progress in making Cape Town more inclusive,
where all of people feel at home and know that they have a stake in the
future.
Our redress policy is helping change this city. We have engaged in land
restitution in Claremont, showing how cities can be the leaders of change
in our society when other levels of government are sometimes too slow to
respond to the needs of communities.
We have resolved some long-standing issues that unnecessarily divided
the city and were unjustly exploited by some for political gain.
The toilets in Khayelitsha have been enclosed and the process of
delivering basic services to all continues.
The people of Hangberg and the City have made peace, despite the best
efforts of those who would be the enemies of peace for cheap political
gain. Indeed, we have signed a historic peace accord with the residents of
Hangberg and we are thankful for having a united metro once more.
We are actively changing the landscape of this city with street renaming
and new names for new streets and spaces, acting on a process longneeded and long blocked by those resistant to change.
Nelson Mandela, Helen Suzman and Dr. Christiaan Barnard have already
been honoured.
On Saturday, we will honour that great advocate of peace, the Nobel
Laureate, Chief Albert Luthuli right here at the Civic Centre at the heart of
our city.
And after steady negotiations, the minstrels will have their annual carnival
according to the historic route with services provided by the City.
And the portfolio of Social and Early Childhood Development is working to
place the needs of the most vulnerable of our society firmly on the
agenda, helping us become a more caring city.
I am proud to say that the mission to build a more caring city has reached
across portfolios.
Recent examples of this philosophy in action include the approval of a
Drug and Alcohol abuse action plan; an additional R150 000 for youth
skills development; an additional R325 000 to promote child health; clinic
expansions in Gugulethu; and 700 new houses in Khayelitsha.
And we have granted R842 million in rates rebates for those who have not
been able to afford to pay.
We have also demonstrated the synergy between our pillars in one of our
most innovative policies over the past few months.
Our backyarder strategy, which provides services to backyarder
communities, is the first of its kind in the country.
Using engineering surveys and then the roll-out of specialised service
points providing access to water, sanitation and electricity, we are
changing people’s lives.
We have completed one pilot project in Factreton and will reach ever
more communities over the next five years.
These services build stronger communities. Stronger communities create
opportunities. And more opportunity means a more inclusive city.
We are also making our city safer by continuing to be leaders in law
enforcement and disaster risk management.
This government, in partnership with the provincial government, has
initiated the Ceasefire Strategy which is helping to address the problem of
gang violence.
We have extended the highly successful Violence Prevention through
Urban Upgrading (VPUU) programme from Khayelitsha to communities
like Manenberg and Hanover Park.
And we continue to lead the charge of information- and technology-driven
policing by employing new technologies, such as the technology that
helps us triangulate the position of gun shots.
We have indeed been working hard.
But I am pleased that even though the year draws to a close, we have not
let that interrupt our efforts to build the African city of the future, today.
I am pleased to announce that, as we speak, thousands of people are
moving, with the assistance of the City, in RR section in Khayelitsha so
that Eskom can build a much-needed sub-station that will provide power
to the area and those surrounding it.
I would also like to thank Cllr. Monde Nqulwana for all of his hard work in
this matter.
We are also privileged to be joined here today by representatives from
Enkanini.
After years of petition, I am pleased to announce that the people of
Enkanini will be receiving electricity after resolving all outstanding issues
that have prevented its installation in the past.
I would like to thank Cllr. Mpucuko Nguzo for all of his help with the
community.
Working with various partners, including Nu-Plan Afrika, we have
developed a spatial framework of Enkanini that marks areas that will be
developed in phases by the City over the next few years.
We have shared these designs with Eskom who have agreed to adapt
designs around this framework to commence electrification.
With the help of the community and Eskom, this electrification will help
change people’s lives and ensure that we as a City are doing all that we
can to provide opportunities to all.
As we know, however, there is no greater opportunity than having a job.
Several months ago, I announced a special Mayoral work programme
creating job opportunities through the Expanded Public Works Programme
(EPWP).
These jobs are designed to build this city, build communities and, most
importantly, provide immediate economic relief to individuals and
families.
In the first quarter, the City reported 154% of targets reached: 6174
opportunities against a target of 4000.
By the end of June 2012, an estimated 34 000 job opportunities are to be
created from the 228 projects submitted from various city departments.
As we create more long-term opportunities, we can provide immediate
relief and thus enshrine the principle of care in our government, especially
in these harsh financial times.
Today, I also ask this Council to approve another mayoral programme,
the Mayoral Urban Regeneration Programme.
The purpose of this initiative is to provide integrated urban management
and coordinate planning, community engagement and investment in
certain areas of the city.
Working with a range of actors, including the Sub-Councils, specially
appointed Area Coordinating Teams will work to uplift formerly neglected
and dysfunctional areas to improve safety, quality of life and social and
economic conditions.
The programme will introduce a sustainable system of operating and
maintaining public infrastructure and facilities in partnership with SubCouncils and the communities, while also providing a platform for
effective public and private investment.
Areas identified for the initial roll-out include: Manenberg; Hanover Park;
Lotus Park; Bishop Lavis; Valhalla Park; Bonteheuwel; Nigeria Way;
Harare Safe Node Area; Kuyasa Interchange Precinct; Bellville Transport
Interchange Precinct and Voortrekker Road corridor; Westfleur Business
Node; Athlone CBD; Ocean View; and the Mitchells Plain Town Centre.
We cannot let communities and areas fall behind in this city’s
development and I am confident that with this initiative, we will be able to
arrest unnecessary urban decline and help ensure that these centres
become local engine-rooms of opportunity.
As we go forward, we will need our officials to give their all, as we know
they always do.
To lead them, we must have the best team in place.
The new Executive Management Team (EMT) proposed for this city will
come before this council for approval this afternoon.
Though we will discuss the item in the appropriate time, I will say that I
believe we have recommended a diverse, highly-skilled team of
outstanding individuals who can help us meet our ambitious targets – a
truly inclusive management structure.
I would, however, like to take this opportunity to thank the current EMT
for all of their hard work and for helping to build a better city for all
Capetonians.
We have indeed had many successes, and further successes are still to
come. The City has received numerous awards throughout the year –
some of which I will just mention briefly: winning the bid to be the World
Design Capital of the Year in 2014; having Table Mountain named one of
the Seven Natural Wonders of the World; making the New York Times’
Top Ten list of Hip Cities That Think About How They Work; being named
best tourism destination in TripAdvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Destinations
Awards; and being named by the Abroad101 survey as the 10th most
popular destination for students from the United States to study abroad.
And I am pleased to announce for the first time that the City has been
named as the host of the prestigious Loerie Awards from next year to
2014 – an event that helps position us as the creative capital of the
country and the region.
These accolades, and the many others we have won, represent a greater
achievement. They represent a city that is truly aiming to compete as a
world-class place to live, work and study.
And what is more, a city that is succeeding.
The people are recognising this success.
Just last night the governing party, the DA, won an overwhelming victory
in a by-election in Ward 71, even winning in a traditional ANC Voting
District.
And so we must be proud. But there is still much more work to be done.
This government has not been in office for a year and we will have long
days and nights ahead to fully implement our policy agenda.
That will require hard work, to be sure.
But it will also require introspection and an assessment of our
performance.
We must forever remain critical of ourselves to properly implement a
governing programme that favours the attainment of excellence and
delivery to all.
To be critical is to be honest. To be honest, we must ensure that we look
for our true reflection staring back at us in the mirror and not a dream of
what we hoped to be but never were.
Because an honest government, open and transparent, is the government
people truly deserve.