Professor Zingoni,
Members of the Organising Committee,
Delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Cape Town and it is my great privilege to address you this evening.
As co-hosts of tonight, it is with great pride that I note how this conference has grown since its inception in 2001 and I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Professor Zingoni for spearheading this critical engagement.
To those of you who are visiting Cape Town for the first time, a special welcome.
You will find in Cape Town a City that is like no other – most especially because of the people that are part of the rich tapestry of Cape Town life.
We are historically a melting pot of cultures, languages and races, at the
Southern tip of an exciting and dynamic continent.
And we know that because of our diversity and the scars we bear from what were sometimes painful chapters in our past that our collective identity is strengthened.

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I trust that you will enjoy your time in our city, and get a flavor of its landscapes, urban form and its people.
You will find us a tolerant mix of people of different ethnic origins, cultures and religions. A city of minorities by origin yet also a majority by being passionately proud Capetonians. Our history has made us such.
Cape Town owes its existence as a modern city to the expansion of international trade between the East and the West during the 17 th century. It was the opportunity to trade fresh supplies with the local population that led the Dutch to set up a ship supply station here. The impact of that establishment had a profound impact on the history of this country. It is the importance of this location to international trade and security that has brought, over time, different people whose descendants today are those passionate Capetonians.
But it is as maritime city at a strategic geopolitical location that led to the establishment of Cape Town and today that role remains as relevant as it was 350 years ago.
Cape Town remains the best run municipality in South Africa, despite our population growing by 30% in the last decade.
People flock to our City because they know that we are committed to creating an environment in which they can thrive, as far as we are able.
The work we do at the City administration is based on 5 strategic focus areas, or pillars.
The first pillar, the Opportunity City, encapsulates our commitment to build a City that offers opportunities for all our citizens to live a life of value. The core focus of the Opportunity City is to create an economic enabling environment in the City in which investments can grow and jobs can consequentially be created.

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With employment levels at unacceptably high levels across South Africa, the City has put in place numerous levers that will be used to attract investment. By attracting investment, we create economies of scale in city-based industries and build up a critical capacity that will not only sustain future growth but will create more economic opportunities for our residents to enter employment.
We have set about streamlining our application and zoning processes, cutting down on red tape as much as possible and providing a tailor-made and flexible service for investors.
The second pillar is the Safe City. We recognise that our residents cannot truly access the opportunities that the City and others provide for them if they don’t feel safe.
In terms of policing, the primary mandate belongs to the South African
Police Services, or SAPS, which is part of the National Government.
However, Cape Town has demonstrated that a metro that uses resources and models of international best practice effectively can have an efficient and successful metro police service.
We recognise that we are a long way off from all the citizens of our City feeling safe but we have implemented various programmes, like the Gang
Unit and the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrade Programme or
VPUU that have seen many successes in curbing crime.
VPUU specifically looks at such things as ensuring that walkways are lit and bushes cleared so that people feel less vulnerable when they are travelling to and from their homes.
We will continue doing what we can to make our city as safe as we possibly can, especially for those in less advantaged areas who are often most vulnerable to crime.

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The Inclusive City is the third pillar. An Inclusive City is one where everyone has a stake in the future and a sense of belonging. It is a City where all voices are listened to and everyone is valued.
Because of the divided nature of our past, it is important, in the spirit of redress, to make this City one that truly belongs to all who live here.
An example of this administration creating an Inclusive City is the street renaming project. During apartheid, many people made untold sacrifices and brave choices so that a democratic state could be realised.
In order to honour them, we have, through a process of intensive public participation, renamed strategic streets after these significant figures, to recognise their role in building the democratic space we live in today.
The Caring City is the fourth pillar. Our citizens should always feel that their government is doing everything it can to provide for them so that they can truly access opportunities. That means looking after both our people, and the environment in which they live.
As part of our commitment to building this Caring City, we offer a comprehensive basket of free basic services, to those in our City most in need to assistance.
The City of Cape Town provides a range of free water, sanitation, refuse removal, clinic services and much more. In addition to this, all households where the household income is less than R3500 per month, are not required to pay property rates.
We strive to be a City that understands the harsh reality of poverty, and that is willing to do everything we are able to, to ameliorate its effects.
The final pillar is the Well-run City. Residents need to know that their government works for them, is accountable to them and answers to them at all times.

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Our purses contain public money. As such, we prioritise responsible financial management. The underlying tenets of the Well-run city are the principles of openness, transparency and due process.
In this regard, the City of Cape Town has received its 8 th unqualified audit, a feat not seen anywhere else in South Africa. We also have the highest credit rating possible from Moody’s and a range of accolades from
National Government and others, acknowledging the City’s sound financial management.
Because of this, and because of the sterling work of so many of you, we are able to invest in major infrastructural projects that will change the face of the City in the following years.
One of the major projects we are working on is changing the face of public transport in the City.
Because many people, during apartheid, were expected to live far from the central City, we have prioritised a world-class, efficient public transport system that will allow our residents to access the economic and other opportunities that can be found in the heart of the City.
Other important infrastructure projects include electricity connections, sanitation, and the provision of water standpipes. With rapid urbanisation and limited resources, we are not always able to provide as much as much as we would like to but we continue to look for innovative and sustainable solutions to the challenges we face.
And that is why we are so pleased to be able to claim the title of World
Design Capital for 2014.
This accolade presents us with the ideal opportunity to recommit and streamline our efforts to realise the kind of City we envisage living in.

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For us, design is not purely aesthetic but about fundamentally changing the lived reality of the residents of our City, particularly the most vulnerable.
Housing our burgeoning population has proven a challenging task, not just for Cape Town, but around South Africa. The reality remains that people will build informal dwellings in all parts of the City as they search for a better life for themselves and their families.
As much as we would like to provide human settlements for all our residents, this is not possible.
As such, projects like iShack that focusses on the design of informal dwellings can immediately and vastly change the way people live.
The iShack project looks at design that focusses on letting natural light in in informal structures, having safety measures against fire and the effects of damp and moderating internal temperatures in Cape Town’s sometimes harsh weather are all conducive to a better way of living.
It is in environments like this that families are more likely to flourish, that children can learn and live better and that people can be afforded a more dignified way to live.
The word “design” is used by various professions to mean different things, from scientists, engineers and software developers, to planners, architects and manufacturers. However, the ideas of “creation” and
“innovation” are common to all design, regardless of the context.
One aim of WDC Cape Town 2014 will be to attract investment and creative people. Engineers are creative people, and we would like to attract the most innovative engineers to create infrastructure that complements the uniqueness of Cape Town, without compromising the beauty of Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape of Good Hope, Chapman
Peak’s Drive, the Cape Winelands, among the many attractions that await you.

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This requires the use of innovative engineering materials and new construction technologies, advances which can only be brought about through the research which you do.
Like everyone else around the world, we have a lot to learn from advances made elsewhere, which is why a conference of this nature is highly beneficial to our own engineering community in South Africa. We are part of the global community, and are indeed most honoured that this exchange of information and the latest technical knowhow in the field of structural engineering is happening in our city, the World Design Capital
2014.
Without the innovative ideas that you bring, and a deep understanding of how materials and structures behave, design would be limited to only the simplest of structures, and the realm of long-span lightweight roofs, elegant slender footbridges, beautiful stadiums, daring long-span bridges, cleaner power stations and efficient high-rise buildings, would simply be beyond realisation.
With a better understanding of the engineering side of things, architectural ideas become a reality, a notable example being the new
Stadium at Green Point, created for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and now one of our more recognisable landmarks.
Cape Town may not be a very old city by European and Asian standards, but at 360 years, it is the oldest in South Africa, and like any city at this stage, some of the infrastructure is in need of renewal. We need your engineering skills in restoration and preservation to rejuvenate our historic infrastructure, which includes buildings and underground canals.
As the World Design Capital 2014, we have made some notable strides in improving the quality of life in the City, but it is clear that there is a lot that can still be done, particularly in the area of housing.

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Providing acceptable housing solutions on a large scale and within very narrow budget and time frames is a huge challenge for us and other cities in South Africa. We must look at all possible options. Structural safety against extreme conditions will be an important issue, and engineers have a major role to play.
I have been informed some of the papers being presented at SEMC 2013 are concerned with the fire-resistance and storm-resistance of structures, both of which are important considerations in the provision of low-cost housing solutions in Cape Town. We are relatively safe from earthquakes, but fires and storms are a constant threat.
I’m sure you will be learning more about World Design Capital Projects that the City has in store over the course of your conference.
I will keep you from your dinner no more. Suffice to say I hope that your deliberations are fruitful and that you enjoy your time in our City.
I have no doubt that the engagements, ideas and dialogue you will have will be beneficial to each of you - and to the residents of our City.
Thank you.