City delivering real change

Behind every budget line, every policy, and every project there are real people, real challenges, and a shared future we are shaping. In a time when despair is easy and national decline feels inevitable, the City of Cape Town chooses a different path. We choose to act. We choose to build. And above all, we choose to believe – not in empty optimism, but in the power of capable government to deliver change that is felt in the lives of ordinary people. See the Deputy Mayor’s full Council speech here: capetown.gov.za/Media-and-news/Council meeting 24 april 2025

Winter

We are not only preparing to respond to anticipated winter conditions, but already actively working to reduce risk before winter arrives in full.   

By the end of March, our teams successfully jet-cleaned more than 281 kilometres of sewer lines; an impressive achievement that exceeds the initial target of 200 kilometres, with two months still remaining in the financial year. This cleaning is crucial removing blockages before they become disasters.

Our stormwater systems, ponds, canals and gullies are being cleared in flood-prone areas, especially in those communities most vulnerable to heavy rainfall. 

In high-risk informal areas, our Disaster Risk Management teams are on the ground, distributing pamphlets, loud-hailing warnings, and installing signage in areas most likely to flood so that residents can prepare.

Plastic sheeting and sand are being delivered to households who need it, through proactive monitoring by our Informal Settlements Department. And across the city, tree-trimming on public property is under way to protect power lines before storms can bring them down and cause major interruptions for residents. We are getting ready and it reflects a simple truth: good governance is not reactive, it is proactive. It anticipates needs, prevents crises, and equips communities.

At the same time, even the most efficient government cannot do it all alone.

A truly prepared city — a city ready for winter and ready for tomorrow — is one where citizens step forward alongside their government. Every person who picks up litter before it blocks a stormwater drain is helping to prevent a flood. Every neighbour who checks in on a vulnerable household during a storm is helping to save a life. Every soup kitchen that opens its doors, every resident who reports a waterlogged road, every street committee that mobilises around safety helps. This is what we mean by shared responsibility.

Not passing the buck — but recognising that the buck doesn’t stop in one place. It stops with all of us. I want to give a tangible example: since 2023, our hardworking teams have cleared over 629 sewer blockages in Dunoon alone. That translates to nearly one blockage per day on average. These blockages are often due to the flushing down of physical objects or dumping of foreign objects into our sewer lines. With the heavy rains which winter brings, this is a recipe for disaster.

That is why we are not just asking citizens to be vigilant — we are inviting them to be partners in progress, because when citizens are active, involved, and informed, we build not only a city resilient to winter — we build a stronger Cape Town.

Creating capacity for care

This winter, we are expanding beds at shelters and City-run Safe Spaces so that more vulnerable people can come off the streets and into safety.

To this effect, the City’s Community, Arts and Culture Development Department has been increasing support for NPOs across our city to ensure these organisations have the needed resources for the months ahead.

This support represents an additional 200 beds across Cape Town in addition to the over 1000 safe space beds we already offer across facilities in the city. That is a tangible difference which ensures that we are preparing for the months ahead.

Accessing City services

When a resident knows how to log a service request, apply for a rebate, or report a burst pipe, that’s not just a competent administration, but also connection and empowerment.

We must acknowledge that too many Capetonians still don’t know how to access these services. The systems exist, the people are ready to help, the processes have been streamlined, but if our residents don’t know how or where to connect with us, then we are failing to close the loop. 

It is precisely because of this that we launched the Mayoral Service Delivery Blitz.

A hands-on, citywide initiative that takes the full power of local government directly into our communities.

This is not a photo opportunity. It is a practical intervention designed to cut through confusion, fight disinformation, and build direct relationships between the City and the people we serve. In recent months, we’ve visited Atlantis, Mitchells Plain, and Kraaifontein, where hundreds of residents have been assisted with everything from municipal accounts to building plan approvals.

Assisting Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDs)

ECDs serve as a crucial foundation, shaping the future of our children. The reality is that many ECDs still face systemic barriers that prevent them from being registered and accessing the financial support they need. We recognise these challenges.

Our ECD Task Team is working tirelessly to remove these barriers and to ensure that we reach more communities.

• Today, I am proud to announce that the first fully zoning-compliant and National Building Regulations-approved ECD in Heideveld has already broken ground. The ECD will be constructed using 5,000 tyres and various recycled materials, making it a more cost-effective alternative to conventional building methods.

However, the process requires significantly more labour. To support the project, workers from Heideveld have been trained in techniques for repurposing recycled materials in construction. This is a groundbreaking achievement, and it is only the beginning of where we want to be.

• In recognition of the pressures faced by working families, the City has also exempted ECDs from paying planning application fees. An independent analysis has stated that this reform will benefit over 1 500 ECDs; 58 000 children; and more than 7 000 staff members. This is reform making a difference and for many children, a life-changing difference, but we are going further than that.

• We have introduced a fund to assist qualifying ECDs with development contributions.

Rapid urbanisation

At the outset of this term, we outlined our IDP and committed to addressing informality in Cape Town in a sustainable manner. One way of doing this is through the City’s Affordable Rental Units.

Reimagining Affordable Housing remains a challenge that continues to grow in cities across the world.

Here in Cape Town, we have seen how Affordable Rental Units can help alleviate the housing backlog at little cost to the city whilst creating economic opportunities for our residents. Since 2020, the City has altered its approach from regulating small-scale rental housing to actively embracing it. This shift has been transformative.

Through the Land Release Mayoral Priority Programme, we are working on a more operational framework for Affordable Housing. Once again, we are strengthening the link between government and residents.

• To this effect, we are proposing an important change to our Township Development Charges Fund. A fund designed to unlock development, support affordability, and bring more Capetonians into formal, dignified housing. 

Currently, state employees are excluded from applying to the fund.

It is therefore recommended that we amend the criteria as follows:

• That state employees be eligible to apply to the fund, with the exception of political office bearers and those in senior management and executive positions, in line with the Employment Equity Act.
• That we reaffirm our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable by ensuring certain groups, including pensioners and those receiving social welfare grants, are eligible for a full subsidy.

This is a step towards fairness, inclusion, and one that brings us closer to our goal: a city where the doors of opportunity are open to more people, not fewer.

I am urging all those who qualify for this fund to apply.

Key priorities

Critical road maintenance, public transport improvements, and congestion relief remain priorities. Major road projects, such as the rehabilitation of Jakes Gerwel Drive and the construction of MyCiTi bus service infrastructure along on AZ Berman Drive are making great progress. I understand the frustrations of our residents, especially in areas like Mitchells Plain, where congestion is a daily challenge.

These infrastructure projects require significant groundwork, and while the progress may not always be visible in the short term, the long-term benefits will be transformative.

 Then, R1,77 billion is estimated to be spent on extensions and upgrades at Waste Water Treatment Plants over the next financial year. A further R1,07 billion for various projects is proposed to help bolster proactive efforts to assist with preventing sewer overflows, including upgrades to our sewer pump stations, replacement of sewer pipes and upgrading bulk sewers in the Cape Flats, Phillipi, Milnerton and Gordons Bay.

Youth unemployment

A key issue is the mismatch between the skills they possess and those demanded by the market. To tackle this, we launched the #YouthStart SMME stimulus initiative, aimed at nurturing young entrepreneurs with essential skills and financial backing.

We are prioritising programmes like these because we recognise that SMME’s are the engines that grow our local economy and offer much needed job opportunities.

This is how we build the City of Hope today – we are investing in roads, housing, the future of our children across all areas in the city and for all residents.

Celebrating the extraordinary efforts of ordinary Capetonians

Across our city, in every community, there are individuals who lead with courage, serve with humility, and quietly shape the future. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had the incredible privilege of running the Total Sports Two Oceans half-marathon alongside firefighter heroes Jermaine Carelse and Renaldo Duncan, who are here today, as well as Volunteer Wildfire Services members Liam Gannon and Thomas Lennon. Running a road race is tough enough but doing it with all that extra firefighting gear. That’s next-level dedication!

They took on the race in support of the Volunteer Wildfire Service (VWS), raising awareness and much-needed funds for their crucial work. Watching them push through while still keeping their energy high and their spirits even higher was truly inspiring. They weren’t just running; they were making connections, stopping to take photos, chatting with fellow runners, and bringing an electric atmosphere to the road. 

And all that effort paid off as they managed to raise just over R230, 000, smashing last year’s total of R181, 000!

I’m also inspired by all the achievements and would like to congratulate -on behalf of this Council – all the students that have graduated from tertiary institutions across Cape Town.

I have seen and read beautiful stories of students celebrating their success and attributing their achievements to their parents, grandparents, families and communities for supporting them through their studies.

We have invited one such student to be here today, so that we can acknowledge him. Abduraghmaan Arendse from Manenberg is accompanied by his mother, Zanap Arendse. He graduated from UWC with a BCom degree Cum Laude. Abduraghmaan, well done. It is abundantly clear that you choose success!

Furthermore, joining us in the Chambers today is the triumphant University of Cape Town rugby team, also known as the Ikey Tigers. A warm welcome to UCT Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mosa Moshabela, my former Stormers teammate and coach, Robbie Fleck, team Captain Sipho Dyonase, along with the management and players. Last week Monday, the Ikey Tigers claimed victory over Stellenbosch University at the Danie Craven Stadium in the Varsity cup competition, breaking an 11-year drought since their last triumph in the tournament.

Prof, Fleckie, and Sipho, you have every reason to celebrate this remarkable achievement, and we share in your pride as a city.

Finally, to the soccer enthusiasts, rest assured Cape Town’s most prestigious U-19 soccer tournament, the Bayhill Premier Cup, remains front and centre. 194 teams from across the country battle it out in the qualifying stages, but only 32 earn the honour of competing in the main tournament. Congratulations to Ubuntu Football Academy and your co-founders, Casey Prince and Michael Jenkins on your well-deserved 2–0 victory over Randburg Football Academy. As a football club rooted in Ocean View, your accomplishments are nothing short of extraordinary. You truly embody the spirit of partnership in building a city of hope—not just for the players, but for the families they represent.