Cllr Stuart Pringle’s speech: Subcouncil 8 Meeting, 25/2/15
Chairperson’s speech by Councillor Stuart Pringle, from the Subcouncil 8 Meeting of Wednesday 25 February 2015.
Adjustments Budget
During the January 2015 meeting of Council, the adjustments budget was considered and, among others, an amount of R450 million was allocated to acquire land for Human Settlements and R21 million for job creation in Solid Waste Management. The City cannot and will not wait for National Government to release all land under their control for human settlements and is proceeding to acquire land to establish housing opportunities for people.
Sir Lowry’s Pass Village Housing Project
The election of the Sir Lowry’s Pass Village Housing Project’s steering committee is on today’s agenda and, as this committee is to be made up of councillors, members of the community and beneficiaries, it is expected that they will oversee a fair and transparent process of allocation. With the massive increase in population numbers in the Helderberg over the past decade, and with a growing number of people residing in informal settlements or back yards, the City is rising to the challenge of meeting the needs of these communities. The Electrification of Backyard Dwellings Policy, which is on today’s agenda, is another example of the City’s efforts in this regard.
Safety and Security
Other additional allocations include R4.5 million to the Safety and Security Directorate for the City’s School Resource Officers and Stabilisation Project to aid communities in volatile areas. Provision of R28 million has also been made to this directorate who worked non-stop to create a safe environment for our residents during the festive season. The budget furthermore allocates R1 million in additional funds to the City’s Problem Building Unit.
Problem buildings
Two of this subcouncil’s most prominent problem buildings are the Old Police Station in Wesley Street, Strand, and the Bellona Street Property in Somerset West. The former is discussed on today’s agenda under the outstanding matters list, as the City struggles to get National Government to take control of their asset, while the Bellona Street property is due to be dealt with in a court application for demolition or sale in execution, which is to be heard on 25 February 2015.
Social Development and Early Childhood Development
More than R4 million has been earmarked to our Social Development and Early Childhood Development Directorate to enhance service delivery in our more vulnerable communities.
The City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Directorate has opened six of its district offices across the city, including the one in Dirkie Uys Street, Somerset West, bringing residents closer to services linked to the six programmes that it has in place.
Transport for Cape Town
Transport for Cape Town will also receive an additional R1.5 million to spend on traffic calming measures in the current financial year, while the Public Transport Interchange projects in Somerset West and Nomzamo are on track, and I am informed that the public demonstration of the plans for the Somerset West Project are to be displayed in the next month.
Strand Pavilion Precinct Upgrade Project
The Strand Pavilion Precinct upgrade is due to commence construction in May this year and is a multi-million rand infrastructure investment in the subcouncil. This administration successfully planned, budgeted for and completed all the necessary environmental and technical requirements. Several major headaches for the community, such as the Jetty and Deep Blue, which National Government are responsible for but have failed to deal with, will be covered by this development, as will the Sea Wall and the issue of the location of the informal traders.
In terms of a recommendation by Cllr Dave Venter, the subcouncil held a meeting with the officials involved with this project. During the meeting the subcouncil stressed the need for public display of the proposed works to be completed within the next months, the need to urgently begin engagement with the traders, and the establishment of a monitoring committee, including members of civil society, to ensure maximum communication and transparency around this process.
Give Responsibly campaign
The progress report on interventions done by the fieldworkers with homeless people in Subcouncil 8 is on today’s agenda. It was interesting to read the report in today’s edition of District Mail, which once again stressed the importance of giving responsibly by supporting established charities, NGOs and religious institutions, rather than giving directly to people on the streets.
The City has agreed to our request to provide two containers to be placed at the night shelter in order to provide food relief. This is part of a broader effort to assist people living on the streets in leaving behind a dangerous and undignified lifestyle and be re-integrated into the community. I must pause at this point to thank Councillors Nzulwana and Cerfontein who have assisted me in facilitating progress in this matter.
District Office service delivery
Thus far, district office staff members have engaged with communities on a range of issues including:
- requests for assistance from non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, religious groups and other stakeholders in the social sector for support with programmes and projects such as awareness raising, capacity building, skills development, holiday programmes, etc.
- requests for assistance with establishing or developing food gardens or other poverty alleviation initiatives.
- contacting the districts for support for vulnerable individuals (in particular the elderly and people with disabilities) or where families are destitute and require assistance
Food garden initiatives
There are already many gardening projects being undertaken in the Helderberg and I would encourage councillors and communities to consider approaching the City when they identify areas which could accommodate such food gardens, as this does increase food security, and benefits our people directly.
Lease of Eagle Bar premises
The City’s plans to resolve the Eagle Bar issue, which has plagued this subcouncil for over 10 years, are reported on today’s agenda. This facility was purchased with a view to building a skills development centre and the lack of progress in resolving the issues of occupancy has stalled the promotion of skills development as far as the City is concerned for too long, leaving it to the private and NGO sector to seek to promote skills development in the Helderberg.
Report on WDC Skills Development workshop
One of the outcomes of the World Design Capital Skills Development workshops, reported on at a special meeting of the subcouncil in January 2015, is the move away from a reliance on the need for constructing a new building for skills development. It makes far more sense to use existing facilities wherever possible, and use as much money on actual training and skills development.
It is important that while we assist people who are caught in the grip of poverty, we must also ensure that we assist them to move away from, rather than entrench, a culture of dependency.
I thank you.
Councillor Stuart Pringle
Chairperson: Subcouncil 8