| City calls on qualifying residents to take up offer of indigent relief | STATEMENT BY THE CITY'S EXECUTIVE MAYOR, PATRICIA DE LILLE | <p>Today as a clear demonstration of the City’s commitment to pro-poor spending and to being a responsive administration, we launched the City’s indigent relief application campaign to encourage as many potential qualifying beneficiaries to apply for financial assistance.</p><p>In the City’s Tabled (draft) budget for the 2018/19 financial year, which is currently open for public participation, nearly R3 billion has been set aside to provide rates rebates and indigent relief to qualifying residents.</p><p>As a caring city, we are encouraging the most vulnerable in our society to make use of the financial assistance on offer to those who need it most. Many residents are struggling to cope and are not aware that there is help available to them.</p><p>The proposed social package includes almost R1,5 billion for indigent relief and approximately R1,5 billion in rates rebates.</p><p>The indigent support package empowers vulnerable residents by helping them with municipal bills, debt arrangements and alleviating the financial burden in these tough economic times. In doing so we enable vulnerable residents to take care of the other needs of their loved ones.</p><p>There are many pensioners, single parents, unemployed and disabled residents who are struggling and the City understands the daily battle for many households to make ends meet.</p><p>There is no need to rake up debt or to skip on any of the other needs of your children and family when help is available.</p><p>We encourage residents who meet the criteria to register for indigent support to apply for this relief because every bit of help makes a difference.</p><p>Residents who live in properties valued at R100 000 and below qualify for 100% rates rebates and refuse removal relief. These residents also receive 10 500 litres of free water and 7 350 litres of free sanitation removal.</p><p>Apart from property value, the City also uses household income as a factor to determine which residents qualify for assistance.</p><p>For instance, where the gross monthly household income is R4 000 or below, these households can get a 100% rates rebate and receive the same benefits as if their properties were valued below R100 000. There are also various levels of assistance available where the household income is below R6 000 per month.
Residents may visit their nearest municipal walk-in centre and complete an application form to see if they are eligible for the benefits. You may also contact your ward councillor or subcouncil office to apply.</p><p><strong>Applicants will need:</strong></p><ul><li>proof of identification (ID book/card)</li><li>a bank statement for the last three months or a sworn affidavit stating that they do not have a bank account</li><li>a bond statement for the last three months or a sworn affidavit stating that they do not have a bond account</li><li>a copy of the estate documents if the applicant has inherited his or her house</li></ul><p><strong>If you are employed, please also:</strong></p><ul><li>include your latest salary/wage payslip or a letter from an employer stating your income</li><li>include a sworn affidavit if you are self-employed stating how much you earn per month</li><li>proof if you receive a disability grant, maintenance grant or pension</li></ul><p><strong>If you are unemployed, please also include the following in your application:</strong></p><ul><li>a sworn affidavit stating that you are unemployed</li><li>a sworn affidavit stating that you have no other source of income</li></ul><p>‘We would like to sincerely thank our on-the-ground recruiters that are taking beneficiaries through the registration process. Their commitment will enable qualifying residents to successfully apply for indigent relief. Our most vulnerable residents are often faced with many pressures and often struggle - not only to provide for themselves but for their families.</p><p>‘Applying for a grant will not only benefit them, but the people they care for as well. These individuals do so much and we want to enable them to do even more. We can all do more with a little help,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Councillor Johan van der Merwe.</p><p>If you know of someone who might potentially qualify for assistance, please direct them to visit: <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/indigentbenefits">www.capetown.gov.za/indigentbenefits</a></p><p><b>End</b></p> | 2018-04-17T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Global exposure for local tourism enterprises at World Travel Market | Statement by the City's Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille | <p>For the past three years, local entrepreneurs have exhibited at the City’s exhibition stand at WTM Africa, the continent’s largest international travel industry event. <br><br>The City has been a proud supporter of the event since 2015 which enables local entrepreneurs to meet and engage with top tourism industry buyers and trade visitors from around the world. <br><br>This year, the City decided to do something different – offering buyers a first-hand experience of tourism products in the local areas. </p><p>In Langa, buyers will enjoy a walking tour of the Langa Quarter – 13 streets and a nucleus of 200 homes which have been transformed into restaurants, galleries, informal bars and craft stores. This will be followed by lunch with the locals. The Bo-Kaap experience includes a visit to the Auwal Masjid, the oldest mosque in South Africa, a stop at the oldest spice shop in the area, a visit to the Bo-Kaap museum and a Cape Malay cooking class at Faldela’s. I look forward to joining buyers on this tour on Thursday.</p><p>I am delighted that the travel industry royalty, potential buying customers with key decision-making power, will be afforded a first-hand experience of our local tourism gems. <br>The exposure that these local tourism businesses will receive is invaluable. Through this opportunity, they have a chance to meet potential distributors and buyers, identify strategic partners and position themselves globally. </p><p>This is in line with the City’s goals as contained in the Organisational Development and Transformation Plan to promote economic inclusion and position Cape Town as a forward-looking, globally competitive business destination. <br>In addition to the tours, local travel technology company Discoverikasi will deliver a talk at WTM Africa’s Travel Tech Theatre on the development of townships as destinations and the challenges faced by small businesses in the tourism industry.</p><p>WTM Africa, which is part of Africa Travel Week, is the continent’s largest international travel industry event. The show attracts approximately 500 international tourism industry buyers, 4 500 trade visitors, 220 members of the media and 600 exhibitors from across Africa and the world. <br><br>Show highlights this year include the launch of WTM Africa Festivals, billed as the ultimate social experience after the traditional working hours at WTM Africa; an Investors Forum focused on unlocking the tourism potential of Africa, and a Sports and Events Tourism Exchange (SETE) conference.</p><p>‘Africa has long been identified as a continent bursting with potential within the tourism and travel sectors. WTM Africa 2018 is further recognition of this potential and in 2018, we’re ready to welcome more exhibitors from Africa than ever before. We have seen a significant increase in exhibitors and have as such, opted to expand the floor space used for stands at the Cape Town International Convention Centre for WTM Africa this year,’ said Chardonnay Marchesi, South Africa Portfolio Director for Reed Exhibitions’ Travel, Tourism and Sports Portfolio – the organisers of WTM Africa.</p><p>WTM Africa takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 18to 20 April 2018. For more information about the show, please visit <a href="http://www.africa.wtm.com/" target="_blank">www.africa.wtm.com</a>. </p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-04-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Taxi enforcement statistics paint a grim picture | The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service issued nearly 45 000 fines to taxi operators in just over three months since the beginning of 2018. | <p>The City of Cape Town’s Traffic Service issued nearly 45 000 fines to taxi operators in just over three months since the beginning of 2018.</p><p>As of 9 April 2018, officers had issued 44 937 fines to taxi drivers across the metropole for a range of contraventions, including:</p><table width="100%" class="ms-rteTable-default" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:50%;">CONTRAVENTION</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:50%;">AMOUNT</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Moving violations </td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">9 560</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Unlicensed driver</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">8 695</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Overloading</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">6 143</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Not wearing a safety belt</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">4 211</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Not displaying vehicle licence disc</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">1 948</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Unlicensed motor vehicle</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">1 597</td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><span><div class="image-gallery-slider img-gal-1" id="img-gal-1" data-slides="3" data-slide="1" style="height:493.5px;"><div class="image-gallery-content" style="height:414px;">
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<i class="icon arrow-white-prev"></i></div></div></div></div></span><p> </p><p>‘These fines exclude speeding offences, so it really does give one a sense of the level of lawlessness that happens on our roads on a daily basis. The statistics also debunk the perception that our enforcement agencies do not act against taxi operators. We have very limited resources that are stretched to capacity given the demands on them. Furthermore, this does not even represent the enforcement done against other road users, who are by no means innocent, so it certainly provides some perspective on what exactly we are up against,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p>The Traffic Service has also impounded 2 426 public transport vehicles since July 2017 – an average of 269 a month. Of these, 71% of drivers did not have an operating licence and the rest were operating in contravention of their operating licences. </p><p>‘Impoundment is a massive logistical exercise for us as the vehicle has to be driven to the pound by a traffic officer and the necessary documentation completed, which is time consuming. When one considers that the vehicle reclaim rate among public transport operators is 98%, it does make impoundment seem like a revolving door as the vehicle is back on the street virtually the same day or the next. We need to hurt errant operators where it hurts and that is permanent impoundment, but currently the law does not allow for this and the City simply enforces the law, we do not make it. We have been working with the Provincial Government to expedite the conclusion of the new Provincial Traffic legislation that would allow for more effective enforcement strategies, including impoundment of vehicles for traffic offences committed by public transport vehicles rather than issuing fines which are often evaded,’ added Alderman Smith.</p><p>In spite of the enforcement efforts designed to create a safer city as outlined in the City’s Organisational Development and Transformation Plan, many motorists simply refuse to pay their outstanding fines. Currently, the top 100 public transport ‘warrant dodgers’ have amassed more than 2 800 outstanding warrants amounting to R3 339 360. </p><p>‘This is not surprising, but we are working hard to improve our warrant execution rates and holding motorists accountable for their actions. We have seen an increase in the number of people arrested and hopefully, in the medium- to longer term, we will start seeing this intervention having an impact on the behaviour of road users. In fact, we have already started seeing an increase in our traffic fine income, which is a sign that more people are paying their fines because they realise that there is a risk of being caught.</p><p>‘With this week’s national bus strike, many people will be reliant on the minibus-taxi industry to get to work and school. I call on operators to be mindful of their passengers’ safety, but also to have consideration for other road users. Nearly a third of the fines issued in the last quarter were for driver fitness. Taxi owners and associations need to reassess who they are allowing behind the wheel, considering the many lives those drivers have in their hands every day,’ said Alderman Smith. </p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-04-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| MyCiTi buses grounded as from Wednesday morning | Commuters are reminded that nationwide strike action affecting the entire South African bus industry will take effect as from midnight tonight until further notice | <p>Commuters are reminded that nationwide strike action affecting the entire South African bus industry will take effect as from midnight tonight until further notice.</p><p>As a result, all of those making use of road-based transport should expect an increase in traffic and longer traveling times.</p><p>The strike action is as a result of dead-locked wage negotiations.</p><p>The Vehicle Operating Companies (VOCs) operating the MyCiTi service will institute a lock-out to ensure the safety of commuters and personnel for the duration of the strike. This, in effect, means that there will be no MyCiTi trunk or feeder services available as from Wednesday morning, for as long as the strike and lock-out continue.</p><p>Those commuters with monthly MyCiTi tickets must note that the monthly packages will be extended equal to the number of days the strike action lasts. The number of days will be determined once the strike has come to an end. Further details will be communicated in due course.</p><p>‘The strike will have serious knock-on effect on all public transport and road-based traffic as more than 72 000 commuters rely on the MyCiTi service on any given weekday. Given the challenges that Metrorail is experiencing we anticipate that the strike action will have a severe impact on Cape Town’s commuters in general,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, Councillor Brett Herron.</p><p>The City anticipates a significant increase in the number of vehicles on the city’s road network because the bus commuters will either opt for minibus-taxis or use their own private vehicles to get to work and back. </p><p>‘Again, I call on private businesses in Cape Town to consider implementing flexible working hours or remote working arrangements for employees where possible and practical, for the duration of the strike action,’ said Councillor Herron.</p><p>Commuters are advised to visit the MyCiTi website on <a href="http://www.myciti.org.za/" target="_blank">www.myciti<strong></strong>.org.za</a> for regular updates; and to follow us on Twitter @MyCiTiBus; or to phone the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 – the TIC is available 24/7.</p><p><br><strong>End</strong></p> | 2018-04-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
