| City’s CCTV spend zooms in on R16 million | | <p>The City of Cape Town’s Strategic Surveillance Unit (SSU) is increasing the funding and footprint of its closed-circuit television network across the metro. </p><p>Camera installations for the 2017/18 financial year are being finalised. By the end of June 2018, the SSU will have overseen the installation of new CCTV infrastructure in 41 wards through ward allocation funding totalling R6 170 666. This is in addition to R9,5 million made available through the Integrated City Development Grant and the Safety and Security Directorate for installations in Kraaifontein, Wallacedene and Bokmakierie in Athlone.</p><p>This is a marked increase on the previous financial year, when the City spent R11 870 770 on CCTV installations. An amount of R4 786 520 was provided from ward allocation funding for installations in 25 wards. The remainder was allocated for installations in Goodwood, Kewtown, Bridgetown and Gatesville through Integrated City Development Grant funding and amounted to R7 084 250.</p><span><p>‘We’ve seen an increase in ward allocation funding for several years now as more councillors recognise the value of CCTV installations to help safeguard the communities they serve. It is important to acknowledge their contribution to extending our footprint; given the many competing priorities within the Safety and Security Directorate, we would not have been able to fund the CCTV expansion at the same rate without the ward allocations,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.</p>
<figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img">
<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/CCTV2.jpg" alt="" style="width:802px;" /> </figure></span><p> </p><p>All CCTV installation costs vary according to the requirements for the site, especially related to the infrastructure that is available in the area to relay the images to the CCTV control centre. One CCTV site can cost between R250 000 to R350 000. </p><p>The new installations have taken the City’s overall CCTV network to a total of 1 544 cameras. These include:</p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">Freeway Management System: 239</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Integrated Rapid Transit System: 711</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Metro Police Strategic Surveillance Unit: 594</div></li></ul><p>In addition, more than 513 private camera installations have already been registered with the City.</p><p>In the first nine months of the current financial year (July – March), the CCTV system detected 10 646 incidents of which 3 332 were crime-related, resulting in 152 arrests for various offences including robbery, drug possession, smash-and-grab crimes, burglary and more.</p><p>The CCTV footage is stored in data centres across the city and is available to the South African Police Service should they need it for investigation purposes. In recent months, the City has also started using CCTV cameras in conjunction with its ShotSpotter gunshot detection system to help identify suspects in shooting incidents in the areas where the ShotSpotter system is deployed. More information on that initiative is <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/Media-and-news/CCTV%20adds%20another%20layer%20to%20ShotSpotter%20technology">available here</a>.<br><br>‘There is no doubt about the crucial role that CCTV plays in crime prevention and detection, which is why the City continues to invest in the technology. That said, it is not without challenges. Often, there are simply not enough resources to respond timeously to incidents detected by camera operators, whether by our own staff or the South African Police Service. </p><p>‘Cable theft is another ongoing concern that has affected our ability to keep all cameras on, all the time. We do however have functionality rates of approximately 90%, which is on par with best practice internationally. We have started experimenting with wireless technology, but the quality is not as good as fibre optic cables, nor is it as reliable. We also need the justice system to crack down on cable thieves. Our national policies and related legislation recognise the crippling impact that cable theft has on the economy and communities, but it means little without follow-through by the criminal justice system,’ added Alderman Smith.</p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-04-23T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City successfully connects job seekers with work opportunities | Today, I visited one of the 22 job centres that the City of Cape Town established to train and connect job seekers with employers across the metro. | <span><p>Today, I visited one of the 22 job centres that the City of Cape Town established to train and connect job seekers with employers across the metro.</p>
<figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img">
<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/job%20seekers%20statement1.jpg" alt="" style="width:948px;" /> </figure></span><p>In December the City embarked on its first outcomes-based workforce development programme to improve residents’ access to employment opportunities. Lulaway runs the three-year programme on behalf of the City.</p><p>The company is incentivised to train job seekers by identifying, preparing and placing them in education, training and ultimately securing permanent work opportunities for programme participants. These employment opportunities must be with big business and SMMEs across the city.</p><span><p>In Atlantis I met participant Chuma Jaqu, 25, who found employment through the programme. Jaqu, a resident from Gugulethu, struggled for two years to get a job. He matriculated in 2014 and volunteered at a hospital after completing a paramedics course.</p>
<figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img">
<img class="responsive" src="http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/job%20seekersstatement2.jpg" alt="" style="width:948px;" /> </figure></span><p>Thanks to the City’s programme, Jaqu started work for Cashbuild in Gugulethu in February. Since then he was promoted from a general assistant to a cashier.</p><p>Over the next three years the City’s programme will run skills assessments of 30 000 unemployed residents, provide work-readiness skills training to 6 000 participants, and place 4 050 candidates in job opportunities. </p><p>This programme speaks to our Organisational Development and Transformation Plan’s goals to enhance economic inclusion and provide access to opportunities. </p><p>By empowering job seekers through work readiness training or linking them with employers, we are building an opportunity city by addressing unemployment and alleviating poverty.</p><p>Since the start of this year the programme has trained 295 participants in work readiness in the logistics, sales and marketing, call centre and retail sectors. The City has linked 29 job seekers with work opportunities. </p><p>Despite Cape Town’s unemployment statistics being better than other cities in South Africa, they are still unacceptably high. Cape Town has the lowest official unemployment rate, at 21,7%, of all the metros in South Africa.</p><p>We cannot redress the inequalities of our apartheid past if the formal economy remains elusive to many of our young residents. Government must work with business and all of society to ensure more job seekers and especially the youth have access to the economy.</p><p>Speaking to some of the job seekers today, I was inspired by the hope they have for the future. Cape Town is a more prosperous city because of young people like this driving our economy. </p><p><br><strong>End </strong></p><p> </p> | 2018-04-23T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Cape Town edging closer to water-saving target | As at today, Monday 23 April 2018, our collective consumption over the past week was 507 million litres of water per day. | <p>As at today, Monday 23 April 2018, our collective consumption over the past week was 507 million litres of water per day. This is 35 million litres lower than the previous week’s spike in average consumption of 542 million litres per day and close to our record low of 506 million litres per day, which was achieved on 9 March 2018. A great thank you is due to Capetonians who continue to strive to reach our savings target.</p><p>However, dam levels have declined by 0,9% to 20%. This is the highest rate seen over the past few weeks and is due to a large release of water from the Berg River Dam via the Berg River to the Misverstand Dam by the National Department of Water and Sanitation. This was done in an effort to ensure uninterrupted water supply to West Coast municipalities, including Saldanha Bay. These municipalities abstract water from Misverstand Dam which had become critically low in recent weeks. Read more below:</p><p>We urge all of our water users to give it their best shot and to ensure that our collective water usage breaks through the 500 million litre barrier. We need to get down to the required 450 million litres of collective daily water usage, or 50 litres per person per day, to stretch the available water supplies. </p><p>Our consumption is being closely monitored by the National Department of Water and Sanitation who are responsible for enforcement of water abstraction restrictions from the large dams comprising the Western Cape Water Supply System – the system which also supplies Cape Town. If we are not able to bring our consumption down to the required 450 million litres a day, we could face even more stringent restrictions in the new hydrological year.</p><p>Importantly, we urge our water users to please continue saving even if it’s raining. We do not as yet know how much rain we will receive this winter and, while we cannot control the weather, we can control our usage. </p><p>The City continues to do everything in its power to reduce usage. For instance, our advanced pressure management programme is helping to save more than 50 million litres of water per day. </p><p>Our water enforcement blitzes and awareness drives continue to ensure that there is fair usage of water by all residents across the city. We remain committed to our programme of making additional water available. </p><p>The City is recognised internationally for its water management and infrastructure maintenance efforts. Our rate of overall water losses is 16%, versus the national average of 32%, and we are working tirelessly to reduce this even further. </p><p>It is only if we all continue to do our bit that we will be able to keep Day Zero away. Thank you for this show of unity, Team Cape Town.</p><p>We encourage all of our water users to see if they are living a #50LitreLife and to show their commitment to saving our precious water by getting a free profile picture at <a href="http://bit.ly/2IzvM2t" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/2IzvM2t</a></p><p>Please visit <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater</a> for all water-related information.</p><p><br><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-04-22T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City sets record straight about salary increase of senior management | The City of Cape Town notes the reports of senior management increases for the 2018/19 financial year of 17% and upwards. | <p>The City of Cape Town notes the reports of senior management increases for the 2018/19 financial year of 17% and upwards. </p><p>This is incorrect. The City has budgeted for an increase of 7,1% for the 2018/19 financial year. </p><p>Regrettably, an error crept into an external annexure table in the City’s tabled (draft) budget. The typo caused the figure to read 17% and not 7,1%. The City sincerely apologises for this error. Such errors really are uncharacteristic of our budgets. This has not impacted on the budget numbers and amounts in any way. The figure was only stated in one particular table, which serves as an annexure to the budgeted amounts-related information. This reporting error will be corrected when the final budget is adopted in May 2018. </p><p>No South African Local Government Bargaining Council Agreement is in place for 2018/19 and the rest of the medium term. The Bargaining Council is expected to meet early in December to discuss the local government wage curve and the cost of living adjustments for 2018/19.</p><p>For the 2018/19 financial year, the predicted Consumer Price Index increase (of 5,1%) plus 2% was provided for in the budget in the absence of a wage agreement. </p><p><strong>The 2018/19 Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework, prepared with provision for salary increases, reads as follows:</strong> </p><table width="100%" class="ms-rteTable-default" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:33.33%;">2018/19</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:33.33%;">2019/20</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:33.33%;">2020/21</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">7,10%</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">6.60%</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">6,40%</td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>We hope that this sets the record straight. </p><p>It would be regrettable if organisations and lobby groups continue to espouse this information which has now been publically corrected in their efforts to advocate against the City’s budget and proposed vital tariff increases.</p><p>It must be noted that, in drafting its budget, the City has followed all National Treasury directives for sound financial management during tough times especially, including:</p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">improving the effectiveness of revenue management processes and procedures</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">paying special attention to cost containment measures</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">looking at the affordability of providing free basic services to all households</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">curbing consumption of water and electricity by indigent people, not to exceed their allocation </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">ensuring value for money through the procurement process</div></li></ul><p>In addition, no growth was applied to particular employee-related allowances and overtime provisions were curbed across the board except for labour-intensive directorates and essential services. </p><p>The impact of the current water crisis is clearly evident in this year’s budget. There is a need to increase our water and sanitation tariffs substantially to enable us to continue supplying water and providing sanitation services. No profit is made from tariffs. </p><p>The City has already reprioritised some R2,6 billion of its existing budget and the tabled budget includes strict budget cuts and curtailment in an effort to help the City to pay for the effects of the worst drought in recorded history. </p><p><br><strong>End </strong></p> | 2018-04-22T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
