The City of Cape Town is closely monitoring developments at the Delft Symphony Way Temporary Relocation Area (TRA).

We will continue to make every effort to engage the recognised leadership of the area to address concerns where possible.

We are doing our best to provide accommodation and services to people who qualify for government-subsidised houses.

Some of the people currently living at the Delft Symphony Way TRA are on the housing database. The City will move them into houses when it is their turn to get a house.

There are a number of services available at the Delft Symphony Way TRA. These include:

• a crèche with 2 buildings
  
• a fulltime social worker from HOPE who has an office on site
  
• three health workers
  
• a Primary school and Secondary school located less than a kilometre away
  
• a ratio of 1:4 flush toilets and taps
  
• one informal settlement officer permanently allocated to the area
  
• 3 churches, a library and a shopping centre in close proximity
  
• Metro Police visibility with a permanent police station
  
• a soup kitchen
  
  

There are also medium to long term plans being developed to upgrade the entire area.

In the interim, a number of immediate steps are being considered to improve living conditions of the community.

One of these is establishing an inter-departmental committee to provide quick and effective responses to service delivery concerns.

Another is using the Extended Public Works Programme which, if implemented, will provide some form of poverty alleviation for participants. Work done through the programme will also contribute to the maintenance of the facility.

I have requested that the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Ernest Sonnenberg, attend a meeting later this week at the relevant Sub-Council in order to discuss the fast-tracking of these possible steps and other initiatives and report back to the community.