| Human Settlements’ Portfolio Committee visits housing projects | Councillor Ntsodo and the Portfolio Committee members conducted oversight visits | <p></p><span><p>Councillor Ntsodo and the Portfolio Committee members conducted oversight visits to the Masiphumelele informal settlement, Pooke se Bos Breaking New Ground (BNG) project site in Gatesville and Steen Villa social housing project in Steenberg.</p><p>The City offers five main affordable housing opportunities. Each opportunity has specific qualifying criteria:</p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">BNG, formerly known as RDP houses</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">GAP</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP)</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Community Residential Units (CRU)</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Social Housing developed and managed by Social Housing Institutions (SHIs) as per the Social Housing Act and the requirements of the Social Housing Regulatory Authority (SHRA)</div></li></ul>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/pc%20visit1.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>‘We visited these housing projects to check on the various types of opportunities which are available to qualifying beneficiaries across the metro. It is important that we have an on the ground understanding of the available opportunities and what our beneficiaries lives will look like while living in their new homes. We also wanted to see how we could potentially enhance the City’s service delivery offerings at the City’s project sites. The City allocated R2,8 billion for the City’s Human Settlements Directorate over three years, according to the draft Budget 2022/23. It will include budget for work on informal settlements upgrades and the enhancement of basic services, public housing maintenance, BNG housing and hostel transformation projects across the metro. As the Portfolio Committee, we help to hold the City to account and have oversight over the plans in action. </p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/pc%20visit2.jpg" alt="" style="width:948px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>‘Our oversight visits to projects intend to ensure that the City does what its residents have come to expect from the City, the delivery of services. The Human Settlements Directorate has a number of projects at various stages in areas across the metro and we will assist and provide guidance where it is required,’ said Councillor Ntsodo.</p><p>Housing Needs Register <br>Beneficiaries of City housing projects will be selected in accordance with the City's Housing Allocation Policy and Housing Needs Register to ensure housing opportunities are made available in a fair and transparent manner that prevents queue jumping and to those who qualify for housing as per the South African legislation. <br>The City’s political office bearers do not have access to or influence over the Register and its qualifying beneficiaries.</p><p>Register on the City’s Housing Needs Register and keep your contact details up to date: <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Register/Housing-and-property/Register-on-the-housing-database" target="_blank">https://www.capetown.gov.za/City-Connect/Register/Housing-and-property/Register-on-the-housing-database</a> </p><p>For more information on the various housing programmes and the qualifying criteria, visit this page.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/pc%20visit3.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /></figure></span><p><strong>Anonymous tip-offs welcomed</strong>: Residents can give anonymous tip offs if they are aware of illegal activity that is taking place; that has happened or is still to happen. Please call 112 from a cell phone (toll free) and 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 for emergencies.</p><p><br><strong>End</strong></p><span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> </figure></span><span></span><span></span> | 2022-05-24T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Cape Town up for six awards at World Travel Awards – vote now! |
These awards are the gold standard in the travel world and bring significant economic benefits to the city. | <p></p><span><p>These awards are the gold standard in the travel world and bring significant economic benefits to the city. <br> <br>This year, Cape Town is up for: </p><p>1. Africa's Leading Beach Destination 2022: Cape Town, South Africa<br>2. Africa's Leading Business Travel Destination 2022: Cape Town, South Africa<br>3. Africa's Leading City Destination 2022: Cape Town, South Africa<br>4. Africa's Leading Festival & Event Destination 2022: Cape Town, South Africa<br>5. Africa's Leading Meetings & Conference Destination 2022: Cape Town, South Africa<br>6. Africa's Leading Tourist Attraction 2022: Table Mountain, South Africa</p><p>Having been to communities and attractions all across our metro and meeting Capetonians in the tourism and hospitality industry who are visibly proud of their home city, I know that we are deserving of every accolade. I have said it before and I will say it again: Cape Town is Africa’s best city because of the people who make up its cultures, cuisines, and communities. Many agree.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/World%20Travel%20Awards%201.jpg" alt="" style="width:1434px;" /> </figure></span><p>Just last year, Cape Town International Airport was named the continent’s best, while Table Mountain took home the prize for Africa’s leading attraction. And Cape Town was also voted Africa’s leading city destination. </p><p>Now is our chance to bag all six awards by going to <a href="https://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees/2022/africa" target="_blank">https://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees/2022/africa</a> and selecting your winning choice in each category. </p><p>One of the biggest priorities in my role as the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth is helping to grow Cape Town’s visitor economy. </p><p>The City, together with our official Destination Marketing Organisation, Cape Town Tourism, works continuously to keep the metro top of mind for domestic and international visitors while simultaneously supporting local tourism enterprises. Most recently, the group launched Find Your Freedom, a first-of-its-kind interactive platform that showcases different kinds of experiences across the city. </p><p>Thanks to these and other initiatives, Cape Town’s visitor economy has made a fantastic recovery from the pandemic. In aviation, passenger movements have recovered to approximately 80%. Alongside this, accommodation data for the Mother City is also looking positive with occupancy rates reaching 66.6%. </p><p>The recognition of platforms such as the World Travel Awards will further help in this endeavour. </p><p>So vote now, Cape Town! </p><p><br><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2022-05-24T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Council meeting virtual attendance | A meeting of the Council of the City of Cape Town will be held on Thursday
| <p>A meeting of the Council of the City of Cape Town will be held on Thursday, 26 May 2022 at 10:00 in the Podium Block, Civic Centre, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town. </p><p>The following arrangements will apply to media representatives who are interested in attending. </p><p>The Council meeting will be broadcast live on the City’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/CityofCapeTown021" target="_blank">YouTube page</a>. <br> <br>Further details on the meeting can be accessed on the Council meetings site: <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Meet-the-City/City-Council/The-City-Council" target="_blank">https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Meet-the-City/City-Council/The-City-Council</a>.</p><p><br>End</p> | 2022-05-24T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City installs 100 full flush toilets in Sweet Homes, Philippi | The City's Water and Sanitation Directorate has invested about R2 million to install 100 full flush toilets in Sweet Homes | <p> </p><span><p>The City's Water and Sanitation Directorate has invested about R2 million to install 100 full flush toilets in Sweet Homes, Philippi. Another 200 full flush toilets will still be installed in a phased approach. </p><p>‘The community was initially serviced by 300 full flush toilets. 80 toilets were damaged in a fire and 200 damaged beyond repairs, with the pipeline regularly blocked by foreign objects that had entered the system either through flushing or sewer manholes.<br></p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/flush%20toilet1.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>‘After much planning and consultation with the community and ward councillor, this project to install full flush toilets is underway and has already installed 100 toilets. During this time, residents were provided with chemical toilets. Eventually 320 full flush toilets will be provided to the community, which is 20 more toilets than initially. This project includes new toilet structures with slabs, sewer pipelines, water pipeline, new toilet cisterns and plumbing works,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Councillor Zahid Badroodien.</p><p>It is always first choice for the City to provide full flush toilets informal settlements where possible it is legally and physically possible to do so. Factors such as space and constraints including whether land is privately owned, situated in a wetland, or on a sand dune, need to be considered when providing full flush toilets. Full flush toilets can only be installed in certain parts of an informal settlement where there is space for laying of pipes or construction of toilet blocks and they need to be connected to the sewer network. </p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/flush%20toilet2.jpg" alt="" style="width:784px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>'Thank you to the Water and Sanitation Directorate, Human Settlements Directorate, as well as the ward councillor and community's leadership team who all played integral roles throughout this project so it could transition from being a plan on paper to a reality that benefits the local community. Internally City departments had to work on the logistics of the plan, which included where to install the toilets and how will they connect to the existing sewer network. Consultation with the community and ward councillor was also key to the progress and welcoming of this project,’ said Councillor Badroodien. </p><p>Janitors will be selected from the Jobseekers Database via the EPWP programme and be employed to clean and inspect the toilets and report on the condition of the toilets. </p><p>Currently, more than 14 000 full-flush toilets have been installed in informal settlements across the city where possible. This is in addition to other sanitation types provided in informal settlements.</p><p>Residents are encouraged to help the City look after these communal toilets. </p><p>‘We ask residents to please help our teams look after the infrastructure. This is to ensure that this important sanitation service is not disrupted due to vandalism or foreign objects such as wipes, diapers, sanitary pads or any other item being flushed down the toilets causing the pipeline to be blocked. Only toilet paper and human waste should be flushed. Residents are encouraged to report any vandalism or sewer blockages as soon as possible so they can be resolved. Residents are also reminded to use solid waste services provided to get rid of their waste correctly,' said Councillor Badroodien. </p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/flush%20toilet3.jpg" alt="" style="width:880px;" /></figure></span><p><strong>Resident can log their service request using one of the following channels:</strong></p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">Call 0860 103 089</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">SMS to 31373 (maximum 160 characters)</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Email: <a href="mailto:water@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank">water@capetown.gov.za</a></div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Online: <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests/" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests/</a> </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Visiting a walk-in centre</div></li></ul><p><strong>Anonymous tip-offs about vandalism welcomed:</strong><br>If you have witnessed an incident or are aware of incidents that could still happen, please report it by phoning:</p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">From a landline call 107 for free. </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">From a cellphone - call 021 480 7700 or call 112 for free and ask for City of Cape Town’s Public Emergency Call Center.</div></li></ul><p><br><strong>End</strong></p><span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> </figure></span><span></span><span></span> | 2022-05-24T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
