| Local skateboarders take to the air to celebrate the new Woodstock skateboard park | It is home-sweet-home for local skateboarders as they celebrate the new Woodstock skateboard park which will provide them with a platform to hone their skills | <span><p>It is home-sweet-home for local skateboarders as they celebrate the new Woodstock skateboard park which will provide them with a platform to hone their skills.</p><p>During the launch event, local skateboarders took to the air to show their appreciation of the new park. Councillor Brett Herron, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport and Urban Development, also braved getting onto a skateboard to test the facility.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Woodstock%20skate%20park%203.jpg" alt="" style="width:892px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>The 2015 South African skateboard champion, Shuaib Philander from Woodstock, was at the facility and gave Councillor Herron a few tips on how to skateboard. </p><p>‘The skateboard community is very happy to have its first transitional skatepark. It is a concrete ramp that imitates a wave which is how skateboarding was started. It involves lots of ramps and has curvatures. We love the skatepark that we have here,’ said Mr Philander, who has been skateboarding for 13 years.</p><p>Skateboarder and BMX rider Sergei Pringiers from Rondebosch welcomed the new skateboard park.</p><p>‘It is very nice to have the facility here. It is a bit steep but that’s because we are not used to it. The facility is pretty well-rounded and I like how it has different features. It is a good place for people to hang out and stay safe,’ he said.</p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Woodstock%20skate%20park1.jpg" alt="" style="width:904px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>The construction of the skateboard park commenced in February and the final snags were addressed last week.</p><p>‘It is very exciting to hear that this site was so popular during the school holidays. I believe the skateboarders were so eager and couldn’t wait for the final snags to be completed. I am confident that this facility will provide our emerging and local talent with a platform to hang out together, hone their skills and to have fun in a safe and well-designed space that they can enjoy. It is one of the City’s priorities to build integrated communities by attracting a diverse pool of talent and creating a culture where talent can thrive,’ said Councillor Herron.</p><p>The skateboard park is situated on the eastern side of the Woodstock Town Hall Park along Victoria Road, between Plein and Aberdeen Streets.</p><p>The project, which amounts to approximately R675 000, has been funded from the City’s capital budget.</p><p>Furthermore, non-potable water from treated effluent was used to premix the concrete that was required for this project. </p><p>Councillor Herron was the ward councillor in 2014 when the proposal for this park emerged during discussions with the local community and the skateboarding fraternity about the revitalisation of the Woodstock Town Hall precinct, as part of the World Design Capital co-design ward project. </p>
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<img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Woodstock%20skate%20park2.jpg" alt="" style="width:874px;" /> </figure></span><span></span><span></span><p>‘It has been a fantastic journey to see how this Woodstock skateboard park has grown from being an idea to a reality which will benefit and empower our local talent. I want to thank the community, including the skateboarders, for sharing their valuable input relating to the location of the site, the planning, and in the design stages of the project. This project is a sterling example of the value of partnerships between local government and residents,’ said Councillor Herron.</p><p>The Woodstock Town Hall precinct has already received some upgrades since 2014, which includes the paving of the area between the town hall, library and park with red brick and cobbles, as well as providing seven additional parking bays to the existing parking area adjacent to the town hall.</p><p>Councillor Suzette Little, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Area North, said the park is a welcome asset for the community.</p><p>‘Our communities need spaces such as this which promote healthy, active living, where young people can channel their energy into improving their talents while having fun in a safe environment. I encourage our local skateboarders to make the most of this facility and to look after it so that more talent can be nurtured on these ramps,’ said Councillor Little. <br> </p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-07-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Street lighting programme driving energy efficiency, reducing long-term costs | The programme to replace high intensity discharge (HID) lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) technology is lighting up the way for motorists and pedestrians with a characteristic white hue along roadways. | <p>The programme to replace high intensity discharge (HID) lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) technology is lighting up the way for motorists and pedestrians with a characteristic white hue along roadways. </p><p>The City has budgeted approximately R20 million in this new financial year to replace more HID lamps with LED lights. To date, some 820 km of roads have been retrofitted across the metro. City investigations indicate that a saving of about 40% can be achieved compared with an HID fitting with the same light intensity. </p><p>An HID lamp has a usable life expectancy of about four years. In comparison, an LED fitting can last for as long as 25 years. In theory, if an LED fitting is installed correctly and is not tampered with while in operation, it should not require maintenance for the full life of the fitting.</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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<b></b></a>The first phase of the M3 refurbishment project </p> </figcaption> </figure>
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<b></b>The first phase of the M3 refurbishment project </p> </figcaption> </figure>
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<b></b>The first phase of the M3 refurbishment project </p> </figcaption> </figure> </div><div class="image-gallery-control"><div class="image-gallery-caption"><p>
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<i class="icon arrow-white-prev"></i></div></div></div></div></span><p> </p><p>The first phase of the M3 refurbishment project (illustrated in the embedded photographs) is a recent project that has been completed on a 1,5 km stretch of road between the Princess Anne and Woolsack off-ramps. This particular project has included the replacement of 82 lights at a cost of R952 656. Once the full scope of the project is completed, the full length of the M3 from Buitengracht Street to Klaassens Road will be lit with LED technology. The full extent of the refurbishment will be 13,5 km of lighting on both sides of the roadway.</p><p>This programme will see the roll-out of LED technology to major and minor roads within the areas being upgraded. The most recent areas where this programme was rolled out include Protea Park in Atlantis; Manenberg; the Gugulethu Phase 4 housing project; Lavender Hill; Bay View; Mandalay in Mitchells Plain; and Silvertown in Athlone. </p><p>‘All of the City’s traffic lights and 15% of the street lights have been retrofitted with LEDs or energy-efficient bulbs. This is part of our efforts to become a more sustainable city and to use technology and innovation to the advantage of our residents and businesses. Becoming more efficient is also necessary to enhancing the resilience of this city. The cost of an LED fitting is still higher at this stage but it is coming down. It is projected that the lower energy usage and the reduced maintenance requirements of an LED fitting will result in substantial savings for the City over the life of the unit,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Settlements, Water and Waste Services; and Energy, Councillor Xanthea Limberg. </p><p>Refurbishment projects that will be done in this new financial year include Wesbank, Protea Valley, Avondale, Fairfield Estate, Killarney Gardens, Primrose Park and Bhunga Drive. </p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-07-16T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City puts by-law warrants in the spotlight | The City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Court Section is reconfiguring its modus operandi in a bid to track down by-law warrant evaders. | <p></p><p>The City of Cape Town’s Law Enforcement Court Section is reconfiguring its modus operandi in a bid to track down by-law warrant evaders.</p><p>The City’s Law Enforcement Department issues thousands of notices each quarter for transgressions of the administration’s by-laws, ranging from illegal dumping to illegal trading, traffic violations and offences stipulated in the by-law related to streets, public places and the prevention of noise nuisances, among others.</p><p>Where Section 56 notices are issued, i.e. an offence is witnessed by an officer, the accused has the option to pay an admission of guilt fine or to appear in court to plead their case. Where an accused fails to appear, a warrant is generated by the municipal courts and executed by Law Enforcement.</p><p>Currently, the department’s area-based staff are tasked with warrant executions on behalf of the Court Section, which takes time away from their primary duties. With the R2 million budget injection, the City will bulk up the resources in the Court Section to allow them to execute warrants themselves. </p><p>Additionally, the City will consider how it can improve its systems to confirm the identity of suspects who are caught for by-law transgressions. </p><p>‘You can’t arrest an individual for a by-law transgression so, when issuing the fine, officers have very little means to confirm whether the details they’re given are correct. That then becomes a challenge when we reach warrant stage in a case and we can’t find the accused, because the particulars provided were false. So, we’re starting to look at using smart technology to assist us. This includes taking photographs of the accused, checking address details via Google Maps and so forth.</p><p>‘Fortunately, all is not lost, particularly in cases of illegal dumping where we are able to check details using a vehicle’s licence plate. Also, traffic by-law offences and those that happen at a fixed address, like flouting building regulations and noise and other nuisances are also far easier to monitor and track the accused, in the event that they do not abide by the Section 56 notice,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p>The three by-laws that generate the highest number of Section 56 notices are the Traffic; Streets, Public Places and Prevention of Noise Nuisances; and Informal Trading by-laws. In the first quarter of 2018, these three by-laws accounted for three quarters of all notices issued.</p><p>‘The streets and public places by-law is perhaps the most challenging, because it covers offences like unbecoming conduct in public and unfortunately, street people are most likely to be fined under this by-law. Given that they are transient, it is difficult to execute warrants and ensure their presence in court, which means that we’re basically caught in a vicious cycle, because no matter the level of enforcement, there are no real consequences. It is frustrating and we are working very hard to see if there is any way to address this challenge.</p><p>‘The recently launched Safe Space for street people is one way that we’re hoping to reduce the number of by-law transgressions in the CBD, because the space provides a spot to sleep, access to ablution facilities and other health and social services. While this space is still in its infancy, if it works as a concept, we could well be introducing safe spaces across the metropole in the coming years. By doing so, we’ll reduce by-law transgressions but also offer street people a step up into possible reintegration,’ added Alderman Smith.</p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2018-07-15T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Nelson Mandela statue and exhibition to honour Madiba’s links to the Western Cape | When Nelson Mandela was awarded the Freedom of the City of Cape Town in 1997, he said that ‘Cape Town’s greatness lies not only in its contribution to our economy but in its involvement in our country’s history.’ | <p>When Nelson Mandela was awarded the Freedom of the City of Cape Town in 1997, he said that ‘Cape Town’s greatness lies not only in its contribution to our economy but in its involvement in our country’s history.’ <br> <br>Former President Nelson Mandela is a global icon, but so much of his remarkable life story is tied to Cape Town and the Western Cape. To celebrate his life, his contribution to the country and his centenary, the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town will be unveiling a bronze statue of the great father of our nation at the City Hall on 24 July 2018.<br> <br>This will be a fitting tribute to a man to whom we owe a great debt for the sacrifices he made in the journey to attaining our hard-fought freedom and democracy.<br>The statue must serve as a constant reminder of that historical day and the many years of sacrifice that led to that moment when he was freed and later addressed thousands of citizens from the City Hall balcony.<br> <br>The statue will be positioned on the balcony where Nelson Mandela stood when he gave his first address as a free man on 11 February 1990. The sculpture has been created by artists Xhanti Mpakama and Barry Jackson.</p><p>Mpakama is a young artist who was born near to where Nelson Mandela grew up in the Eastern Cape, while Jackson is an experienced bronze sculptor who has crafted artworks of several historical figures for the National Heritage Project. Both artists worked on the Mandela bust which takes pride of place in front of the National Assembly at the South African Parliament.<br> <br>Koketso Growth, run by Dali Tambo, was awarded the tender for the project.<br> <br>This sculpture forms part of an initiative by the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town to share former President Mandela’s story with the world. As part of Project Khulisa, the economic development strategy for the region, a Madiba legacy route was envisaged. The route will allow visitors to follow in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps and visit key sites in the province such as Robben Island where he was imprisoned for most of his sentence, to Drakenstein prison and eventually to Parliament, where he was sworn in as our country’s first democratically-elected President in 1994. <br> <br>The focus for the current year has been on developing the City Hall site and the linkage with Madiba House at Drakenstein Prison. This is where Mandela spent the last 14 months of his prison sentence, and where negotiations between the apartheid government and the liberation movement took place. It is also from here that the former president took his first steps as a free man. <br> <br>In August 2017, the City of Cape Town Council resolved to approve a new memorial in honour of Tata Madiba on the balcony of the City Hall. <br> <br>The City of Cape Town will also unveil an exhibition focusing on Mr Mandela’s life and times in Cape Town, the people and organisations involved in the liberation struggle in Cape Town and the events leading up to Mr Mandela’s release and his iconic address from the balcony of the City Hall on 11 February 1990. <br> <br>‘Nelson Mandela is one of a handful of people whom we can really call a global icon. He selflessly gave so much of himself for the people of South Africa, but his message of peace and tolerance endeared him to the world. We wanted to celebrate him and pay tribute. For us, there was no better way to do that than by developing a route that would tell his story to the world, but also create opportunities for the people of this province,’ said MEC for Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde.<br> <br>‘Mandela had a very close connection with Cape Town as it was here that he was imprisoned and here that he was finally set free and delivered his first speech as a free man from the City Hall balcony. It is therefore fitting that we honour him in this way in the Mother City as we commemorate 100 years since the birth of a world icon who sacrificed so much for our freedom and democracy. As we mark this momentous occasion this year, we must all do more to emulate his example and serve those who need our help most. In doing so, we can make greater strides in building a caring and inclusive city and ensuring that the work of Mandela in fighting for our rights and freedoms is felt by all,’ said Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille.<br> <br>‘Nelson Mandela’s legacy can be seen all around us on a daily basis. We are honoured to see his spirit live on through arts, culture, sport and heritage. We continue to celebrate his life through our daily work and we encourage residents and visitors to the city to remember him as they enjoy everything that Cape Town has to offer. We will continue to follow his example in fostering social inclusion in all the communities that we serve,’ said Anroux Marais, Minister for Cultural Affairs and Sport.<br> <br> <br>Unveiling event details:</p><p>Date: Tuesday 24 July, 2018<br>Time: 14:00<br>Venue: City Hall, Cape Town<br> <br><strong>All members of the media wishing to attend must RSVP to </strong><a href="mailto:inge@wesgro.co.za"><strong>inge@wesgro.co.za</strong></a><strong> by noon on Thursday 19 July 2018. </strong><br> <br>The public is welcome to gather on the Grand Parade in front of the City Hall to watch the unveiling which will happen at around 15:00.</p><p><strong>End </strong><br></p> | 2018-07-15T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
