| Hello-RITA! New bot helps qualifying Cape Town residents renew their municipal benefits – fast and easy | Hello-RITA! New bot helps qualifying Cape Town residents renew their municipal benefits – fast and easy | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/%28Treasury%29%20Policies%20and%20publications%20Header.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Pensioners, social grant recipients and qualifying indigent residents must reapply. | <p>Hello-RITA! is a new City WhatsApp chatbot designed to assist qualifying residents with the renewal of rates rebates and indigent grant applications. This innovative service is limited to renewals at this stage but is foreseen to expand to a full-service rates rebate and indigent offering in due course. <br> <br>Hello-RITA! is available in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa. <br> <br><strong>How it works – Hello-RITA! renewals for rates rebate and indigent support</strong></p><p>1. The qualifying resident will receive an SMS or email message with their account number from this week onwards. </p><p>2. They will be asked to click on the embedded link provided. </p><p>3. The link will open to a series of prompts to enable the user to complete the reapplication. </p><p>4. The chat is open for 24 hours. Should a user not complete the application in this timeframe, they will need to start over.</p><p>5. If they have all of the required supporting documentation available, the application can typically be completed in 30 minutes or less. </p><p>
<a href="https://bit.ly/4oiR7kO">View a list of the documents required in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans.</a><br> <br>To verify the email or SMS received from the City please contact the City’s Call Centre: <a>0860 103 089</a>. <br> <br>As always, for rates rebate and/or indigent support renewals, qualifying residents may contact
<a href="mailto:rates.rebate@capetown.gov.za">rates.rebate@capetown.gov.za</a> and
<a href="mailto:indigent.relief@capetown.gov.za">indigent.relief@capetown.gov.za</a> or they may visit their nearest Customer Interaction Centre to conclude the renewal application.<br><strong> </strong><br><strong>Grace periods and cut off dates for applications:</strong></p><p>
<strong>Rates rebates – renewals (every three years after a new General Valuation)</strong></p><ul><li>
<strong>APPLIED FOR RENEWAL BEFORE 1 JULY 2026: </strong><br>
<ul><li>All pensioners and social grant recipients who applied for the renewal of their benefits before 1 July 2026 will continue to receive their discounts even if their applications have not yet been finalised. </li></ul></li><li>
<strong>AFTER 1 JULY 2026:</strong><br>
<ul><li>The renewal application process must be completed before 31 August 2026. Until the application is approved, they will not receive rates discounts on their monthly municipal bill. </li></ul></li></ul><p>
<strong>Rates rebate new applications: </strong></p><p>Applicants may send an email to
<a href="mailto:rates.rebate@capetown.gov.za">rates.rebate@capetown.gov.za</a> to apply.
<a href="https://bit.ly/4oiR7kO">
View a list of the documents required in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans.</a></p><p>
<strong>Indigent support</strong></p><ul><li>
<strong>APPLIED FOR RENEWAL BEFORE 1 JULY 2026: </strong><br>
<ul><li>Qualifying indigent residents who applied for the renewal of their benefits before 1 July 2026 will continue to receive their discounts even if their applications have not yet been finalised. </li></ul></li><li>
<strong>AFTER 1 JULY 2026:</strong> <br>
<ul><li>Apply for assistance before 30 December 2026.</li><li>Backdating of benefits to 1 July 2026 will be considered for beneficiaries aged 60 years and older.</li><li>Until the application is approved, applicants will not receive indigent benefits on their monthly municipal bill. </li></ul></li></ul><p>
<strong>Indigent new applications</strong></p><p>Applicants may send a mail to
<a href="mailto:indigent.relief@capetown.gov.za">indigent.relief@capetown.gov.za</a> to apply.
<a href="https://bit.ly/4oiR7kO">
View a list of the documents required in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans. </a><br> <br>For payment arrangements:
<a href="mailto:payment.arrangements@capetown.gov.za">payment.arrangements@capetown.gov.za</a></p> | 2026-07-13T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City’s Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Works earn top provincial Green Drop recognition | City’s Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Works earn top provincial Green Drop recognition | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/City%20news.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Works receives second place in the Western Cape for the Green Drop Technical Site Assessment, scoring 94%. | <p>This well-deserved achievement follows an on-site inspection conducted as part of the 2025 Green Drop programme led by the National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The assessment earned Kraaifontein WWTW runner-up position in the Western Cape for its outstanding physical infrastructure and operational performance.</p><p>DWS’s Technical Site Assessment evaluates the physical condition of selected wastewater collector networks and treatment infrastructure, to verify desktop audit findings.</p><p><span></span></p><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/City%e2%80%99s%20Kraaifontein%20Wastewater%20Treatment%20Works%20earns%20top%20provincial%20Green%20Drop%20recognition%201.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /></figure><strong>Key performance drivers behind the award</strong><p></p><p>Kraaifontein WWTW excelled by demonstrating:</p><ul><li>Strong operational discipline through robust daily process controls and effective mechanical asset management, despite widespread national infrastructure challenges.</li><li>High infrastructure functionality by ensuring key wastewater treatment processes operate at (or near) peak efficiency with minimal asset defects.</li><li>Excellent compliance standards, and consistently meeting stringent chemical, physical and microbiological requirements that protect receiving water bodies – including the Mosselbank River.</li><li>Green engineering innovation by integrating forward-thinking solutions, such as piloting floating solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to improve energy resilience while reducing water evaporation.</li></ul><p>The plant also achieved an exceptional 94% for microbiological compliance, 79% for chemical compliance and 79% for physical compliance, meaning that the treated wastewater discharged into the environment consistently met DWS's stringent quality standards.</p><p>The plant services Kraaifontein and Durbanville, and it is currently operating at an average inflow of five million litres per day (Ml/d), which is 71% of its 7Ml/d design capacity. Operating within its design capacity has enabled the facility to maintain consistently high performance.</p><p>It also serves as a proof-of-concept site for green technologies, with pilot projects at the facility, such as floating solar photovoltaic (PV) panels introduced to improve energy resilience and reduce water evaporation. Another advancement is a 990kWp ground mounted PV installation that was provided as a proof-of-concept installation, before rollout to other WWTWs within the City.</p><p><span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/City%e2%80%99s%20Kraaifontein%20Wastewater%20Treatment%20Works%20earns%20top%20provincial%20Green%20Drop%20recognition%202.jpg" alt="" style="width:882px;" /></figure>'This Green Drop recognition is a strong endorsement of the City of Cape Town’s sustained investment in wastewater infrastructure and our commitment to becoming a water-sensitive city. At a time when many wastewater treatment works across the country are under increasing pressure, Cape Town continues to invest in safeguarding and improving water quality for future generations.</span></p><p>'This financial year alone, we are investing approximately R1,8 billion in wastewater treatment infrastructure upgrades, expansions and renewals. The excellent performance of the Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Works demonstrates that these investments are delivering tangible results, strengthening environmental resilience, protecting our waterways and supporting the high standard of service our residents expect. We are encouraged by this achievement and remain focused on building a future-ready water and sanitation system for our growing city,' said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.</p><p> </p><p>END</p> | 2026-07-13T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City hosts festive events booking info session for Minstrels, Choirs and Bands | City hosts festive events booking info session for Minstrels, Choirs and Bands | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/City%20news.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | The well attended engagement with these key City partners comes ahead of a busy festive season of cultural events. | <p>The festive season is the busiest time of the year for events, and requires paid up and confirmed venue bookings and permit applications to be completed timeously and in line with existing legislation. <br></p><p>SAPS further applies a medium-risk SASREA rating to all Minstrel events, which limits the number of suitable public or private venues. <br></p><p>The City's supportive approach to the culturally unique Klopse competitions is the basis for the consultations, aimed at ensuring these groups have clear and agreed guidelines in place for the booking processes that apply.<br></p><p>'We recognise the important role that our recreation facilities play in hosting cultural and community events. Our responsibility is to balance these competing demands fairly and effectively so that our facilities can serve a wide range of community needs. We recognise there is room to improve and streamline our venue booking processes. We have shared some of the proposed improvements that we will be applying and are committed to working towards a system that is clearer, more efficient and easier for event organisers to navigate,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham.<br></p><p>This past festive season saw a robust and successful schedule of Klopse competitions throughout the summer, which the City backed with the largest portion of its overall events budget going to supporting Klopse events.</p><p>Tweede Nuwe Jaar was elevated to new heights, including a first ever live TV broadcast, with close to 25 000 spectators at DHL Stadium and many tens of thousands more viewing the free street parade by over 20 000 performers.<br></p><p style="text-align:justify;"> <span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/CompDay1-37.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /></figure></span>'This proves what is possible, and, looking ahead, we want to provide greater certainty and stability for organisers. We owe it to the supporters of these events, to the participants and the hours of practise and toil they put into their preparations, to the cultural history we are the joint custodians of, to ensure that these events are safe, professional, apolitical and that they are able to attract corporate sponsorships, which are the lifeblood of any event, that ensure their viability and sustainability for years to come,' said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2026-07-13T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Mayor calls on NPA to stop ‘catch and release’ of drug dealers on the Cape Flats | Mayor calls on NPA to stop ‘catch and release’ of drug dealers on the Cape Flats | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/City%20news.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | The Mayor was speaking at the Mitchells Plain Magistrates Court where a suspect arrested by Metro Police in Woodlands | <p>Metro Police first arrested the man for suspected drug dealing on 9 April – an arrest the Mayor witnessed first-hand. The NPA failed to oppose bail or even check if the suspect had a prior criminal record. Metro Police however obtained the record of past convictions and charges, which Mayor Hill-Lewis brought to the Regional NPA’s attention, calling for stricter bail conditions to prevent further drug dealing.</p><p>Despite this, the matter was today postponed for a second time until 14 August, with the NPA again failing to ask the court to impose any restrictions on the suspect’s bail.</p><span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/IMG_4073.png" alt="" style="width:1898px;" /></figure></span><p>‘The NPA and SAPS practice of “catch and release” is not acceptable to communities living in fear of gang, gun and drug crime.</p><p>‘I again witnessed first-hand today how a suspected drug dealer was simply released on unrestricted bail by the Mitchells Plain Magistrates Court, without the NPA arguing for strict conditions to keep him away from schools, restrict his movements, or prevent him from dealing to the vulnerable. This is the same drug dealer I personally witnessed our Metro Police arrest for possession of 30 packets of tik back in April. It is now July and the trial has not proceeded while the suspect freely operates in the community.</p><p>‘We call on the NPA to instruct its prosecutors to oppose bail for violent drug dealers in gang-impacted communities on the Cape Flats, and to advocate for strict bail conditions wherever needed.</p><p>‘Low conviction rates for gang, gun and drug crime is exactly why the City is calling for more policing powers for Metro Police, particularly to investigate crime and build case dockets.</p><p>‘The time has come to “catch and convict”, which our Metro Police stand ready to do in support of SAPS and the NPA,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.</p><p>Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, said Metro Police routinely make over 2 000 drug arrests annually and participate in over 1 000 drug raids.</p><p>‘As it stands, our officers find illegal narcotics, make an arrest, and hand the suspects over to the relevant authorities, only for the criminal justice system to fail to secure a conviction. This forces City enforcement agencies to repeatedly police the same offenders.</p><p>‘If Metro Police and Law Enforcement had the power to go a step further and build the docket, we could get many more gangsters off the streets and disrupt the drug trade which fuels violent crime and gangsterism,’ said Alderman Smith.</p><p>The City’s full submission on expanding draft regulations for municipal policing powers, published by the National Police Minister, can be viewed here: <a href="https://bit.ly/4oGBvrk" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/4oGBvrk</a></p><p>Caption: Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis at the Mitchells Plain Magistrates Court on 13 July for the appearance of a suspect arrested for drug possession by Metro Police in Woodlands.</p><p><br> </p><p><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2026-07-12T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
