| Get your nominations in for this year’s Neighbourhood Watch Awards | Every year we honour the exceptional contributions of accredited Neighbourhood Watch volunteers who have gone above and beyond in safeguarding their communities. | <p>'Every year we honour the exceptional contributions of accredited Neighbourhood Watch volunteers who have gone above and beyond in safeguarding their communities. The awards also recognise the importance of working with the City's enforcement departments and highlights how vital this support is,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p>Residents are encouraged to submit nominations for outstanding Neighbourhood Watch members and organisations that have demonstrated exemplary service. </p><p><strong>Award Categories</strong></p><p>The awards recognise both individual members and organisations across various categories, including:</p><ul><li><strong>Neighbourhood Watch Member of the Year:</strong> celebrating individual excellence in safeguarding community members and property</li><li><strong>Crime Fighter of the Year:</strong> honouring exceptional service in the fight against crime</li><li><strong>Neighbourhood Watch of the Year:</strong> recognising organisations that excel in protecting their communities</li><li><strong>Organisational Excellence: </strong>for excellence in Neighbourhood Watch management</li><li><strong>Mobiliser of the Year:</strong> for exceptional efforts to mobilise communities in support of safety</li><li><strong>Inspiration of the Year:</strong> a leader who has displayed inspirational public leadership across several Neighbourhood Watches, in support of community safety and the greater public good</li><li><strong>Courage in Action:</strong> in recognition of sustained operations in the face of highly compromised community safety, such as drug activity or gang violence</li><li><strong>Situational Crime Prevention Award:</strong> in recognition of exceptional efforts towards a clean, healthy, and safe environment, in which communities can lead dignified lives</li><li><strong>Social Responsibility Award:</strong> in recognition of a deep commitment to addressing, mitigating, and healing social ills, towards healthier, inclusive, and united communities</li></ul><p><strong>Eligibility and Submission Requirements</strong></p><p>Only NW members or organisations accredited with the Western Cape Government Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, or those who have formally applied for accreditation, are eligible for nomination. </p><p>A comprehensive body of evidence must accompany each nomination to support the achievements of the nominee.</p><p><strong>About the Neighbourhood Watch Awards</strong></p><p>The Neighbourhood Watch Awards honour the selfless service and outstanding achievements of Neighbourhood Watch volunteers who contribute to creating safer, more resilient communities. Through their efforts, they embody the spirit of community and collaboration.</p><p>The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday, 23 November 2024. </p><p>The nomination period runs from 9 September 2024 until 23:59 on Friday 4 October 2024. Nominations can be submitted through the online forms available on the Neighbourhood Watch Awards web page.</p><p>For further information please contact the Neighbourhood Watch Awards team at <a href="mailto:nw.awards@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank">nw.awards@capetown.gov.za</a>, or to fill in the forms online, please go to: <a href="https://bit.ly/3XBa0UA" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3XBa0UA</a> </p><p> <br></p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2024-09-10T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Residents invited to join beach clean-up mornings in Blaauwberg | Spring is here and the weather conditions are looking so much better for us to do a good clean up along this stretch of beach. | <span><p>The beach clean-ups will focus on the coast from Melkbosstrand to the Eerste Steen Resort. Residents are invited to join the following sites between 09:00 and 12:00 next week where City staff will welcome participants and supply them with collection bags:</p><ul><li>Monday, 16 September: Melkbosstrand parking area, 1st Avenue </li><li>Tuesday, 17 September: Holbaai parking area, Otto du Plessis Drive </li><li>Wednesday, 18 September: Kelpbaai parking, Otto du Plessis Drive </li><li>Thursday, 19 September: Kreeftebaai parking, Otto du Plessis Drive </li><li>Friday, 20 September: Derdesteen parking, Otto du Plessis Drive </li><li>Saturday, 21 September: Eerste Steen Resort, Otto du Plessis Drive<br></li></ul>
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<img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/blaawberg.jpg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure></span><p>'Spring is here and the weather conditions are looking so much better for us to do a good clean up along this stretch of beach. I ask residents who have some time available in the morning next week to please join us and assist with the beach clean-ups. Our team is ready to meet you and will appreciate all the help we can get. It's the perfect opportunity to soak up some of that sunshine and fresh air we have been missing all during the winter months. Those who can only come on Saturday, please join us down at Eerste Steen Resort on 21 September 2024 for International Coastal Clean-up Day. We can all lend a hand to ensure that this famous and beautiful stretch of coastline is kept in the most pristine condition possible,' said the City's Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.</p><p>The City asks that residents please bring their own gloves.</p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2024-09-10T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Vandalism and theft costs City R12 million to replace sewer drain covers | Replacing manhole covers is essential to ensuring public safety for vehicles, pedestrians and infrastructure integrity. | <span><p>The City continues to replace sewer drain manhole covers that pose a risk to public safety and become the gateway for foreign objects to enter the sewer system, damaging pipes and leading to blockages.</p><p>Many covers are reported stolen or damaged due to vandalism, with a costly replacement value, much of which can be mitigated through public awareness and behavioural change. </p><p>During winter, missing drain covers add pressure on operations and increase call-outs. Excess rain floods the sewer network, which increases the probability and frequency of overflows. <br></p>
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<img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/Damaged%20manhole%20cover.jpg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:1069px;" /> </figure></span><span><p>'It's important for the public to be aware that replacing vandalised or stolen manhole covers puts a strain on the City's financial resources, and causes delays in rendering services as maintenance demands amplify. Each act of criminality diverts valuable time and funding away from daily essential services,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.</p><p>Several factors affect the total cost per job, taking into account whether it requires just replacing a cover or completely reconstructing the manhole frame. </p><p>'Replacing manhole covers is essential to ensuring public safety for vehicles, pedestrians and infrastructure integrity. It also improves the reliability of our sewer systems, reducing unwanted experiences of sewer overflows on streets, resulting from blocked drains caused by illegal dumping through open manholes. <br></p>
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<img src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Images%202/Illegal%20dumping%20of%20foreign%20objects%20removed%20from%20a%20sewer%20where%20the%20manhole%20is%20missing.jpg" class="responsive" alt="" style="width:802px;" /> </figure>'While the immediate focus is to ensure that all manholes are secured, the City maintains its surveillance over sewer infrastructure. We urge residents to keep reporting and act proactively, working together with the City to eliminate this challenge,' said Councillor Zahid Badroodien.</span><div><br><table cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="ms-rteTable-default"><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:100%;"><p><strong>About sewer drain manhole covers:</strong></p><ul><li>They are <strong>usually round</strong> and <strong>located in the middle of a road, and sometimes on properties.</strong></li><li>They are a crucial part of the Water and Sanitation Directorate's infrastructure that helps to control the flow of sewage through the sewer pipes, and reduces incidents of overflows into the streets.</li><li>The public <strong>must not remove these covers</strong>.</li><li><strong>Only staff authorised by the City can open these drains</strong> for work purposes such as clearing blockages in the pipes.</li><li><strong>Report missing or broken covers to one of the City's channels so they can be replaced:</strong></li><ul><li><strong>WhatsApp</strong> 060 018 1505</li><li><strong>Online</strong> <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/servicerequests</a></li><li><strong>Email </strong><a href="mailto:water@capetown.gov.za" target="_blank">water@capetown.gov.za</a></li><li><strong>SMS</strong> 31373 (maximum 160 characters. Standard rates apply</li><li><strong>Call</strong> 0860 103 089</li><li><strong>Visit a City walk-in centre</strong> (see <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/facilities" target="_blank">www.capetown.gov.za/facilities</a>)<br></li></ul></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><br><span></span><p><strong>If you observe individuals tampering with manhole covers or dumping foreign objects into the sewer system, report it on 0860 103 089. Your vigilance can help prevent further damage and protect our community's infrastructure.</strong><br></p><p><strong>End</strong></p></div> | 2024-09-10T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Threats against City electricity meter staff and contractors appear politically driven | The City treats the emerging threats against City staff and contractors performing their official duties in these areas as unacceptable | <p>There appears to be political instigation and deliberate misinformation being spread by a small group of individuals on electricity meter-related cases in some communities such as Lavender Hill and Hanover Park. The core issue revolves around investigations into alleged electricity meter tampering. The majority of residents in these areas are paying for their City-supplied electricity services with just 75 tampered meters found and 175 meters bypassed out of a total of 939 meters checked for bypass and defects in Lavender Hill alone.</p><p> </p><p>The City treats the emerging threats against City staff and contractors performing their official duties in these areas as unacceptable and the City will open criminal cases against groupings or individual instigators. If the City has to suspend all electricity services to areas where threats are being made against staff and contractors, it is to the detriment of the majority of law abiding residents in these areas. </p><p> </p><p>We've had numerous engagements about electricity costs and alleged illegal meter tampering with the 7945 Community Action Group, which appears to have political affiliations, in the Lavender Hill area in particular. We've also engaged them in writing and responded to their demands earlier today. </p><p> </p><p>What has sparked the mobilisation has been the City's standard metro-wide meter functionality investigations, which found that only 26,6% of the checked 939 electricity meters in Lavender Hill have either been tampered with or bypassed. By far most of our customers are not tampering or bypassing in this area. It is best practice, when investigating meters for bypass, tampering, defects or aging infrastructure, to replace the meters with new meters. The false news being spread is that the new meters cause electricity costs to go up. This is false and unfounded. These meters merely measure electricity usage and do not consume any of the customer's electricity. The cost between the older and new meters are exactly the same. But where tampered or defective meters have been replaced with new meters, customers will notice a change in their purchasing patterns as they will be making accurate payments toward their electricity consumption. Again, we have extensive help available to those who qualify for assistance in terms of the Free Basic Electricity and the highly subsidised Lifeline tariff. </p><p> </p><p>If the City did not carry out the meter functionality investigations and rectify the installations where tampering is found it could result in even higher electricity tariff increases. </p><p> </p><p>It also appears that Eskom's continued unaffordable electricity price hikes are one of the main reasons for an apparent spike in tampering cases in recent years. Some 75% of the City's income received from electricity tariffs goes directly to Eskom. So any big Eskom increase has a profound impact on the City. </p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p>The City will not stop its standard revenue protection activities as any income lost is essential to help pay for the cost of providing electricity. Without it, and if people continue to consume electricity without paying for it, there will eventually not be enough income to cover the cost of providing services. </p><p><span style="text-decoration:line-through;"> </span></p><p>Significantly, income received from electricity sales already does not sufficiently cover the cost of rendering the service as the City absorbs some of the costs to shield customers from Eskom-driven increases. In an event a customer wishes to dispute a tampering finding by the City, a 21-day appeal period is granted prior to debt being loaded on the customer's account. </p><p> </p><p>We have extensive subsidies available to qualifying residents to help struggling households. Approximately 30% of our customers receive Free Basic Electricity. I implore all residents who need help to visit their municipal customer interaction centre to see what help is on offer.</p><p> </p><p>Where debt has been accrued either from non-payment of City supply services or through contravention, the City reserves the right to recover that debt by enforcing its credit control and debt collection policy. The issue of the high cost of electricity is raised repeatedly. The City has encouraged the action group to support the City in its fight against Eskom's proposed 44% increase. </p><p> </p><p>The City has acted in good faith in engaging with the action group and has offered feasible assistance where possible and within reason. The City has an open door policy and we will always engage all communities in good faith but we will not tolerate deliberate misinformation intended to undermine the rule of the law. </p><p> </p><p><strong>What is meter tampering?</strong></p><p><strong>It occurs when a person interferes with the City's electricity meter equipment to pay less or not pay for electricity at all. This is despite the extensive subsidies and help available to qualifying residents. </strong></p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>All electricity meters belong to the City of Cape Town and thus the law requires that all households with City meters must give the City and its contractors reasonable access to check on suspected faulty meters or check irregular power usage. The City's Electricity By-law (Section 26 – Tampering with service connection or supply mains) states that no person may in any manner or for any reason whatsoever tamper with, interfere with, vandalise or deface any meter or metering equipment or service connection, or protective device or supply mains or any other equipment of the service provider.</strong></li><li><strong>Residents may not interfere with the City's employees and contractors performing their official duties. They may not prevent the City from entering areas where it has the legal right to perform its work and service delivery. It is illegal to threaten or prevent City officials and contractors from entering service areas and it is to the detriment of the broader communities. </strong></li><li><strong>Thorough tampering investigations take place on an ongoing basis. </strong></li><li><strong>When evidence of tampering is found, the City conducts a full investigation, which includes examining the resident's electricity usage and purchase history, in detail, over a number of years. </strong><br><br> <br><br><strong>Should a customer want to dispute or appeal the findings:</strong></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Contact the City's Call Centre: 0860 103 089. </strong></li><li><strong>Provide the reference number that they would have received as part of the notice of tampering issued to them. </strong></li><li><strong>Provide their contact information.</strong></li><li><strong>The matter will then be reviewed and the customer contacted.</strong></li><li><strong>If it is not resolved, the customer may make representation to the Electricity Generation and Distribution Department and even go so far as to approach the Office of the City Ombudsman.</strong></li><li><strong>If the customer fails to dispute or make representation within the allotted time (21 days), the fees are loaded on the prepaid meter for recovery. The City never turns a customer away simply because the 21 days has expired but will always address a query. </strong><br><br><strong> </strong><br><strong>Why electricity costs go up in general, and in relation to tampering: </strong><br><br> <strong>When there is tampering, no payment is made for the electricity used. The meter is bypassed and evidence of the bypassing is typically very clear on investigation. Photographic evidence is taken for further investigation.</strong></li></ul><ol><li><strong>If the City did not carry out the meter functionality investigations and rectify the installations where tampering is found</strong><strong>,</strong><strong> it could result in even higher tariff increases.</strong></li><li><strong>Once the illegal tampering at the identified household is rectified, it would be normal for the consumer to see an increase in their electricity costs, due to paying for the actual electricity usage in their household. </strong></li><li><span style="text-decoration:underline;"><strong>Debt recovery action for the tampering will also be instituted, on average 50% of the purchase, but indigent customers may have a further reduced recovery. </strong></span></li><li><strong>Eskom has increased the price of electricity. The City must increase as well to cover costs as some 75% of the City's income received from electricity tariffs goes directly to Eskom. So any big Eskom increase has a profound impact on the City. Electricity income is also used for shared services. The cost increased in the new financial year that started from 1 July. </strong></li><li><strong>In winter and in colder temperatures, typically households use more electricity, this drives up costs. </strong><br><br><strong> </strong><strong>Progressive Lifeline tariff benefits in a nutshell:</strong></li></ol><ul><li>Big price reduction of 44% less, averaging use of 450 units per month - that's R1,89 less per unit.</li><li>No other city has reduced the price of electricity for indigent households over the last two years.</li><li>Last year, the City raised the number of units that could be bought by Lifeline customers on the cheaper tariff from 350 to 600 units a month. This financial year, the blocks were collapsed into one block on the lower tariff. </li><li>Remember, customers must stay on 450 units per month over 12 months.</li><li>Lifeline customers using up to 600 units in a month, will pay R113,94 less compared to two years ago. </li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>To see if you qualify for social support or payment arrangements to settle debt, please visit your nearest customer offices. </strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p> </p><p><br></p> | 2024-09-10T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
