| Cape Town tables most inclusive social package for indigents, pensioners | Cape Town tables most inclusive social package for indigents, pensioners | | <img alt="" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/PublishingImages/Former%20Mayors%20Header.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | <p><strong><em><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"century gothic", sans-serif;">Of all South Africa’s metros, the City of Cape Town has tabled the most
inclusive social package for indigent relief and rates rebates based on an
analysis of the 2024/25 draft budgets of each metro. Following public
participation, the City’s draft ‘Building for Jobs’ budget served at the
Mayoral Committee today ahead of City Council on 31 May. See the full
comparative analysis <span style="color:#1f497d;"><a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre%20Assets/Metro%20social%20package%20comparisons%20-%202024-25.pdf">here</a>. </span></span></em></strong><br></p> | <p>For 2024/25, Cape Town's social package compares favourably to other cities on all the main pro-poor criteria, including: </p><ul><li>Highest Free Water allocation (15KL)</li><li>Widest qualifying criteria for 100% rates rebate (R450 000 property value, <R7 500 monthly income)</li><li>Widest qualifying criteria for lifeline electricity (R500 000 property value, <R7 500 monthly income)</li><li>Pensioners: widest rebate and lifeline electricity criteria (<R22 000 monthly income, regardless of property value) </li></ul><p>Cape Town also has the highest proportion of residents benefitting from free basic water and electricity, according to StatsSA's non-financial census data for municipalities released in March 2024. The City is 10 percentage points ahead of the next metro for free electricity, and 25 percentage points ahead for free water and sanitation. See the full StatsSA research results <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre%20Assets/StatsSA%20free%20basic%20units.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>'Good governance is the foundation of Cape Town's ability to table the most pro-poor social package to help lower income households, while also providing the highest proportion of free basic services of SA's cities. </p><p>'In line with our agenda to build a city of hope for all, Cape Town is also spending more on infrastructure directly benefitting lower income households than the entire capital budgets of other cities, amounting to R9bn, or 75% of the capital budget in 24/25. Our investments target Cape Town's fastest-growing, and poorest areas, with infrastructure projects that will, over time, unstitch the unjust legacy of our country's past. </p><p>'Over the next three years, these investments alone will create around 130 000 construction-related jobs. With SA's lowest unemployment rate, Cape Town is already the city where a person is most likely to find a job, and we plan to do much more to grow our economy in the years to come to the benefit especially of lower income households,' said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.</p><p>Cape Town's ratepayers also benefit from the lowest property rates of SA's metros for commercial, industrial, and residential properties<strong><em> </em></strong>based on the cent-in-rand rate, a statutory formula used by municipalities to calculate property rates. </p><p>Cape Town's property rates are lower than the next metro – Joburg - by 32% for commercial, 36% for industrial, and 28% for residential properties.</p><p><strong>End</strong></p><p><br></p> | 2024-05-20T22:00:00Z | GP0|#1d539e44-7c8c-4646-887d-386dc1d95d70;L0|#01d539e44-7c8c-4646-887d-386dc1d95d70|City news;GTSet|#62efe227-07aa-45e7-944c-ceebacca891d | | | | | GP0|#2d9d26f8-fc9c-42a9-8fb2-4688d58c4173;L0|#02d9d26f8-fc9c-42a9-8fb2-4688d58c4173|Public participation;GTSet|#2e3de6c1-9951-4747-8f53-470629a399bb;GP0|#cf492c62-a733-46a8-b415-e4d2fe27c129;L0|#0cf492c62-a733-46a8-b415-e4d2fe27c129|Indigend households;GTSet|#2e3de6c1-9951-4747-8f53-470629a399bb | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
