Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says he has written to Minister Fikile Mbalula asking that a Working Committee be set up to spearhead and manage the rail devolution process.

Hill-Lewis says the task team would be comprised of officials from the City of Cape Town, the Department of Transport, and PRASA.

The Mayor says the Committee would be tasked with setting in action the details of the rail devolution process, which was outlined in the National Rail Policy White Paper gazetted by Mbalula in April this year.

Read Hill-Lewis’ complete statement here.

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The City of Cape Town says it has issued the final race permit for the Two Oceans Marathon this coming weekend.

The decision was made following a lengthy revision of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC event plans and supporting documents as required by the Events By-Law.

The City said it is satisfied that the event organiser has met the requirements.

There is now a clear traffic plan for churches that will ensure Easter services can go ahead.

Traffic Services will work with marathon marshals to ensure worshippers are able to gain access to intersections along the route and ensure they are not unreasonably restricted in reaching their properties or places of business at all times.

Additionally, the Two Ocean Marathon board has committed to moving the event away from Easter Weekend in the future.

Road closures for Saturday’s half marathon (Saturday 16 April 2022) are available here.

The road closures for Sunday’s Ultra-Marathon (Sunday 17 April 2022) are available here.

Get the latest updates here.

In presenting the budget, City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced increases to various municipal tariffs. The City of Cape Town’s service increases are also part of the budget.

  • Rates increase by 5.2%,
  • Refuse tariffs will increase by 5%
  • Water and sanitation tariffs will increase by 5%, (1.5%  to expand access to water to residents in informal settlements)
  • Electricity tariffs will increase by 9.5%

Hill Lewis says: “Because of Eskom’s 9,61% increase, we are bound to a 9,5% increase in electricity tariffs this year — our only tariff increase that is substantially above inflation. An increase over 9% is painful, Speaker, and one that every metro in the country that has tabled its budget so far has had to make.”
He adds: “Eskom’s unacceptably high increases in electricity prices are one of the two main reasons why we are so aggressively pursuing our independent power procurement programme.”

The mayor says the municipality must do everything they can to keep the lights on and be flexible with its budget: “This will allow us to purchase electricity at a far lower rate than that offered by Eskom, and pass this saving on to our customers. We are making substantial investments to do more for energy security in Cape Town. We are busy creating the country’s most reliable and most affordable electricity supply.”

He adds: “R3,8 billion is set aside for capital expenditure in energy over the medium term. We are also spending R48 million in our initial push to end load shedding. And R45 million over the next three years to enable and incentivise residents to self-generate and sell their excess energy to the City.”

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says: “This is a caring budget that does more to support those without the opportunities to help themselves.”

“Our social package amounts to R3.75 billion, which includes R1.4 billion in rates rebates and R2,3 billion for indigent relief. This will ensure that Cape Town continues to have the broadest free basic services reach of all the metros, with 40% of households receiving free basic water and sanitation, and 27% benefitting from free electricity on the lifeline tariff,” says Hill-Lewis.

  • R424 million is set aside for investment promotion
  • R181 million is budgeted for direct economic incentives to attract jobs and investors to Cape Town.
  • R53 million is budgeted for upgrades to informal trading infrastructure and to improve the efficiency of permitting systems.
  • R55 million is allocated to our Jobs Connect and Cape Employment Accelerator programmes

 

The City of Cape Town Directorate for Energy says it this week connected 109 households in Masiphumelele to the electricity grid, for the first time.

Technicians also reconnected customers in the area who had their meters damaged or destroyed by the recent fire.

Mayoral committee member, Beverley van Reenen says this initiative will see around 387 homes connected to the grid, at an estimated cost of R4.5 million.

Read more on this initiative here.

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Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the City’s Care Programme budget has been increased to almost R80-million to fight homelessness.

Hill-Lewis, during his first budget speech this week, said he believes Cape Town must become a more caring city that does more to protect the vulnerable.

The Mayor says, like other cities around the globe, Cape Town also faces this complex social issue which is worsened by poverty, drug use, a lack of housing availability, domestic abuse, and mental illness.

Access Hill-Lewis’ budget speech here.

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