SPEECH BY EXECUTIVE MAYOR ALDERMAN PATRICIA DE LILLE: COUNCIL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 2011

Mr. Speaker, councillors, City officials, ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning, goeiedag, molweni.

I would like to take a moment to express this Council's sympathy with those people affected by the fire in Mfuleni last week. Four children were injured and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the emergency services for their efforts in preventing further injuries and loss.

I would also like to thank the City's Winter Readiness Committee for the work that they are doing to help provide relief to flood victims during this season of heavy rainfall. Their proactive response through exploring new engineering solutions to problems, as well as their reactive response to provide immediate relief to people in need, deserves this Council's thanks.

This Council has only been in office for less than a month. The process of councillor engagement with communities is just beginning as our people begin to get to know their elected representatives. Those relationships will inform the way we govern as an engaged administration going forward over the next five years.

Despite our short term in office, this administration has already taken positive steps forward. This Council has passed a budget that will help us deliver services to everyone, especially the poor, and help us fulfil our mandate to the people of Cape Town.

Based on the strategy of investing in infrastructure-led growth, the budget will help us maintain our position as the best metro in the country for service delivery. The funding prescribed will help us position ourselves as a City that creates the economic environment in which jobs can be created and opportunities for our people can grow.

To implement our strategy of creating new opportunities, this administration has undertaken a revision of Mayco portfolios. For instance, the Executive Deputy Mayor now has the responsibility of ensuring that we have even better relations with the National and Provincial Governments.

The new Mayco portfolio of Economic, Environmental and Spatial Planning will assist us in shaping the environment and conditions in which opportunities can grow in this city. And the portfolio of Tourism, Events and Marketing will help position us as a City that builds on our current strengths and assets to attract new investment that can help us grow.

We are committed to delivering on our mandate given to us by the people of this city. We believe in an accountable government that is always answerable to the people first, especially when handling City resources.

This administration is on track to spend 85% of its Capital Budget for this financial year, which is not yet concluded. This expenditure has been openly monitored, tracked and explained through public deliberations of the Mayco.

Cape Town remains the only metro in the country where Mayco meetings and City finances are open to the public. Such transparency would not be possible in a metro like Johannesburg, for instance, where City finances remain a secret.

Mr. Speaker, this administration will only be satisfied once we have a figure approaching 100% of our capital budget spent. We will be engaging with our City's management team to ensure that we achieve this goal going forward.

However, we remain proud of our financial performance and reporting, and indeed our recognition from National Treasury as a metro that always spends the money allocated to us.

But there are also other achievements which we can be proud of before we go into recess. As this Council knows, the City has been exploring means of making peace in Hangberg with the Hangberg Community Peace and Mediation Forum.

Last week, we took another important step in the process of mediation. One of the steps that we agreed to with the Forum was the eventual transfer of ownership of 60 row houses from the City to the tenants that have occupied them for decades.

I met with the tenants and gave them the City's letters of commitment that state that, after all due legal processes have been followed and completed, that the City will transfer ownership to them.

The Hangberg community and the City of Cape Town took an important step forward together that day.

Addressing the concerns of the Hangberg community was only one of the items on the agenda for dealing with issues that divided us in the past. As this Council knows, the enclosure of City- installed toilets in Khayelitsha has remained from the previous administration.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand here today and say that the City will be addressing this issue. By my instruction, tomorrow, community facilitators, with City officials, will go to the people of the three communities in SS2, Town 2 and Makhaza.

The people of these communities will be informed that the City will be enclosing their toilets with concrete in compliance with the court order. The facilitators will keep records of our efforts to comply with this order and report back on the progress in the communities.

As we embark on this process of enclosure, which the City has attempted numerous times, I ask that all parties respect the decision of the court and the City's programme to comply with it.

With mutual respect and consideration for the people affected, we can lay this issue to rest.

Furthermore, there have been outstanding issues of the name changes adopted by the previous Council, which this administration is committed to enacting.

Mr. Speaker, after due consultation, I am pleased to announce that on 15 July this year, the City of Cape Town will officially rename Eastern Boulevard after former president Mandela.

President Mandela's vision of a people united in their diversity is a vision that the City of Cape Town is giving life to every day and I am proud to say that we will honour Madiba's legacy in this city.

This administration will move ahead with the other street name changes as soon as possible.

In so doing, we will respect the heritage of all of our citizens so that we can create the cohesion necessary for a truly united city that includes everyone.

As we go into recess for a well-deserved rest after the election, we must realise that we can deliver to the people of Cape Town. The only things that stand in our way are the artificial barriers created by some to sow division. Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind this Council that the people of Cape Town and their needs do not go into recess. I want to appeal to councillors to continue to engage with their communities to ensure that the administration of Cape Town always serves the people.

Thank you.

Issued by the Communication Department, City of Cape Town, June 22 2011

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter