City of Cape Town Mid-Term Review

The DA administration in the City of Cape Town will present its Mid-Term Review on 20 November 2013.

Mid Term review shows DA failed Cape Town

The reality of the City of Cape Town is very different from the picture presented by the Mayor De Lille, in all her statements thus far.

The following bear reference in relation to the City's delivery record:

Transport - the IRT busses were rolled out to the historically white areas first, then some service to Woodstock. In spite of promises to the Cape Flats this is now delayed with no clear address. The service now goes to the areas where people have private transport and the Cape Flats areas - who most desperately need the public transport - is neglected. This is the clearest indication of how the DA maintains the apartheid generational advantages for the white communities.

The housing response - the roll out of houses are inadequate and the housing waiting list is still not being objectively and fairly applied. The DA is allocating houses in a manner that continues the apartheid spatial divides and lets people lose hope in the housing list. The role out of services to back yarders has been neglected and the services to backyarders are not being delivered on a scale equal to the need. The upgrades of the rental stock is not being done in a manner that improves services to the communities , instead it appears to be done with no objectivity. The spatial divide of apartheid is being maintained by the DA , WITH NO INTEGRATION OF Communities along racial lines . The DA refuses to use public land in historical white areas for low cost housing , pandering to the white electorate in those areas to keep the poor out .

The provision of basic services to informal areas remain an area of neglect, with lack of sanitation being the biggest problem.

The corruption and maladministration - the staff appointed has been the extension of patronage, with many of the staff employed being family and friends of the old ID.

The number of Councillors guilty of corruption has increased, with the DA councillors getting slaps on the wrist for acting outside of acceptable policy. Staff also have been continuing to get involved in tenders and corrupt conduct.

The funding to business and agencies has seen an increase in funding for institutions that are essentially unrepresentative of the social partners. We have also seen the roll out of broadband into the historically white areas first, with a minimum service to Cape Flats black areas. The financial support to Industries has seen a neglect of the Industries that employ lower skilled black workers, in favour of industries that support and employ white workers. This does not appreciate the need to have a fair balance between manufacturing and service sectors, which is a global reality contained in many reports by the World Bank.

The safety and security function has seen the inability to reduce the gangsterism situation or the distribution of drugs. We have seen the number of deaths rising in communities due to criminal activities. The leadership of the City has not been able to work with other law enforcement agencies due to their inability to build substantial partnership with Police Nationally and with Communities, to enhance delivery. This is because the MAYCO member for Safety & Security is playing politics with people's lives, by instead focussing on the failures of agencies for electoral purposes for the DA. All of this is allowed and endorsed by the Mayor with her silence, whilst her people are dying.

Social development - has seen the closure of the libraries and facilities that poor communities depend upon. This Ministry is probably the worst performing in the City and no action has been taken against the MAYCO member for incompetence. To compare the Waterfront of Sea Point with the Waterfront in Monwabisi and Strandforntein, is the reflection of the way money is being spent to promote white areas ahead of black areas.

The staff profile sees white males still occupying the most senior positions - in contradiction to the employment equity provisions. The City is now also hiding the employment of white males in contract employment - with no response from the office of the Mayor.

The budget has seen fiscal dumping over the period of the administration since the elections in 2011.  This has seen all kinds of reasons that has little to do with the reality of the spend. The total proportion of the budget that has been given to white business as a total proportion of spend still goes to white contractors, in the form of tenders.

The tourism industry is still supported in the white areas in a disproportionate manner to the black areas, in respect of the funding given to various initiatives. The Stadium is also still not addressed in a coherent manner that addresses the challenge posed by the mismanagement of the Stadium. The lack of leadership has seen that department now call for ideas from the people from Cape Town - clearly the lack of leadership in this department is glaring in the incompetence displayed.

On balance, the speed of the budget over the last 3 years has seen the majority of funding spent on the white areas, per capita, per person,  between the capital and operational budget. We have seen the levels of difference for  service between white and black communities increase, with the inequalities increased.

The DA has essentially been advancing their agenda of defending the generational advantage of white communities at the cost of the Historical disadvantage of black communities.  The Mayor has not been providing leadership that unites people across the City with her practice of wearing gas masks when visiting communities. She has always tried to play politics with the needs and service delivery of the people of the City, leading in a manner that presents her as petty and not bringing the City together. She often blames the ANC for the lack of the delivery of her officials, like in the building of the bus station for the Cape Flats.

This mid-term review shows that the City has not realised its potential, and has failed the people of Cape Town.

Statement issued by Tony Ehrenreich, COSATU Western Cape provincial secretary, November 18 2013

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