STATEMENT BY PAUL BOUGHEY, CHIEF OF STAFF IN THE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR IN THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN, IN RESPONSE TO STATEMENT BY THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COALITION ON KHAYELITSHA LIGHTING

Gavin Silber is increasingly guilty of misrepresenting service delivery in Cape Town as some sort of zero-sum game, where delivery in one area is always at the expense of another. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth (see here).

The City of Cape Town takes our responsibility to deliver to all citizens of the City extremely seriously. We are delivering on this responsibility as evidenced by the latest census results, which indicate that the City provides the best levels of access to water, electricity and sanitation in South Africa. 

This, despite the fact that the population of Cape Town has grown almost 30% between censuses. The historical legacy of Apartheid, and this rapid rate of urbanisation means that like any Metro across South Africa, Cape Town faces enormous challenges in ensuring that we further enhance service delivery in informal settlements. There is, by definition, always more work to do. 

That is why the City targets the majority of our spending (57,2%) at improving the quality of life in these communities. However, unlike Silber, we do not have the luxury of focusing exclusively on conditions in only one area of the city. We have a constitutional obligation to deliver to all citizens.

In relation to Silber's specific allegations related to street lighting in Khayelitsha, it is clear that in his rush to score political points at the expense of the Premier and the Mayor he chooses to ignore a number of real and substantive issues. 

Even before the complaints from his fellow traveller, Doron Isaacs were directed to the Premier in June last year; the City was implementing normal repairs and maintenance in the area. By September last year all lights with a life span of 5-years were fitted. The net result of this work was that the burning rate in a major part of Khayelitsha improved from 20-30% to that 85-90%. 

Within six months only 35% of these lights were working. This is because in some areas illegal electricity connections overloaded the electricity supply system, and significant vandalism rendered many of these lights inoperable. In one instance alone, cables were stolen twice by vandals digging up tar. In the context of limited funds, constantly having to repair vandalised, stolen, or broken equipment, places an enormous burden on the City. 

What Silber also fails to understand is that local gate keepers very often retard the speed and efficacy of the City's response. Last year, the local ANC councillor inexplicably stopped repair work on a part of Lansdowne Road specifically, because he was not ‘properly' consulted. Also last year, contractors replacing vandalised cables were chased off site because community members felt insufficient local labour was being used for the trenching work. 

Undeterred by these issues, the City is continuing to improve public lighting. Repair crews have restored the majority of public lights from Mew Way to Oscar Mpetha. Another team is working on Lansdowne Road towards Baden Powell. Work in the other direction is restricted by the technical problems posed by the fact that there are Eskom 11kv bare copper overheads - we are engaging with Eskom to overcome this issue.

The City is also making a range of other investments in public lighting. Last year for example we installed 27 new, 40-metre high mast lights - many of which were in the Khayelitsha area. As a City we are acutely aware of the need to ensure that there is effective public lighting in Khayelitsha, and indeed throughout the City.

We are doing all that we can within difficult and demanding circumstances to address the situation. However, to be successful we need the full support of the community. It would help if Silber took a moment to fully understand the complexities of the issue, before he takes misguided pot shots at the Premier and the Mayor.

Statement issued by Paul Boughey, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, January 24 2013

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