More than a year after the Delft Symphony Way housing project was halted following the murder of City official Wendy Kloppers, the municipality is hoping to resume work this year.
The supply chain management process to appoint a new contractor is under way with the appointment award expected by the end of the first quarter should there be no “unforeseen interruptions”.
During a full Council meeting on Wednesday, Mayco member for human settlements Carl Pophaim voiced the commitment to try to continue with projects affected by extortion, violence and the construction mafia.
“It is important to note that the Symphony Way project was stopped following the murder of a City official in 2023 and the continued violence and extortion that have impacted the project leading to the withdrawal of the contractor and the cancellation of the contract.
“The project is currently suspended and the City is looking to resume work as soon as possible this year, if all goes to plan. The Project Engagement Committee (PEC), and specifically the beneficiary representatives, will be kept abreast and included in all discussions,” said Pophaim.
This as Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis tabled the R76.4 billion draft budget for the 2024/25 year focusing on increasing infrastructure spending and jobs.
“Our mission is to make Cape Town work by investing, on an unprecedented scale, in the City’s infrastructure. The City’s R39.7bn investment in infrastructure over the next three years will create around 130 000 jobs, purely based on construction alone. This is a budget that will set us on a path towards the kind of job-creating economic growth that will truly make Cape Town the City of Hope. That’s why we’ve called this 2024/25 Budget the ‘Building for Jobs’ Budget,” said Hill-Lewis.
The City has allocated R5.5 billion for safety and security measures, encompassing investments in safety technology, CCTV cameras, the rollout of dash and body cameras, aerial surveillance – including gunshot detection – and drones.
“In this year’s budget we have set aside R34m to train 1 000 new metro police candidates who will be critical force multipliers for our policing operations in the coming years.
“We’ve also set aside R138m to procure new vehicles over the three-year period,” said Hill-Lewis.
The budget also includes R5 317m for Water and Sanitation, R2 561m for Urban Mobility, R1 229m for Energy, R97m towards Human Settlements and R301m to Urban Waste Management.
ANC City caucus leader Banele Majingo said while they support initiatives aimed at boosting employment opportunities, they have concerns regarding the implementation and allocation of funds in the “Building for Jobs” budget.
“We believe that there should be greater transparency and accountability in how these funds are utilised to ensure that they effectively target areas of need and benefit all communities.
“Additionally, we urge the DA administration to consider long-term sustainability and inclusivity in its approach to economic growth, prioritising initiatives that create lasting opportunities for all residents, particularly those in marginalised areas.,” said Majingo.
“As the budget is going out for public participation we are paying a particular to the Water and Sanitation, Urban Mobility, Energy, Human Settlements and Urban Waste Management directorates,” said Majingo.
Stop CoCT founder Sandra Dickson said this was a whopping 8.5% increase from the 2023/24 budget to 2024/25.
“The ambitious spending on projects by the City may sound like this City is living in a prosperous time, but if one looks at the underbelly of the City, which is the Cape Flats, Atlantis, squatter camps and the widespread homelessness the ugly side of ‘prosperity’ is clear for all who want to see.
“The additional inclusions of households that qualify for the electricity lifeline tariffs give relief to more people for 2024/25,” said Dickson.
*The budget is open for public comment until April 30. To comment visit https://bit.ly/3Ts73SI
Cape Times