Day: May 10, 2022

No more long queues at the Post Office – as the Post Office no longer pays SRD R350 grants from branches

The new round of applications for the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant has opened.  The application app now includes an option where beneficiaries can receive their grant from any Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers or USave merchant. The SA Post Office strongly advises beneficiaries to include this option:  Post Office branches will no longer pay out SRD grants.

If you have already reapplied for your SRD grant, you can still select the option to collect your grant from any Pick n Pay, Boxer, Shoprite, Checkers or USave.  Log on to srd.sassa.gov.za and respond to the security SMS you receive on your phone. You can then include merchants in your application and submit the updated application.

Beneficiaries must have their own cell number to withdraw their grant at supermarkets.  If you do not have your own number, it is best get your own SIM card and use that number to apply for your grant. You can also change your cell number on the above website.

Beneficiaries will be assisted to reset card pins at the cash pay points. The card can then be used at merchants at ATMs.

SASSA beneficiaries who receive old age, disability or child grants can still collect their grants from any Post Office branch.

 

 

Source: Government of South Africa

The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Malusi Booi, the Brickles family and officials in the Human Settlements Directorate celebrated the restitution of the Brickles family’s 4 798m2 piece of land in Elfindale. In terms of the restitution programme, the City’s role is to investigate and consider all formal claims that have been submitted on land owned by the City.

The late Mr Kenneth Brickles and his brother Eric Brickles lodged the land claim on behalf of their late father, Mr Walter Brickles for the restitution of land rights on 26 March 1997. After 25 years, the land has been restored to the family.

‘On behalf of the Brickles family, we are delighted that our family’s land has been restored. After many years, we are grateful and we look forward to the future,’ said Gregory Brickles, who spoke on behalf of the family.

‘It is a true honour for the City to celebrate the restitution of the land with the Brickles family. We remain committed to enabling redress and to finalising all land claims as quickly as possible so that we give land back to the rightful owners. On behalf of the City, we wish the claimants all the best with their plans and we look forward to seeing them in the future.

‘The dispossession of the land was done in accordance with the racially-based Group Areas Act, which was developed and used by the apartheid government to create spatial divides thereby robbing people of colour of their property and tenure rights. Today, we are pleased to see the land return to the Brickles family.

‘The City has helped as much as it can to expedite the process and we continue to call on national government to assist beneficiaries as quickly as possible. We thank all who have made this day possible and we wish the family all the very best for the future,’ said Councillor Booi.

 

 

 

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town has concluded the public participation process for its 2022/23 Draft Budget. From 1 April to 3 May 2022, residents commented and engaged with the contents of the proposed budget for the new financial year.

The City’s draft Budget for the 2022/23 financial year focuses on Doing More for safety, services and jobs.

From 1 April to 3 May 2022, the City hosted 24 public meetings across the city to present the draft 2022/23 budget to members of the public. The City has also improved on the way it engages with residents to reduce risk and prevent the spread of Covid-19. In addition to communicating on the draft Budget via social media, telephone, WhatsApp, through mailers, media releases, paid-for communication, infographics, briefing sessions, and the City’s website, a number of in-person and hybrid engagements at Subcouncil level and other forums were undertaken.

‘All public input is considered and responded to and the response process is currently under way.

‘We are pleased with the comments and feedback we have received over this period and we thank residents for taking the time to provide us with their inputs. Our draft Doing More Budget proposes to do more to improve the lives of our residents. Our rates and tariff remains among the lowest in the country.

‘The City’s final Budget is expected to go to Council later in May for adoption. The City’s new financial year starts on 1 July 2022. It will again be all hands on deck to make sure service delivery is enhanced and that we do more for the people of Cape Town, now and into the future. We thank all residents for their continued support,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Councillor Siseko Mbandezi.

 

 

Source: City Of Cape Town

Today, 9 May 2022, Councillor Rob Quintas, the Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, visited Philippi where officials were using the Duct Cleaning Machine (bucket machine) to clean the stormwater pipes in preparation for the upcoming winter season.

‘Winter is fast approaching and we want to ensure that the ground work is done and our road infrastructure is able to cope with the eventualities of the season. As part of our preparation, the Roads Infrastructure and Management Department follows a winter preparation programme which entails the reactive and planned maintenance of all roads and stormwater infrastructure in Cape Town,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

‘In Philippi today we have chosen the duct machine method because it can remove large amounts of sand, heavy solids and roots from pipelines and it is an effective cleaning method in large diameter pipes. What I have seen here today is heart-wrenching. The City’s stormwater system is being used as a dump site for all sorts of debris. Our officials are working tirelessly to ensure that the stormwater pipes are free of debris and that rain water flows properly. However, the illegal dumping makes it extremely difficult for them to clean and leads to flooding of the roads. I am therefore appealing to our residents to please refrain from depositing anything into our stormwater system as it interferes with the flow and creates a safety hazard for motorists and residents alike,’ said Councillor Quintas.

Overall, the Directorate’s Winter Preparedness Programme includes the following interventions:

Stormwater pipeline cleaning
A duct cleaning machine is a powered winching machine which pulls a bucket through a pipeline to collect and remove debris. A set of two machines is required. Bucket machines are used in pairs to pull a bucket between them through a pipeline to scoop up and remove debris. The bucket is a cylindrical container with jaws at one end that open for filling when pulled in one direction and close to enclose the debris when pulled in the other direction.

Our stormwater system is often burdened with unsuitable waste, which contaminates the natural aquatic ecosystems and reduces the capacity of the stormwater system. This can lead to blockages and flooding.

The main purpose of a stormwater system is to carry away excess rain, hence the name ‘stormwater’. With Cape Town’s rainy season fast approaching, we are doing all we can to ensure that when the rain falls, the water is able to flow away from the roads and into the oceans, canals, ponds and rivers.

Pond cleaning
The work entails mostly the removal of alien vegetation, which restricts the stormwater functionality of the ponds, as well as the removal of silt to ensure that the in- and outlets of the ponds are not restricted. Due to the nesting and breeding of birds, the removal of vegetation can only be performed during the months of February to June.

Ponds prone to flooding due to system abuse are done at least twice a year and just before Winter and/or an expected high rainfall event.

Red-Gulley inspections
Maps indicating potential problematic locations are commonly known as ‘red gulleys’ or ‘hot spots’ in the municipal areas of Kraaifontein, Brackenfell, Durbanville and Bellville, and were compiled based on knowledge gained over the past 12 years. These maps are regularly updated and show more than 100 ‘red gulleys’ which are addressed annually during the months of March, April, May and June.

Pothole repairs
The majority of potholes form in the wet or rainy season. When it rains and the water accumulates on the road, tyres from the vehicles actually squeeze the water into the road pavement layer. The repeated pump action between the road surface and the tyres of the vehicles causes the road to crack. Water gets through the cracks and weakens the pavement layer, which in turn leads to more cracking and eventually a pothole forms.

Our road repair teams are out and about doing visual inspections, fixing potholes, and undertaking general maintenance across the city in preparation for the rainy season.

We rely on residents’ report of potholes in their areas before the heavy rains come to ensure that their roads are able to cope when it rains.

‘Residents and motorists are reminded that it is not practical to do permanent repairs in winter due to the wet weather conditions. We often do temporary repairs on potholes. We then return in more favourable weather conditions to do repair work that will last longer,’ said Councillor Quintas.

Residents can use the following channels to report transport and road related issues:

• Transport Information Centre (TIC) on 080 065 6463. This is a 24/7 information centre and free from a landline or a cell phone
• Send an email to Info@capetown.gov.za

Residents are reminded to please include their name, contact number and the exact location of the blocked stormwater infrastructure. It is very important to ensure that the details of the location are 100% correct as this will improve our response time. We want to thank our residents for working with us.

‘I also want to state upfront that without the cooperation of our residents, our efforts are in vain. Our officials sometimes are threatened and even robbed of their personal belongings when they work in certain areas. This cannot be allowed to continue. I am therefore calling on residents to please work with us in ensuring that the service we deliver is uninterrupted. Ultimately, our residents are the beneficiaries of the service,’ said Councillor Quintas.

 

 

Source: City Of Cape Town

NORTHERN CAPE – The Acting Deputy Provincial for Crime Detection, Brig Nicky Mills welcomed the 25 year jail term handed down on David Modise Morolong (46), by the Postmasburg Regional Court for raping a 56-year-old victim. The accused was on parole for a similar offence, when he committed the crime.

On 26 October 2019  at about 20:00, the accused forcefully gained entry into the victim’s home and proceeded to the bed on which the victim and her 13-year-old son slept on in Boichoko in Postmasburg. He slapped the victim’s son and instructed him to sleep on the floor. Subsequent to that he continued to rape the victim in the presence of her son. The accused raped the victim on three occasions during the same night and left after the incident.

The victim reported the matter to the police on 27 October 2019 and the accused was traced and arrested shortly afterwards.

The investigating officer, Sergeant Lionel Rooiland successfully opposed bail and the accused was remained in police custody until the trial was concluded and found guilty on 07 April 2022.

On Tuesday, 10 May 2022 the accused was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on three counts of rape.

Sergeant Lionel Rooiland was lauded for the meticulous investigative work which resulted in the incarceration of the perpetrator.

The Postmasburg Regional Court declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm and also ordered that his name be entered in the National Sexual Offenders Register.

 

 

 

Source: South African Police Service

Statement by Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis

I was honoured to welcome the 2022 Investing in African Mining Indaba delegates to Cape Town this week, as the 6 000-attendee conference gets under way at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

My message to delegates was that South Africa needs serious and urgent economic reform to grow our economy, create jobs and get people out of poverty. I also spoke about how state failure — including corruption, the mismanagement of state-owned enterprises, and poor policy choices — is keeping people in Africa poor.

State failure is not inevitable in South Africa. In Cape Town, we are showing what can be achieved with a capable state, and taking bold steps towards becoming the best place in Africa to do business. We are steadily achieving this with credible plans to end load-shedding over time, massive investments in infrastructure to ensure the conditions for economic success are in place, and programmes to increase the safety and security of Capetonians notwithstanding national SAPS failures across the region.

I also said that the City is ramping up our call for “functional federalism”. This means that where other spheres of government can perform functions more effectively than the national government, those functions should be devolved.

We see functional federalism as a patriotic duty, not a rejection of the rest of the country or continent. It will allow us to play the most effective role we can in helping South Africa to succeed, rebuild our economy, and create sustainable and inclusive prosperity.

Examples of ways functional federalism can and must be applied include the devolution of passenger rail, control over ports and freight rail, and even greater reform on the rules governing national government’s control over electricity generation.

Finally, I had a message for CEOs and executives of firms considering leaving South Africa for elsewhere on the continent or around the world: don’t leave South Africa without finding out what Cape Town has to offer. There are so many reasons to remain invested in South Africa, and Cape Town is eager to show how the country can and will work for those who want to create and sustain jobs.

 

 

Source: City Of Cape Town