Day: September 22, 2022

Today, 22 September 2022 marks World Car Free Day. The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas, commuted with the MyCiTi bus service to the office this morning. This Car Free Day the City of Cape Town would like to highlight plans aimed at creating pedestrian-centric and cycle-friendly transport corridors for those making use of public transport. Read more below:

‘I want to encourage Capetonians and my fellow colleagues to give pedestrian and cycle routes a try wherever these are. Also, if you have access to the MyCiTi, MiniBus Taxis or Golden Arrow Bus Services make use of these modes of public transport. Our vision is for Cape Town to become less car-centred and more orientated towards catering for pedestrians, cyclists and commuters making use of public transport,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

The City’s approach to integrated transport is multi-modal. The key modes are passenger rail, bus rapid transit (BRT), quality bus services and minibus taxis. Together, these modes contribute to an integrated transport solution, and are to be complemented by improved facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, and people with special needs in terms of universal access, commonly referred to as Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) infrastructure and facilities.

‘The City’s fast-developing NMT routes can be found along streets, major roads and greenbelts across Cape Town including areas such as the central city, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein and between the CBD and Melkbos area. Phase four of the city-wide NMT programme is currently under way. Areas in the north, south, east and central regions of Cape Town have been prioritised for NMT improvements. The City has developed separate, high-quality cycling paths alongside the MyCiTi bus routes. We are also incorporating universally accessible NMT infrastructure and facilities in all our new project plans including with the roll-out of the MyCiTi service to the metro-south east,’ said Councillor Quintas.

Three projects have been prioritised per region, these include:

Central Region:

• Kensington, Factreton and Maitland areas: 25 km of NMT improvements

• Pinelands and Thornton areas Viking Way from Jakes Gerwel to Forest Drive: 25 km of NMT improvements

• Main Road in the Salt River, Woodstock and Observatory areas: 8,5 km of NMT improvements

North Region:

Old Paarl Road and Frans Conradie Drive, including Suikerbos Street , in the Brackenfell, Bellville, Parow and Goodwood areas: 18,6 km of NMT improvements

Robert Sobukwe Road from Valhala Drive to Peter Barlow Drive, in Elsies River to Bellville areas: 9,3 km of NMT improvements

Halt Road and Owen Road in the Elsies River area: 18 km of NMT improvements

South Region:

• Hanover Park area: 12,5 km of NMT improvements

• Heideveld area: 6 km of NMT improvements

• Klipfontein Road in the Gugulethu area: 8,9km of NMT improvements

East Region:

• Khayelitsha area: 30 km of NMT improvements

• Mitchells Plain area: 26 km of NMT improvements

• Spine Road, in Mitchells Plain area and Old Strandfontein areas: 10 km of NMT improvements

Maps highlighting the roads along which the improvements are proposed can be found at : https://bit.ly/3S36H3e

The types of NMT improvements that form part of these projects include:

• Implementation of new sidewalks and cycle paths

• Widening of existing facilities

• Upgrades to existing facilities

• Universal Access improvements such as dropped kerbs and tactile paving

• Installation of lighting

The NMT routes are placed around the public transport networks for easy access and connections to our buses and trains. Some of the criteria for the prioritisation of these routes include:

• Routes with high pedestrian and cycle usage.

• Routes that provide access to public transport services and facilities.

• Routes that provide access to public facilities (schools, health facilities, etc.).

• Routes that provide access to employment and retail areas.

For more information on public transport regarding routes, schedules, ticket prices, ticket outlets and locations of interchanges, ranks and Park-and-Ride facilities, long distance bus, rail and taxi operators, the location of tourist information centres, heritage sites and popular attractions in and around Cape Town. Residents can call the City’s Transport Information Centre (TIC) on 0800 65 64 63 or transport.info@capetown.gov.za.

Source: City Of Cape Town

Illegal dumping continues to be a concern – the City’s Law Enforcement Department impounded more than 100 vehicles in the last 14 months, used to discard waste illegally. As part of the #SpringCleanCT campaign, the City has launched a 24-hour toll-free hotline for tip-offs about illegal dumping and other by-law infringements. For every fine and conviction, residents can receive a potential reward from R1 000 up to R5 000. Read more below:

Vehicles used by individuals to illegally dispose of waste like builders’ rubble, garden or garage waste are impounded in terms of the Integrated Waste Management By-law.

Between July 2021 and the end of August 2022, the City’s Law Enforcement Department impounded 101 vehicles where persons were caught in the act of dumping illegally.

Among the hotspot areas are the Philippi Horticultural Area, Swartklip Road, Old Faure Road and Tafelsig.

During the same period, officers issued 9 014 fines for dumping and littering offences.

Over the 12-month period between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022, the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre logged 1 590 reports of dumping, while the Law Enforcement Graffiti Unit removed more than 28 000 square metres of illegal graffiti. 

‘As part of the #SpringCleanCT campaign we are encouraging residents to work with us to stop illegal dumping in communities. Apart from the unsightly mess created, the health risks that often emanate from these selfish acts are of concern. While rubble and garden waste are among the common items, our officers do come across far more dangerous dumped items, including medication and expired, rotting food waste. In many instances, residents make use of open spaces or corners in their own neighbourhoods to dump illegally. Then there are also cases where service providers charge a fee to remove waste, but instead of doing it the right way, they find the nearest open field.

Apart from the costs of constantly clearing illegal dumping, it is also an unnecessary drain on law enforcement resources. Cape Town has numerous facilities where waste can be disposed of legally, and safely. I implore residents and service providers to make use of the waste disposal facilities available to them, and to blow the whistle on anyone who is cutting corners, and putting communities at risk through illegal dumping.

‘If you see illegal dumping, report them to us for a potential reward in the case of a fine or conviction. Keeping Cape Town clean and healthy for all is everyone’s business,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

Vehicles that are impounded for illegal dumping, are kept at the City’s Law Enforcement pound.

The owner has to settle the R5 000 fine for illegal dumping, as well as the impoundment release fee, before they are able to reclaim their vehicle.

The impoundment release fee for a first offence is R8 700.

Should the same vehicle be impounded a second time, the release fee is R11 700, and R17 400 for a third offence.

Of the vehicles impounded in the past 14 months, only 31 have been released.

Report illegal dumping

If you see illegal dumping, take down the vehicle registration number and report them to the City.

They could be fined up to R5 000, have their vehicle impounded, or face a 2-year prison sentence.

For every fine and conviction, we will offer you a reward from R1 000 up to R5 000:

 24-hr tip-off line: 0800 110 077

 Email: solidwaste.bylaw@capetown.gov.za.

To notify the City about dumping that needs to be cleared please call 0860 103 089.

Source: City Of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town in partnership with GreenCape yesterday, 21 September 2022, hosted an information session with businesses in the hospitality, food manufacturing and food processing industries on requirements to submit revised integrated waste management (IWM) plans to the City before 31 October 2022.

For some time now, since the adoption of the Integrated Waste Management By-law, every business in Cape Town has been required to develop Integrated Waste Management Plans to cover all aspects of waste management including:

An assessment of the quantity and type of waste generated

A description of the services required to store, collect, transport and dispose of the waste

A plan to separate recyclable and non-recyclable material at the point of source

A waste minimisation plan

A pollution prevention plan

Details of potential environmental impact of the waste

The type or characteristics of environmentally sensitive waste

The amount of natural resources consumed in the manufacturing or production process that result in waste

The targets for recovery of waste (minimisation, re-use, recycling)

Programmes and targets to minimise the consumption of natural resources

Revised IWM plans due before October 31 2022 now also need to detail how a specific business intends to reduce their organic waste by 50% before the end of the year (2022), and to eliminate organic waste that is sent to landfill by 2027.

Attendees were provided with guidance and insight into successful waste minimisation practices and how to incorporate these into their own integrated waste management plans.

‘With the risk of global warming becoming more apparent every day, it’s never been more important to realise the impact of the food waste problem.

‘Whether you’re throwing away whole loaves of bread, or scraping the remnants of a salad into your trash can, every shred of food that makes it to the landfill has a grave impact on the environment. Food waste that’s left in a landfill produces huge amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with a very high impact on our environment,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Alderman Grant Twigg.

Cape Town has a very robust private organic waste processing sector offering many alternatives to landfilling. Organic waste processing solutions include animal feed, composting, protein recycling and energy generation.

To find out more about the private services offered to the organic waste generating sector (including hospitality, food manufacturing and processing industries), the City recommends that people should contact the following non-profit organisations who have a list of all its members offering the different processing solutions:

Source: City Of Cape Town

STATEMENT BY CAPE TOWN MAYOR, GEORDIN HILL-LEWIS

Yesterday, 21 September 2022, I gave a presentation at National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA)’s public hearings on Eskom’s proposed 32% electricity tariff increase for next year.

I reiterated what I said to NERSA earlier this year, at the hearings on Eskom’s last enormous price hike — any increase in the cost of electricity substantially above inflation is unfair, unaffordable, and unjust.

I am determined to fight for ordinary Capetonians against this outrageous proposal, a staggering number of whom are already struggling to make ends meet and buckling under the rising cost of living.

While the City is working tirelessly to bring down the cost of electricity for Capetonians through our own electricity procurement from cheaper sources than Eskom, we need Eskom and NERSA to play their part in the meantime.

The price of electricity has risen more than 500% over the past 16 years, far exceeding inflation over that time. Over this period in which electricity has become steadily more expensive, the security of our electricity supply has grown steadily less reliable. This year is already the worst year of load-shedding on record. The Stage 6 load-shedding we have experienced in the last week destroyed R4,2 billion in value from our economy each day.

Eskom is trying to shield itself from the commercial consequences of years’ worth of mismanagement by drastically raising its prices at the time that it is least able to supply electricity to the country. It would be an unspeakable injustice to burden struggling South Africans even further by making them Eskom’s financial scapegoat.

In January 2022, I proposed a list of alternative action steps that would allow Eskom to achieve better financial sustainability without unjust price increases, including:

Urgently reducing Eskom’s bloated payroll

Cancelling tenders with unscrupulous suppliers who provide Eskom with goods and services at massively inflated prices and

Ending corruption and mismanagement (irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure cost the utility R14,6 billion in 2020 and R7,4 billion in 2019) and

Recovering money that has been looted during the period of state capture

We have not seen meaningful progress on any of these points, and yet Eskom is still willing to make ordinary South Africans pay for its lack of action. NERSA must reject this.

The City remains committed to working with all stakeholders to find a more acceptable solution to the challenges facing Eskom and the electricity industry.

Source: City Of Cape Town

WESTERN CAPE – Police members attached to the Economic Infrastructure Task Team were busy with a compliance inspection in Elsies River on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, when they arrested and detained seven males on a charge of contravention of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act.

Whilst they were busy with the arrest, they noticed four suspects in a suspicious Toyota Corolla. When they approached the vehicle, the driver sped off and a high speed chase ensued. The driver of the vehicle lost control and collided with a delivery vehicle, which resulted in the occupants fleeing in different directions to evade arrest. The police members followed the suspects on foot and apprehend the driver between the residences, searched him and confiscated a 9mm pistol and ammunition. The community members assisted in apprehending the three males who found themselves in an area unknown to themselves. When they returned to the vehicle, they discovered another 9mm pistol underneath the passenger seat. Four males between the ages of 30 and 40 were arrested and detained on charges of possession of an unlicensed and prohibited firearm and ammunition. The driver of the vehicle is also detained on a charge of reckless and negligent driving.

Once charged the suspects are expected to make a court appearance in the Goodwood Magistrate court on the mentioned charges.

Source: South African Police Service

NORTHERN CAPE – The SAPS welcomes the sentences that were handed down to two men for two separate rapes in Pampierstad.

The first rape took place on 10 December 2016 at about 14:00. The female victim (27) was walking alone near the Harts River in Pampierstad when she was accosted by two unknown men.

She was assaulted, strangled then forced to undress herself and was raped by both the accused.

On 18 March 2019 at about 14:00 Johannes Julies (27) pounced on his second victim (12) near the Harts River and raped her.

Police noticed the similarities in the modus operandis and arrested a Johannes Julies on 5 March 2021.

Julies was sentenced to 23 years for the rape of the minor. He furthermore received 25 years for the rape of the 27-year-old female on 21 September 2022, in the Warrenton Regional Court.

On 05 March 2021 the second accused Lebogang Bosman (29) was arrested and the case was separated and should be appearing in Kimberley Regional Court today 22 September 2022.

The Provincial Head for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences, Brig Nicky Mills commended D/Sgt Sidwell Dastile from Hartswater FCS for his meticulous investigations that led to the outstanding sentences so far. Brig Mills further reiterated that crimes against women and children remains a priority for SAPS and we continue unabatedly to ensure that all perpetrators of these heinous deeds are behind bars where they belong.

Source: South African Police Service

DURBAN – On 19 September 2022 at 22:15, police officers from the Special Investigations and Tracking Task Team received intelligence regarding a suspect that was wanted for a house robbery that occurred at Verulam.

They proceeded to a house at Cornubia where they found the 20-year-old wanted suspect. A pistol and ammunition was found in his possession. He was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The police officers then proceeded to Bhambayi where they arrested three men aged between 20 and 25 for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The suspects appeared before Verulam Magistrates Court on 20 September 2022 and they were remanded in custody for a formal bail application.

Source: South African Police Service