Cape Town - Premier Helen Zille and Mayor Patricia de Lille are to meet on Friday some prominent Capetonians, such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, who issued a hard-hitting statement about the recent protests, to address their concerns.
Last week, the group of 86 slammed attempts by “a group of political activists” to “promote a climate of hate” through violent protests.
But they also warned that the delivery of services to the poor in the Western Cape and the rest of the country was inadequate and that it was understandable people were frustrated and angry.
The group said constructive engagement on the best way forward was possible without resorting to violence and fomenting hate and disrespect.
They also made suggestions about what local and provincial government could do.
They suggested that the city and province:
* Improve procurement processes so that service delivery would not be delayed by many years.
* Request more funding from the National Treasury for housing and sanitation.
* Lobby the national Department of Public Works to release land in Youngsfield and Wingfield for housing.
* Redesign municipal and provincial budgets so that sanitation and other services in poor areas be improved and services in affluent suburbs be reduced until poorer areas were better serviced.
The city would not respond yesterday to these suggestions.
However, Solly Malatsi, spokesman for De Lille, said the mayor and premier were scheduled to meet the group this Friday.
Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela’s spokesman, Bruce Oom, said funding for housing was a set amount received from the national department.
In the current financial year, provincial Human Settlements received R1.92 billion for housing.
It had applied for an additional R300 million in 2011/12 to address the informal settlements on the N2, but this had not been approved.
In this financial year, it requested an additional R56m and the indication was that the request would be considered favourably.
Cape Times