Lisa Isaacs
PREMIER Helen Zille has admitted there is no budget or site for the promised regional Manenberg hospital, and that surrounding hospitals are struggling to cope with large numbers of patients streaming in.
In a joint press conference yesterday, Zille, mayor Patricia de Lille and Jonathan Jansen, of the Manenberg steering committee, reaffirmed their commitment to work together on the Manenberg urban upgrade plans.
“We can’t discuss specific parcels of land at the moment because all the options have to go through due process. All I can say is that there are several options and we are looking at them all,” Zille said.
“In terms of budget, during this particular financial year, there isn’t any. By the end of the financial year we will hopefully have located the site and started budgeting.” She also admitted that the Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain hospitals were buckling under masses of patients, which could be remedied by addressing the issue of safety in Manenberg.
De Lille said the mayoral urban regeneration committee approved budget allocations for Manenberg for the 2015/16 financial year that included R1.5 million for an outreach programme for youth at risk – R750 000 for social crime prevention programmes and R29m from the Integrated City Development Grant over a period of three years for the Youth Lifestyle Campus.
This development will link local schools into a network spanning nearly 30 blocks.
“They have not said anything of substance. Nothing comes out of the discussions, you can’t feel it on the ground. Everything is election promises as usual,” said ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs.
He added that local government had done little to stop violence and improve the living conditions of those on the Cape Flats.
Cosatu regional secretary Tony Ehrenreich said the announcement upgrade was too little for the extent of the problems in the community.
“The problems of all the townships are the same, with drugs and gangs being the worst.
“The timing of the proposals is less than a year before the elections, when the premier and mayor have not dealt with the problem during their 10 years in office.”