How to keep your home safe from fires

• Regularly maintain electrical appliances (use only SABS-approved items) and electrical services to prevent overloading or short-circuiting.
• Don’t overload electrical plugs or connections as they may overheat and catch fire.
• Use your heating, cooking or lighting devices safely – use on a stable platform and not near flammable substances of any kind.
• Put out or switch off all heating, cooking, candles and lighting devices in your home before going to sleep or leaving the area.
• If you live in an informal settlement your home (shack) must have a safe distance of at least three metres between it and the next unit to prevent a fire from spreading.
• If you live on or near the urban fringe areas your home will have a greater wildfire risk.
• If your house has a thatched roof – treat it regularly for fire protection and install lightning conductors.
• Take out adequate insurance to cover the building and your possessions.
• Fire-wise your garden and reduce overgrowth and vegetation in and around your property by cutting and trimming on a regular basis to avoid fire spread.
• Minimise areas where combustible vegetation or other material accumulates.
• Avoid slash and burn or bush clearing activities during the high-risk days – a specific burning permit or authorization is required by fire safety regulations.
• Maintain adequate firebreaks between homes and nearby vegetation to protect your property.
• Keep matches, lighters, paraffin and poisonous substances out of the reach of children and ensure that children are always supervised and never left alone.
• Use safety caps on all poisonous or flammable substances containers.
• Keep access to fire hydrants clear and available, and provide for emergency services access.

"Councillor Clinics"

In order to be (somewhat) predictable and regularly available I have set up regular "Councillor Clinics" where I will be available in office should you wish to see me. It would be best if you could make an appointment, however, you are welcome to come along and take your chances!

Each month I will split the times between Alphen and Westlake as fairly as possible - I will publish the dates on here each month

February dates are:

Friday 3rd Feb - 9:00-1:00 at the Alphen Centre

Tuesday 7th Feb - 9:00-1:00 in Westlake

Friday 17th Feb - 9:00-1:00 at the Alphen Centre

Tokai Neighbourhood Crime Watch Public Meeting

I had the pleasure of attending the TNCW Public Meeting at the Tokai Library this evening to hear more about their work and achievements, and to meet some of the residents. It was a good evening during which words like "responsibility", "co-operation", "partnership", "community", and many more of similar ilk were used often

The facts and figures presented at the meeting just go prove, once again, that working together as a community to prevent crime really works!

This small group of dedicated volunteers, working together with SAPS, the CPF, and local security providers has had a significant effect on crime rates in their area and deserve the gratitude and support of all Tokai residents.

I look forward to meeting more "Tokai Folk" at the Public meeting on Saturday morning, (10:30 at the Library) and exploring more ways in which we can work together for the good of our area and our neighbours.

City of Cape Town Annual Report Media Release

CITY OF CAPE TOWN

MEDIA RELEASE

18 JANUARY 2012

2010/2011 annual report shows commitment to making a great city even greater

The City of Cape Town’s annual report for the 2010/2011 financial year demonstrates the City’s commitment to making this great city even greater. We have taken significant steps in the right direction and continuously strive to deliver the highest quality services for all of Cape Town’s people.

The vision of the City of Cape Town is threefold:

•     To be a prosperous city that creates an enabling environment for shared economic growth and development.

•     To achieve effective and equitable service delivery.

•     To serve the citizens of Cape Town as a well-governed and effectively run administration.

To achieve this vision, the City strives at all times to:

•     contribute actively to the development of Cape Town's environmental, human and social capital;

•     offer high-quality services to all who live in, do business in or visit Cape Town as tourists; and

•     be known for its efficient, effective and caring government.

“The City performed well in the 2010/11 financial year. The City of Cape Town is maintaining its excellent record of high quality service delivery and its reputation as a local authority that responds to the needs of its residents. Despite the many challenges, the City has managed its resources in a way that will ensure its continued success going forward,” said the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Patricia de Lille.

The results of a 2010/11 survey revealed that overall perceptions of the performance of the City of Cape Town have increased significantly, with respondents generally indicating that services have improved across most of the City's service delivery areas.

The annual report shows that the City remains focused on good governance and has received its eighth unqualified audit from the Auditor General. The City has maintained its credit rating of Aa2.za (long-term) and Prime -1 (short-term) for the sixth consecutive year.

The City has a dedicated anti-corruption hotline, which may be used to report any instances of alleged corruption involving City officials. Any employee or member of the public may call the City's toll-free anti-corruption hotline on 0800 32 31 30 to report suspected corruption.

Job creation has been a key priority of this administration. Through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), the City has created 13 145 job opportunities. The City of Cape Town's commitment to creation of employment earned it two prestigious accolades at the Kamoso Excellence Awards ceremony hosted by the Department of Public Works on 7 March 2011. The City took top honours in two of the four categories. In the Environment and Culture sector, it won the award for Best Municipal and District Project and Best Innovative Project.

The Annual Report reflects on the following key areas:

Sustainable urban infrastructure and services

What we achieved in 2010/11:

•     574189 formal domestic customers and 13 927 commercial customers receiving sewerage services.

•     4 734 toilets installed for informal settlement customers.

•     585 117 formal domestic customers and 14658 commercial customers receiving water services.

•     562 440 electricity meters serving domestic customers and 30 809 serving commercial customers.

•     1 324 additional subsidised electricity connections installed.

•     622 278 formal domestic customers receiving a kerbside refuse collection service.

•     193 951 informal settlement dwellings receiving a door-to-door refuse collection and area cleaning service.

•     Achieved a reduction in the percentage unaccounted-for water, from 22,5% to 19,8%.

•     Installed 511 taps for informal settlements.

•     Achieved a 27,6% reduction in unconstrained water demand.

•     Diverted 8,67% of solid waste from City landfills through City waste management initiatives.

•     Achieved 99% compliance with SANS 241 drinking water requirements.

•     Spent R 1,712 billion on infrastructure repairs and maintenance.

•     Reduced the number of electricity outages.

•     Achieved 10,3% reduction below projected unconstrained electricity consumption over a three-year period.

Transport

The residents of Cape Town deserve and want a public transport system that works and is inexpensive, safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. people rely exclusively on walking and public transport for mobility. The key challenge for public transport is to play its role effectively in connecting the neighbourhoods on the fringe of the city with other areas, particularly those where job opportunities exist.

The award-winning Kuyasa public transport interchange was completed as part of the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading programme in Khayelitsha. The interchange is an intermodal facility with park-and-ride facilities, commercial and trading opportunities, security, and taxi management facilities. The project was completed at a cost of R30 million.

The 2010/11 financial year also saw the completion of the northern terminal parking facility in Mitchells Plain, providing bus and taxi facilities.

The development of Cape Town's public transport system took another big step forward with the launch of several new, convenient, reliable and affordable MyCiTi services. These include the first main route between Table View and the city centre, with a dedicated bus-way that will cut travelling time by half during peak hours. Complementing the main route are four feeder bus services: three in the Table View area and one that runs through the city centre, from Gardens to the V & A Waterfront, via the Civic Centre, Foreshore and Green Point. The feeder services run every 15 minutes during peak times and every 20 minutes for the rest of the day.

Human Settlements

What we achieved in 2010/11:

•     Provided 7 472 housing opportunities including upgrades to community residential units (CRUs).

•     Maintained 2 996 community parks to agreed standards.

•     Serviced 955 erven under informal settlement upgrade programme.

•     Ensured complete grass cover for 503 fenced formal sports fields.

•     Ensured that 66 libraries operated according to minimum set operating hours.

•     Maintained 171 halls to agreed standards.

•     The Department is already focusing on interventions such as the integrated and structured upgrade and improvement of informal settlements, and the Integrated Backyard Dwellers' Services Improvement Programme. The latter will result in improved basic services to backyard dwellers.

Safety and Security

What we achieved in 2010/11:

•     A 28% reduction in accidents at high-frequency locations.

•     A 45% increase in arrests for drug-related crimes.

•     Reduced 76% of emergency response times to below the 14-minute target.

•     There has been a vast improvement in the number of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol, and a concerted effort to deal with illegal taxi operators.

More than 2 000 taxis have been impounded since July 2010. In real terms, the Department issued approximately 1 853 361 fines and made 9 853 arrests for the period July 2010 to June 2011.

The "Ghost Squad" concept has been extended and a partnership concluded with OUTsurance for the appointment of points men. This project is now being developed even further.

During the 2010/11 period, the City managed to reduce the number of accidents occurring at identified accident hotspots by 28%. While this figure is pleasing, the City will continue to focus on reducing its accident rate through active policing and education of road users.

Health, Social and Community Development

What we achieved in 2010/11:

•     Limited to 55 the number of days when air pollution exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

•     Gazetted the Air Quality By-law in August 2010.

•     Reduced the prevalence of antenatal HIV (excluding known positives) to 9,7 %.

•     Slowed the rate of increase in Tuberculosis (TB) to 826 per 100 000.

•     Implemented 30 targeted development programmes.

•     In June 2011 the City officially opened its first ten recreation hubs in Bonteheuwel, Belhar, Delft, Athlone, Cathkin, Duinefontein, Hanover Park, Gugulethu, Crossroads and NY49. These hubs form part of a City strategy to bring sustainable activities and programmes back to identified community centres. They will be run primarily by volunteers, and offer residents and communities a wealth of positive recreational activities.

In February 2011 Green Point Park opened to the public. The opening of the12,5 ha park, which forms part of the Cape Town Stadium and Green Point Common precinct, was the culmination of years of careful planning, construction and planting. The park offers users extensive walkways, seating, green areas, water features and ponds, as well as a walking, cycling and jogging track. Designed in line with international environmental and ecological principles, the space includes indigenous landscaping and multipurpose spaces, and features a biodiversity garden to showcase the original vegetation types of the area.

Customer Relations

The Customer Relations Department continued to install free-call lines in municipal buildings, such as community halls, libraries and housing offices located in outlying areas and disadvantaged communities. By 30 June 2011 a total of 34 free call lines had been installed. Free-call lines aim to improve access to service delivery through the City's Call Centre. Residents can use the free-call lines to report faults, register complaints and make enquiries at no personal cost.

Sustainability

Energy use in transport makes up a significant percentage of Cape Town's overall energy use. In order to reduce the impact of transport energy use, the City is implementing a number of transport interventions, the most significant of which is the Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system. This system aims to reduce the number of cars used for regular commuting, thus reducing traffic congestion and significantly lowering fuel use and carbon emissions. In 2010, Council adopted the integrated Energy and Climate Change Action Plan (ECAP), which provides a strategic framework for achieving energy use reduction targets as well as improving the city's resilience to climate change.

A comprehensive education campaign aimed at raising awareness of carbon dioxide has also been initiated to encourage more sustainable energy use, such as the promotion of alternative technologies and green energy. In addition, the City is committed to off-setting significant carbon emissions in ways that can yield long-term environmental and social benefits for Cape Town.

Economic Development

The City of Cape Town has embarked on a long-term strategy known as Cape Town Activa to develop an "ecosystem" for the promotion of entrepreneurship. The strategy draws on the success achieved by other cities that have become competitive entrepreneurial centres, and seeks to ensure that all organisations and groups in Cape Town that can contribute to vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial growth have access to shared information and tools, while promoting a spirit of cooperation in order to encourage development that benefits all.

During the period under review, funding was secured for the long-awaited expansion of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), which is one of the City's two major assets. The expansion of the centre will create a new Conventions precinct, which will include 10 000 m² of retail space, a hospital, an office tower, numerous basement parking bays, as well as the regeneration of Founders Garden by the Provincial Government, which will connect the Artscape precinct with the new, larger CTICC. Combined with other urban regeneration projects planned for the central business district, the CTICC expansion is set to boost Cape Town's reputation as a globally competitive business destination, and will contribute to economic growth through driving job creation in the city and the province as a whole.

A shortage of technical skills has prompted the reintroduction of apprenticeship training to targeted engineering areas. The first and second phases of the project have been successfully concluded, and the third phase commenced in February 2011, with trade testing set to take place in April 2012. A technician training programme has also been established, and a graduate internship programme commenced in 2011.

End

Issued by: Communication Department, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Priya Reddy, Mayco Media Co-ordinator and Spokesperson for Executive Deputy Mayor Alderman Ian Neilson, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 4699, Cell: 084 549 3935

DA retains Ward 68

Congratulations to our neighbours in Ward 68.  On what must rate as one of the hottest days in Cape Town the voters of Ward 68 (Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill) came out strongly in support of Marita Petersen. She won the seat with a majority of 93.96% which is a record for a by-election and a healthy increase on the 88% achieved in May.

It was a busy, noisy, happy day, with the DA supporters out in their droves, and the election machine rolling strongly.  Well done to all, and a big welcome to our newest Councillor!!

Setting Up

Today is the first working day of 2012. I am looking forward to really getting going and establishing all the required systems and contacts in order to make the year productive and successful.

Lots to do and lots to learn!!

Happy New Year

It is my hope that this blog will serve as a virtual meeting point for all who are interested in any of the issues affecting our area, and would like to have their say.

I plan to make entries regularly in order to keep you informed of what is happening and when, and would value any input from the community on any issue that would benefit from discussion on this forum.


Here's to an active and successful year for us all.