Cape News

Cape Town bags top travel awards

Cape Town has won two major travel industry awards in the last 30 days, highlighting the city’s status as one of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

Cape Town was declared Africa’s best travel destination by World Travel Awards at the Travel Indaba in Durban on May 11, 2009. This is the second year in a row that the mother city has won the award.

And last month in Switzerland, Cape Town was awarded top honours in the Best Entertainment Destination category at the MeetingLuxury international luxury travel exhibition. Cape Town Tourism was in Switzerland to market the city as a luxury travel destination and 2010 FIFA World Cup host city.

The World Travel Awards, which were established in 1993, are seen as the travel industry’s Oscars. The awards are seen as one of the best endorsements for a travel product.

“This recognition is very important for Cape Town because it helps to strengthen Cape Town’s tourism competitiveness. It will also enhance the City’s important strategy to position Cape Town as a global events city,” said Mansoor Mohamed, Executive Director: Economic, Social Development and Tourism in the City of Cape Town.

He was in Durban to accept the award, along with Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariette du Toit-Helmbold.

Mohamed added that the award will also help to make Cape Town a destination of choice for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™.

“Cape Town has built and maintained excellent tourism infrastructure. The City of Cape Town is constantly enhancing Cape Town’s tourism assets, and we are building skills and improving opportunities in our tourism sector. All of these efforts support the City’s key strategy of infrastructure-led economic growth.”

Also at the World Travel Awards, The Mount Nelson Hotel was declared Africa’s leading hotel, while Cape Town Tourism was a finalist in the Best Tourism Organisation in Africa and Best Marketing Campaign in Africa awards.

Du Toit-Helmbold said she was proud to accept the award on behalf of the tourism industry and the people of Cape Town. “It is testament to their dedication to making this city one of the world’s favourite destinations.”

Meanwhile, Du Toit-Hemold also represented Cape Town at the MeetingLuxury exhibition in Switzerland in April, where Cape Town was awarded best honours in the Best Entertainment Destination category, and met with nearly 100 travel buyers over the three days of the exhibition.

The Cape Town Tourism stand featured a backdrop of Table Mountain, with the new Green Point Stadium in the foreground.

“Our message at the exhibition was simple: Cape Town is ready to welcome the world now, during and beyond the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup™” said Du Toit-Helmbold.
Martin Pollack
 

City partners with Dutch government to provide toilets for informal settlement
MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 278/ 2009

12 May 2009

Cape Town has been selected by the Dutch Government and its associated companies for the testing of a prototype toilet that is easily installed, uses almost no water, and does not have to be connected to a mains water supply or sewerage system. The facility was funded by a R4 million external grant from the Dutch partners.

The Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation, Bert Koenders and Dr Bulumko Msengana, the City’s Executive Director: Utility Services, City officials, representatives of the Dutch consortium responsible for the project and community leaders today attended the installation of MobiSan dry sanitation technology toilets in the Pooke se Bos informal settlement, Pooke Road in Rylands Estate, Athlone.

The Dutch companies responsible for the concept say that this is the first project of this kind to be piloted in Africa and the City of Cape Town was chosen to partner them in the pilot study. This also forms part of the longstanding cooperative agreement between the City of Cape Town and the Dutch government and its associate companies.

Consultation between the Dutch companies and the City's Water and Sanitation Department began nearly three years ago when it was decided that alternative sanitation optionsfor informal settlements needed to be investigated. The companies are Landustrie Sneek BV, Lettinga Associates Foundation and Vitens-Evides International, and all of them are industry leaders. They formed a consortium and received finance for the project- amounting to R4 million- from the Dutch government’s “Partners Voor Water” programme and the funding agency, EVD.

It was also decided that a suitable location for the project had to be found so that the accompanying research team could obtain the required data. A small scale MobiSan mobile sanitation system utilizing dry sanitation technology was designed and presented at the Sanitation Challenge International Conference in the Netherlands in May 2008. This system was then built to full scale and housed in a shipping container. It consists of a row of 13 toilet closets and 12 separate urinals. It is mobile unit and can be easily moved to informal settlements. Since it is a modular system, various other features can be added depending on the requirements. In this application, a small office for the maintenance staff was added.

Once the first unit was manufactured, the 12 metre container unit was shipped to Cape Town for translocation to the Pooke se Bos informal settlement. The area was found to be ideal for doing further research. The community leaders and local municipal councillors were consulted and, since this settlement was located on private land, the permission of the land owner, Mr. Kantie Patel, was obtained.

The MobiSan system has many advantages over existing sanitation systems and, once testing on this prototype is complete, the intention is to introduce the concept in other parts of the city and South Africa.

It is an independent and self contained system and does not affect the groundwater at all. Urine and faeces are stored separately in the Mobisan. The urine is channelled away and the faeces fall into a ventilated chamber. A handle on the outside of the cabin allows the solid waste to be stirred. This speeds up the drying of the excrement. It is then channelled into a second compartment where this drying process is repeated. The end product is dried, pathogen-free manure that can safely be used to fertilise local vegetable gardens.

The Mobisan project promises to provide a more aesthetic and hygienic option for residents in informal settlements until other accommodation can be provided.

There is a strong community involvement because local residents will be employed to oversee the operation. Two researchers from the Dutch consortium will monitor the project for the next six months, with specific reference to the social impact of the project and how the community interacts with it in order to enhance its acceptability in such communities. Their report will be given to the City's Water and Sanitation Department.

“This exciting project has the potential to improve sanitation problems in our informal settlements and also provide employment and we await the outcome of the trials with great interest,” says Dr Bulumko Msengana, Executive Director: Utility Services.

End

ISSUED BY:
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400 3719

Media enquiries:
Lungile Dhlamini
Director: Water and Sanitation
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 4589 Cell: 084 909 9360
 
Cape Town earmarks R900 Million to upgrade electricity network
MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 266/ 2009
07 MAY 2009

The City of Cape Town has earmarked almost R900 million to upgrade the metropole’s electricity network in the coming financial year. This forms part of the R5,5 billion capital budget proposed for 2009/10.

Cape Town’s electricity infrastructure consists of more than 70 main substations with transformers and switchgear, as well as thousands of kilometres of electrical cables criss-crossing the city from Atlantis and Gordon’s Bay, right down to Cape Point.

The electricity budget includes upgrades of main substations such as Retreat (R60 million), Rosmead Avenue (R52 million), Strand (R42 million), Roggebaai (R24 million), Parow South (R21 million) and at Langeberg in the northern suburbs (R18 million).

According to Alderman Ian Neilson, Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Economic & Social Development and Tourism, the City cannot allow a second Eskom crisis to occur by waiting for equipment to fail before replacing it.

“We pro-actively implement a maintenance and replacement programme in order to facilitate economic development and create jobs,” says Ald Neilson.

Last year the City spent R350 million on the new Roggebaai substation to augment power supply to the entire Central Business District (CBD) and the Atlantic seaboard for the next 15 years.

This year capacity at the Retreat main substation will be increased by replacing the underground cables, two high capacity power transformers and associated switchgear.

“The Retreat substation, built 40 years ago, provides electricity to Meadowridge, Bergvliet, Diep River, Constantia, Heathfield, Retreat and Tokai. The energy reinforcement project will provide additional capacity for further development until 2025,” says Ald Clive Justus, Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services.

“These upgrades will reduce the risk of power failures. The City constantly monitors the state of all its electricity plants to determine their condition and the loads they can carry. An analysis of this data has shown that the equipment is ageing and reaching the end of its useful life,” Ald Justus says.

The Strand substation upgrade will increase the load capacity in the Strand, portions of Somerset West, Nomzamo, Lwandle, Broadlands and Somerset West. Upgrading Langeberg substation will ensure additional capacity in the Cape Gate, Kleinbron, Vredekloof and Langeberg Ridge areas.

The Rosmead upgrade will improve electricity supply to Claremont, Kenilworth and the Lansdowne area, whilst the Parow South upgrade, which feeds into the Parow industrial areas as well as Ravensmead, Parow Valley and Beaconvale areas, will provide additional capacity for industrial growth.

“All the transformers have been ordered and the switchgear has been put out on tender. Work will start shortly and should be completed by June 2010.
 
We need more industrial areas :( third phase electricity is in short supply when it comes to areas these days. They should start other side of durbanville :)
 
capetownguy said:

City partners with Dutch government to provide toilets for informal settlement
MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 278/ 2009

12 May 2009

Cape Town has been selected by the Dutch Government and its associated companies for the testing of a prototype toilet that is easily installed, uses almost no water, and does not have to be connected to a mains water supply or sewerage system. The facility was funded by a R4 million external grant from the Dutch partners.

The Dutch Minister for Development Co-operation, Bert Koenders and Dr Bulumko Msengana, the City’s Executive Director: Utility Services, City officials, representatives of the Dutch consortium responsible for the project and community leaders today attended the installation of MobiSan dry sanitation technology toilets in the Pooke se Bos informal settlement, Pooke Road in Rylands Estate, Athlone.

The Dutch companies responsible for the concept say that this is the first project of this kind to be piloted in Africa and the City of Cape Town was chosen to partner them in the pilot study. This also forms part of the longstanding cooperative agreement between the City of Cape Town and the Dutch government and its associate companies.

Consultation between the Dutch companies and the City's Water and Sanitation Department began nearly three years ago when it was decided that alternative sanitation optionsfor informal settlements needed to be investigated. The companies are Landustrie Sneek BV, Lettinga Associates Foundation and Vitens-Evides International, and all of them are industry leaders. They formed a consortium and received finance for the project- amounting to R4 million- from the Dutch government’s “Partners Voor Water” programme and the funding agency, EVD.

It was also decided that a suitable location for the project had to be found so that the accompanying research team could obtain the required data. A small scale MobiSan mobile sanitation system utilizing dry sanitation technology was designed and presented at the Sanitation Challenge International Conference in the Netherlands in May 2008. This system was then built to full scale and housed in a shipping container. It consists of a row of 13 toilet closets and 12 separate urinals. It is mobile unit and can be easily moved to informal settlements. Since it is a modular system, various other features can be added depending on the requirements. In this application, a small office for the maintenance staff was added.

Once the first unit was manufactured, the 12 metre container unit was shipped to Cape Town for translocation to the Pooke se Bos informal settlement. The area was found to be ideal for doing further research. The community leaders and local municipal councillors were consulted and, since this settlement was located on private land, the permission of the land owner, Mr. Kantie Patel, was obtained.

The MobiSan system has many advantages over existing sanitation systems and, once testing on this prototype is complete, the intention is to introduce the concept in other parts of the city and South Africa.

It is an independent and self contained system and does not affect the groundwater at all. Urine and faeces are stored separately in the Mobisan. The urine is channelled away and the faeces fall into a ventilated chamber. A handle on the outside of the cabin allows the solid waste to be stirred. This speeds up the drying of the excrement. It is then channelled into a second compartment where this drying process is repeated. The end product is dried, pathogen-free manure that can safely be used to fertilise local vegetable gardens.

The Mobisan project promises to provide a more aesthetic and hygienic option for residents in informal settlements until other accommodation can be provided.

There is a strong community involvement because local residents will be employed to oversee the operation. Two researchers from the Dutch consortium will monitor the project for the next six months, with specific reference to the social impact of the project and how the community interacts with it in order to enhance its acceptability in such communities. Their report will be given to the City's Water and Sanitation Department.

“This exciting project has the potential to improve sanitation problems in our informal settlements and also provide employment and we await the outcome of the trials with great interest,” says Dr Bulumko Msengana, Executive Director: Utility Services.

End

ISSUED BY:
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400 3719

Media enquiries:
Lungile Dhlamini
Director: Water and Sanitation
City of Cape Town
Tel: 021 400 4589 Cell: 084 909 9360
Click to expand...

First set of toilets installed in Pooke Bos in Athlone yesterday.
 
Serqet said:
Of course it's double standards.
Zuma is guilty until he proves himself innocent according to the masses.

Ridiculous!
Click to expand...
Me thinks the ANC is more guilty than Zuma... but guilty none-the-less
Sackboy said:
Zimbabweans apparently.
Click to expand...

Could expect that from you :sick:... have you no shame? (er.. of course not... a joke to you huh) :eek:
 
City to get use of provincial land for flood relief emergencies
Cape Times

May 18, 2009 Edition 2

Aziz Hartley

POLITICAL change in the province has led to the city council and the provincial government agreeing on the city being given access to land for emergency use for flood victims and being granted accreditation as a housing developer.

While accreditation would be finalised next month, the city would from today start using tracts of provincial land for the council's winter readiness programme, mayoral committee member for housing Shehaam Sims said.

An agreement struck at Friday's meeting between Sims, new Housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela and officials from their departments, followed DA leader Helen Zille's move to the legislature as premier.

The meeting also decided that a task team of city and provincial officials would be set up to ensure that day-to-day housing issues were addressed efficiently.

"Land for emergency use has already been identified, and by Monday will be ready for use. There are areas which will have a serious impact on people because municipal services could not be provided immediately, but these will be installed after people have moved on to the land," Sims said yesterday, adding that zoning had already been done.

She said accreditation meant the city could now approach the national government directly for funding. This would result in less red tape and a marked decrease in the time it took to access funding, Sims said.

"The advantage is that a six to 18 month process can be cut to three or six months. This will mean quicker delivery and obviously more housing opportunities per year.

"Accreditation has been a stumbling block for the DA-led council during constant battles with the then ANC provincial government."

Sims said accreditation required the city to have a five-year plan, environment impact assessments and approval of housing projects and its intended beneficiaries.

"About 70 percent of the province's housing work takes place in the city. There is now an environment where officials from the city and the province can work together," she said.

Madikizela said, with the city and province under DA control, the city would become a fully fledged housing developer.

"They city satisfies the accreditation requirements. They are passing it with flying colours and have enough capacity. The only problem is that the city does not have enough land. We agreed the city must identify provincial land for residential purposes and that the first thing we'll do is deal with emergencies as a result of flooding," he said.

Madikizela said the province's role was one of oversight and that there would be regular meetings to monitor the council's progress.

"I'm relieved relations are improved, but one big problems is budget constraints. We do not want to raise expectations because these constraints will impede the speed of delivery," he said.

Sims said: "It was quite sad that the ANC tried to stand in the way, but the city was still able to deliver an average of 7 500 houses. The target is 9 900 for this financial year."

[email protected]
 
So in my view it took less than a month for the DA to justify their win in the province. Good going guys, and gal...
 
TonyHawk said:
Me thinks the ANC is more guilty than Zuma... but guilty none-the-less


Could expect that from you :sick:... have you no shame? (er.. of course not... a joke to you huh) :eek:
Click to expand...
I was being a bit glib. I hear drug dealers burn with a blue flame.:eek:
 
Youth Development Programme launched

NY49 Sports Field

The City of Cape Town has signed an agreement with the Principality of Monaco and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to develop a youth development programme in Gugulethu.

The programme involves training unemployed youths to mentor and train younger children, using sport as a conduit.

It will be based at the upgraded NY49 sports complex in Gugulethu, and will be managed by the Sport and Recreation Department.

A delegation from Monaco and the UNDP visited Cape Town in early May to sign the agreement, which has now been finalised and signed by the Executive Director of Community Services, Ms Lokiwe Mtwazi.

Gert Bam, the City’s Director: Sport, Recreation and Amenities said: “The City is honoured to have been chosen by these international partners for this project. As a result, the NY49 sports field complex has been restored and will once again be the hub of sporting activities for our youth in Gugulethu. Through this project there will be constant activities throughout the week introducing the local youth to various forms of sport and recreation.”

According to Luzuko Mdunyelwa of the Directorate: External Relations, the delegates visited the sports complex and were happy with the improvements that have been carried out so far by the City.

Mdunyelwa says the idea for the project came about in 2005, when Prince Albert of Monaco wanted to launch a youth development project in Cape Town, using sport as a platform.

A non-governmental organisation based in Rome, called GLOCAL, has helped the UNDP and Monaco set up similar programmes in other African countries, and was brought in to facilitate the programme.

The NY49 sports facility in Gugulethu was chosen as the site for the project, as it has a large catchment area.

The complex had been vandalised, but the City was able to make an insurance claim and restore the complex, as well as install new infrastructure. It is already in use, and is now ready for the programme to start.

In terms of the programme, unemployed youths will be brought into the project and trained as sport development co-ordinators. They will in turn train younger children, aged between 6 and 12, in sport and recreation.

“The idea is that sport is the conduit for other training,” Mdunyelwa said. “All this is similar to the Sport & Recreation department’s Come and Play programme.”

The trainers will be paid a stipend, but not full salaries, as it is a community development programme.

“It is also a kick-start programme for them, they can use the skills they have learned and develop themselves too,” he said.

The Principality of Monaco is funding the project to the tune of approximately R300,000 over three years, which will be spent on capacity building, sports equipment, overhead costs and other expenses.

“It is a wonderful programme, and I am really excited about it, even though my role –as the initiator of the process, motivating for the investment to come to the city and facilitating discussions between the funders and the city – is near to completion,” said Mdunyelwa.

A workshop was held on 16 May 2009, with City officials, the donor representative, sporting federations and codes, and the Gugulethu community, sporting and cultural associations, represented.

Donny Jurgens, Manager of the Specialised Operations Unit of the Department of Sport, Recreation and Amenities of the City of Cape Town facilitated the workshop.

Expectations, future development, challenges, and action steps were discussed.

At the end of the workshop, it was decided to break the stakeholders into two groups - a core group representing the beneficiaries or children of Gugulethu, and a second group of stakeholders offering activities or services to the beneficiaries on the NY49 site.

More workshops will be held in the next month to finalise a Work Plan and Project Charter.
 
Capetownguy, I appreciate the news but could you please provide links to the articles you're posting?
 
joelus said:
Capetownguy, I appreciate the news but could you please provide links to the articles you're posting?
Click to expand...
He's been asked before by several people.

I hear the fire in Cape Town was exacerbated by locked fire doors and the inspectors did little to prevent it. This council really needs to pull their finger out and improve their game if they're going to keep the province. Even the inspector around our area is gaining a reputation for extreme slackness. They're lazy and under-resourced - not a good combination.
 
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