Cape News

[Molokai]

Rather put some masking tape where your mouth is just kidding. But seriously, you'll see - we have the Cape Party HQ in Clairemont, you can even phone them on 021 671 8668. We have Reps. in almost every municipality in the Western Cape and we're laying down a solid framework. We have the funding, but more importantly the WILL, and you'll see- we're gonna grow alot over the next 4 years. Just google the cape party and see what comes up.

We believe we can do better by "going it alone" - politically anyway. Trade will continue as normal and it will be a peaceful secession. No need to worry. Do you really believe you are currently living in a state which has your best interests at heart?

Do you really believe the ANC, (COPE BTW served in the ANC for years and did nothing,) will protect the Independence of the judiciary, the fight of corruption, (scorpions,) the High court's verdicts, media Independence, Party transparency, fight political intimidation, etc etc etc..?

Wake up.

What do I need to do to get an invite to this Cape Party?

 

[capetownguy]

Kuyasa carbon credits cut electricity costs

Steve Kretzmann

Over one thousand Khayelitsha residents in the low-cost housing suburb of Kuyasa have had their electricity bills cut by as much as 40 percent.

This is thanks to their electrical geysers being replaced with solar water heaters, and having insulated ceilings and energy-efficient light bulbs installed in their homes as part of the groundbreaking city-owned Kuyasa Project.

Having kicked off in May last year, the project has recently passed the half-way mark and is expected to reach 2,309 homes by early 2010.

Not only is the project reducing residents’ electricity bills, reducing the need for paraffin-fired heaters and stoves, and providing 76 jobs for the local community, it is reducing global warming carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations.

As such, it is the first African project to be registered with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol and can sell carbon credits on the international market.

Plans are for future sales of the carbon credits to be used to establish a trust which would employ local residents to provide ongoing long-term maintenance on the solar water heaters.

The R20 million project, which was developed by non-profit organisation SouthSouthNorth for the City of Cape Town’s environmental management department, has potential to effect the larger economy too.

Up until very recently all the solar water heaters used in the project have been imported from China.

But the South African Export Development Fund (SAEDF), the private company that has financially underwritten it, has hopes that Kuyasa’s success may lead to locally-manufactured solar water heaters being fitted to the approximately two million other low-cost homes in South Africa.

SAEDF sustainability division head Carl Wesselink said the strategic thinking was that the success of the Kuyasa Project would create a “massive uptake of demand”, giving local manufacturers the incentive to bring costs down.
“The people manufacturing solar water heaters (in South Africa) are targeting Mrs Jones in Constantia,” said Wesselink. But the SAEDF wanted to “promote social service delivery where there is much greater demand”.

And it appears their strategy is paying off; the locally manufactured Xstream solar water heater is now available at a cost which rivals the Chinese Genergy heater, and installation of the local product in the remaining Kuyasa homes has recently begun, said Kuyasa site manager Zuko Ndamani.

The project, which has received funding from the provincial housing department, International Association of Local Governments (ICLEI), and the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), also has undeniable microeconomic benefits and has “dramatically” changed the nature of an otherwise marginalised area on the extreme eastern edge of the city, said Ndamani.

“It has brought together the community, something you don’t necessarily see in the townships. You normally only see that Ubuntu thing in the rural areas,” said Ndamani.

He said part of the reason for the sense of community and safety was that the workmen needed to gain access to the houses in order to install the insulated ceilings and change light bulbs. Therefore if people needed to be away at work they would entrust their keys to neighbours and ask them to move furniture out. This fostered trust and co-operation.

He said the buy-in from residents was such that the site office had no security guard or alarm. If anything went wrong residents would phone him.

He said he even got calls if residents spotted that workmen had left tools or materials lying around after the end of the workday. Initial fears of vandalism had also proved to be completely groundless.
- West Cape News

 

[Sackboy]

1000 Khayelitsha residents get free solar heating.

Shees!!
We can't even afford them.

/Feels the pain of the next rates bill hike

 

[capetownguy]

The "do nothing" approach of the DA is not working in Khayelitsha.

Two new stations opened in Khayelitsha

By Cindy Witten
10 June 2009

Metrorail is proud to announce the opening of two new train stations in Khayelitsha. Kuyasa and Chris Hani stations started operating on Monday morning.

“Kuyasa and Chris Hani stations is an extension of the Khayelitsha line and forms part of a Presidential Urban Renewal Programme,” said Metro Rail spokesperson Riana Scott.

The Urban Renewal Programme (URP) forms part of a national urban renewal strategy that was announced by former President Mbeki in his State of the Nation address in February 2001.

Metrorail says that this project is to “enable systematic and sustained interventions to alleviate poverty and significantly address under-development and socio-economic exclusion in Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain”.

“We are very happy to say that the two stations are open for operations and the community is thankful that they’ve got an alternative form of transport.”

A single Metro ticket for trains travelling from Cape Town to either Kuyasa or Chris Hani Stations costs R7.30, while a single Metro ticket between Khayelitsha Station and Kuyasa or Chris Hani Stations sells for R4.20.

 

[Sherbang]

Capetownguy, I never know when you're being sarcastic or not.
You say the "do nothing" approach of the DA is not working, which I assume is sarcasm as I know you're a DA supporter. What confuses me is that the article clearly states that these new stations form part of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme which is a national urban renewal strategy, not a city or provincial initiative?

EDIT: a bit more research and I discovered that :

Because both are located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Cape Town, the Urban Renewal Strategy is implemented and monitored by the City’s Urban Renewal Programme Department. National Ministers are deployed as URP national political champions. Premier Helen Zille is the provincial political champion, and the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato, is the local political champion.

(So it's a combination of national, provincial and city departments, not just the DA)

 

[Sackboy]

Capetownguy, I never know when you're being sarcastic or not.
You say the "do nothing" approach of the DA is not working, which I assume is sarcasm as I know you're a DA supporter. What confuses me is that the article clearly states that these new stations form part of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme which is a national urban renewal strategy, not a city or provincial initiative?

EDIT: a bit more research and I discovered that :

(So it's a combination of national, provincial and city departments, not just the DA)

Shhhhh! You're spoiling his 'the DA is magnificentt' campaign.

 

[capetownguy]

Capetownguy, I never know when you're being sarcastic or not.
You say the "do nothing" approach of the DA is not working, which I assume is sarcasm as I know you're a DA supporter. What confuses me is that the article clearly states that these new stations form part of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme which is a national urban renewal strategy, not a city or provincial initiative?

EDIT: a bit more research and I discovered that :

(So it's a combination of national, provincial and city departments, not just the DA)

Absolutely correct.
The city and province, both DA, are heavily involved in actually delivering these urban renewal projects.

Its all good and well they are "planned" but tenders need to be awarded, people need to be on site, administration needs to take place. This is where things like the Khayelitsha Festival and other programmes for SMME's (launched by the city) comes in.

The Khayelitsha Hospital has been in planning for almost a decade, and has appeared each year in the state of the province address BUT it needs to be built, delivered, designed. Talking about a new Khayelitsha Hospital does not result in an actual hospital.

 

[Sherbang]

Absolutely correct.
The city and province, both DA, are heavily involved in actually delivering these urban renewal projects.

hmmm... I think you're pushin it a bit. While the province is DA led I very much doubt that these 2 new stations were suddenly built after the elections.
I think you're trying to make out that the DA is responsible for building these stations when clearly this is not the case. They played a part, under national supervision.
I'm not trying to be negative about the DA and I'll give credit where credit is due but in this case you're off the mark.

Still, it's good news for Cape Town!

 

[Pilgrim]

hmmm... I think you're pushin it a bit. While the province is DA led I very much doubt that these 2 new stations were suddenly built after the elections.
I think you're trying to make out that the DA is responsible for building these stations when clearly this is not the case. They played a part, under national supervision.
I'm not trying to be negative about the DA and I'll give credit where credit is due but in this case you're off the mark.

Still, it's good news for Cape Town!

Good point, perhaps Capetownguy can clarify who did most of the work with these two new stations, the (up till April) ANC led Province or the DA led City of Cape Town?

Be honest Capetownguy, we* won't bit.

*Suckboy not included.

 

[capetownguy]

hmmm... I think you're pushin it a bit. While the province is DA led I very much doubt that these 2 new stations were suddenly built after the elections.
I think you're trying to make out that the DA is responsible for building these stations when clearly this is not the case. They played a part, under national supervision.
I'm not trying to be negative about the DA and I'll give credit where credit is due but in this case you're off the mark.

Still, it's good news for Cape Town!

Thats not what I'm implying at all. Not all work planned or carried out is due to the DA BUT as I've said before, planning for new stations, planning for new hospitals, planning for improvements to these areas is not the same as delivering new stations, hospitals and upgrades to urban spaces, in a transparent and corruption free manner.

For example in housing. The city receives funds from the province, and if im not mistaken from National Government.
The IRT system is funded overwhelmingly by the treasury BUT again its the city that needs to deliver. The new hospitals planned for the last 10 years in Mitchell's Plain (canned by the ANC) and Khayelitsha are NOT DA projects BUT now need to be delivered by the DA since the ANC scrapped the Mitchells Plain hospital and have been stalling with the Khayelitsha Hospital.

The DA is pro-poor, not pro-"lets make plans for the poor areas so that we can look good but never actually deliver".

 

[capetownguy]

Just 365 days to World Cup kick-off

June 11, 2009 Edition 1

ANÉL LEWIS

IN JUST 365 days the first whistle of South Africa's 2010 World Cup will be blown, and Cape Town is on track to host the event that is expected to attract more than 150 000 visitors to the city.

President Jacob Zuma, Fifa president Sepp Blatter, Premier Helen Zille, Mayor Dan Plato, and chief executive of the 2010 Fifa World Cup Organising Committee South Africa, Danny Jordaan, are expected to celebrate the one year to kickoff at the Green Point stadium today.

The stadium, estimated to cost R4.5 billion, will host eight games, including a semi-final. While the opening match will be at Soccer City in Johannesburg, Cape Town will host its first match that same evening.

City 2010 spokesman Pieter Cronjé said the new Green Point stadium would be ready for handover on December 14.

"The stadium is over 70% complete at this stage. Major concrete work has been completed and only the finishing touches still need to be done. This includes the seating, lighting, cabling, completion of the VIP suites, external cladding and other facilities."

Work on the state-of-the-art roof is also on track and Cronjé said it would be finished by September.

While the roof will cover the stands, the pitch will remain open.

Although there will be 68 000 seats in the stadium when the 2010 matches kick off next year, the number of seats will be reduced to 55 000 after the event.

The roof and the lights from the stadium will only be visible from high vantage points, such as mountain tops.

It has been designed to limit the noise and visual impact of the stadium on the surrounding areas.

Cronjé said only two hours of construction time have been lost because of load shedding since work started in March 2007. Work was delayed for almost seven days at the start of the construction because of strikes by workers.

There has been one fatality at the stadium, where more than 2 500 workers have been employed.

A construction worker was killed when he was knocked down by a construction vehicle.

The stadium will also be used to enhance its neighbouring environment.

Cronjé said water from the stadium roof would be used to fill ponds on the Green Point Common which is being upgraded for 2010 and work on that should be completed by March 2010 "at the latest", Cronjé said. Various sport codes will have fields and facilities on the upgraded common which will also include public recreational spaces.

A contract has yet to be signed between the City of Cape Town and a consortium of Stade de France and South African sports marketing company SAIL to operate the stadium after the World Cup.

But the lease will run for 10 to 30 years and the operators will pay the city a third of the earnings made during this time.

Cronjé said the two leases, for the operation of the stadium and the Urban Park, would be signed once the public comment period had closed and the contract had been referred to council for approval.

[email protected]

 

[capetownguy]

City to brief industrialists on new air pollution by-law
MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 349/ 2009
09 JUNE 2009


CITY TO BRIEF INDUSTRIALISTS ON NEW AIR POLLUTION BY-LAW

The City of Cape Town will host an information session for industrialists, councillors and air quality role players on the proposed changes to its Air Pollution By-law on Thursday, 11 June. Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, will deliver the keynote address.

The City of Cape Town’s Specialised Health Department has drafted a strengthened air pollution by-law. Several control mechanisms have been implemented, such as ensuring compliance, enforcement and licensing of listed activities and the appointment of environmental management inspectors at local government level.

The event will also promote partnerships between the City and industry such as the Bellville South Environmental Forum (BELSEF).

The City’s new green house gas monitor and diesel vehicle testing tool, the Hartdrige monitor, will be on display.

Date: Thursday, 11 June 2009

Time: 09:30 to 13:00

Venue: Council Chamber, 6th Floor, Podium Block, Civic Centre, Cape Town

All media are welcome to attend.

Although the current by-law and related interventions have lead to considerable and measurable improvements in air quality within the city since 2003, it is no longer compatible with contemporary environmental legislation.

The current air pollution by-law was promulgated in response to delegated responsibilities from the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act 65 of 1965). This Act is, however, no longer compatible with more recent environmental legislation, such as the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act.

The new by-law will repeal the existing by-law.

 

[capetownguy]

Mother City gets R8,5bn legacy

June 11 2009 at 08:30PM

New roads and sophisticated transport networks are rapidly taking shape across the country ahead of the World Cup.

Multibillion-rand infrastructural upgrades, some only due in the next 20 to 30 years, are under way, from Cape Town to Polokwane.

Eight new hotels are being built in central Cape Town with dozens more expected to mushroom across the country by year-end.

Cape Town's biggest projects - the airport upgrade and multimillion-rand city station makeover - are expected to be ready before the tournament.

Upgrades to Hospital Bend, the Koeberg Interchange, the N1, R300, N2 and the inner-city transport network have also gone ahead without any major problems.
Continues Below ↓


Click here!



The airport upgrade, including a new R1,5-billion combined terminal, eight new air bridges, a multi-storey parkade and an upgraded road network, is 80 percent complete and will be operational by November.

A transport plaza and bus station are being built at the airport, where passengers can catch a bus or taxi, linked to the city's integrated rapid transit (IRT) network.

Deon Cloete, the airport's general manager, said the upgrade would have come only in the next 25 years, but the World Cup had forced Acsa to fast-track its plans.

In the CBD, Cape Town station is being transformed into a world-class transport and tourism hub.

Phases 1 and 2 of the multimillion revamp, including the upgrading of the Strand and Adderley Street retail and food court, is fast nearing completion, while phases 3 and 4, which include the reconstruction of the station forecourt and the completion of the Old Marine Drive retail component, are expected to start in the next two months.

The World Cup will leave a R8,5-billion transport infrastructure legacy in the city.

The R230m Hospital Bend upgrade should be finished by December and the new widened roads and bridges will be open for traffic by year end.

The Table Bay Boulevard upgrade is being held up by the lack of access to Propnet land, but authorities say the project will be finished in time for 2010.

Work on the R583m Koeberg Interchange is on track.

 

[Sackboy]

City to brief industrialists on new air pollution by-law
MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 349/ 2009
09 JUNE 2009


CITY TO BRIEF INDUSTRIALISTS ON NEW AIR POLLUTION BY-LAW

The City of Cape Town will host an information session for industrialists, councillors and air quality role players on the proposed changes to its Air Pollution By-law on Thursday, 11 June. Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, will deliver the keynote address.

The City of Cape Town’s Specialised Health Department has drafted a strengthened air pollution by-law. Several control mechanisms have been implemented, such as ensuring compliance, enforcement and licensing of listed activities and the appointment of environmental management inspectors at local government level.

The event will also promote partnerships between the City and industry such as the Bellville South Environmental Forum (BELSEF).

The City’s new green house gas monitor and diesel vehicle testing tool, the Hartdrige monitor, will be on display.

Date: Thursday, 11 June 2009

Time: 09:30 to 13:00

Venue: Council Chamber, 6th Floor, Podium Block, Civic Centre, Cape Town

All media are welcome to attend.

Although the current by-law and related interventions have lead to considerable and measurable improvements in air quality within the city since 2003, it is no longer compatible with contemporary environmental legislation.

The current air pollution by-law was promulgated in response to delegated responsibilities from the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act 65 of 1965). This Act is, however, no longer compatible with more recent environmental legislation, such as the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) and the National Environmental Management Air Quality Act.

The new by-law will repeal the existing by-law.

These laws are all well and good, but enforcement is heavily dysfunctional. For example; if you have a squatter proplem, the dedicated hotline goes through to traffic department.
Then when you call traffic if someones blocking your drive, they don't come for 5 hours, so again, what's the point??

 

[armitage]

Anybody got any news of the bomb threat at cpt station yesterday?

 

[capetownguy]

Why would they want to bomb a construction site?

 

[capetownguy]

Commuters left waiting following train delays

By Cindy Witten
12 June 2009

Many commuters were left stranded yesterday evening following a bomb scare at Cape Town train station.

“This is ridiculous,” said a Metrorail commuter “what am I supposed to do now? I have no other way of getting home.”

Commuters waited on trains while the police dog unit search for the alleged bomb.

By 18h00 yesterday evening, nothing had been discovered and it appeared as though the bomb scare had been a big hoax.

 

[capetownguy]

Downtown Cape Town is the best in the world

Cape Town’s central city area has been recognised as ‘downtown of the month’ by the International Downtown Association.

The recognition by the organisation, which comprises more than 650 member organisations on four continents, is particularly impressive given that the area was in decline 10 years ago. High Street shopping had almost entirely gone underground (or moved to the malls), streets were quiet after dark, parking was in short supply and ‘overseen’ by self-appointed car guards, and historic public spaces, such as Church Square and the Grand Parade, had become parking lots. Capital was moving to the suburbs, and buildings were losing value. Few people actually ‘lived’ in the central city, mainly due to the forced removal of nearly 60 000 people from District Six in the 1960s and 70s.

Today, 5 000 people live in the CBD and 55 000 in the broader central city area. There are outdoor eateries, designer shops, refurbished residences, and revamped offices, thanks to years of renovation and rejuvenation. More than R1.4 billion worth of development projects were completed in 2008 alone. There are also moves afoot to create more than 1 500 student/affordable ‘beds’ in the inner city.

‘The areas is part of our collective city psyche,’ says Andrew Boraine, historian and CEO of the Cape Town Partnership, the organisation founded in July 1999 to manage, promote and develop the Cape Town central city (in partnership with the City of Cape Town, the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA), the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and industry and other stakeholders).

The Central City Improvement District (CCID) was established in 2000 to tackle the immediate problems of grime and crime that plagued the area. The CCID’s operations are financed by levies from property owners, which to date have totalled approximately R250 million.

Since then, the area has seen a 90% reduction in serious crime; attracted investment attraction of between R14-18 billion, with a further R20 billion in the pipeline; re-developed more than 170 buildings, revitalised public spaces and pedestrian environments; and established innovative creative industries and energy efficiency programmes.

“A healthy central city is a healthy city,’ says Boraine, ‘and our central city engenders a strong sense of identity among almost all residents.’ He notes the enormous numbers of people who travel from all corners of the city to watch the switching on of the festive season lights, to attend the jazz festivals, the numerous cultural festivals. ‘Because of our history of divisions, people don’t generally go into “other people’s” areas, but they all come here!’
‘Everyone and anyone can come into town – and they’ve been doing so for hundreds of years.’

The International Downtown Association is Washington DC based organisation that works with cities to achieve vital and liveable urban centres.

Some central city statistics…

* Approximately 200 000 people work in or visit the central city every day
* 5 000 people live in the CBD and 55 000 in the broader central city area
* More than R1.4 billion worth of development projects were completed in the central city in 2008
* R440 million is being spent on the upgrade of the Cape Town Station
* 200 CCID security officers with closely with the South African Police Force (SAPS), Metro Police and the CCTV system
* 63 CCID cleaners, in partnership with City Cleansing, keep the central city streets clean every day
* 50 cigarette bins have been placed around the Central city by the CCID
* 823 graffiti removals per year make the Central city graffiti-free
* 300 000 to 500 000 people are expected to visit the City during the 2010 Fifa World Cup
* Eight public spaces have been upgraded by the City of Cape Town
* Over 1 000 creative industries are based in the Central city
* The Cape Town International Convention Centre hosts 50% of all international meetings in Africa and two-thirds of international meetings in South Africa
* One new stadium, situated alongside a new urban park on the historic Green Point Common
* South Africa’s most visited destination – the V&A Waterfront
* One International Book Fair
* One International Jazz Festival, ranked fourth in the world
* Numerous cultural festivals and sporting events

 

[semiautomatix]

Capetownguy, I never know when you're being sarcastic or not.
You say the "do nothing" approach of the DA is not working, which I assume is sarcasm as I know you're a DA supporter. What confuses me is that the article clearly states that these new stations form part of the Presidential Urban Renewal Programme which is a national urban renewal strategy, not a city or provincial initiative?

EDIT: a bit more research and I discovered that :

(So it's a combination of national, provincial and city departments, not just the DA)

I agree, so why don't we see the same thing happening in ANC controlled provinces and metros?

 

[Cape-Independence]

...because the ANC is an outdated dying beast, ridden with corruption. They know this, and thats why they have put alot of emphasis on tackling corruption.