COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN 28 SEPTEMBER 2011 QUESTIONS OF WHICH NOTICE HAS BEEN GIVEN EXECUTIVE MAYOR'S RESPONSES In accordance with Council's Rules of Order (Rule 22) as approved by Council: 15 March 2006 (C 05/03/06). amended on 27 October 2006 (C 72/10106) and 30 May 2007 (C 57/05/07). questions were received from the following political parties for QUESTIONS PUT TO THE MAYOR AS PER RULES OF THE COUNCil For the Council meeting of 28 September 2011 I hereby give notice and request the Mayor be so kind and answer the following questions: 1. Since the Mayor took office how much money has actually been spent in each Subcouncil in terms of its capital budget and operating budget for the current financial year. 2. Can the Mayor advise how many informal settlements and their locations that will not have electricity by the end of the year, because the land the residents live on is privately owned and if there is an "out of the box" plan to address this challenge before the end of the year. 3. How many residents are without water for the month of July 2011 because of non-payment and can the Mayor give the guarantee that they are all allocated their free monthly allowance while their water is cut. If not how many residents did not have any water at all or were on a "drip". 4. Is there any way that the Mayor can authorize on humanitarian grounds the replacement of electricity cables and the provision of electricity to the toilets at Pooke se Bos in Subcouncil 17 which has now been denied, because the residents in this informal settlement stay on privately owned land. How many weeks now do they have to use the toilets in the dark? CllR MOGAMAD GANIEF HENDRICKS AlJAMA-AH REPLY FROM THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR TO QUESTION FROM CLLR M G HENDRICKS FOR COUNCIL MEETING 28 SEPTEMBER 2011 1. Sub-councils do not have the infrastructure to execute projects themselves and therefore the budget allocated to Sub-Councils for capital and operational ward allocation projects is spent by the relevant line department under whose auspices a specific project falls. Limited expenditure is incurred during the first three months of the financial year as departments are occupied with procurement phases. Project progress is monitored by the Speaker who performs an oversight role over Sub-councils. Sub-councils are required to submit monthly progress reports from the end of September to the Speaker. These reports are also included in the Sub-council agendas. The Sub-council actual operating expenditure sum for the first two months of the 2011/2012 financial year amounts to R253,889 or 1.1 % of the operating budget (R22,200,000). The actual capital expenditure amounts to R 1, 389,418 or 3% of the capital budget (R46, 217,582). The details per Sub-council are attached as Annexure "A". 2. There are currently 25 non-electrified informal settlements on privately owned land. The names, locations of these settlements located on privately owned land are detailed below: Settlement Name Location CL Section Khayelitsha Engen/Olieboom Philippi Jim se bos/Olieboom Ottery Rondeberg Atlantis Saxon World Downs Atlantis Klipfontein Glebe Philippi Bongolethu School Philippi Knole, Williston rd, Otterv Ottery Oasis Philippi Philippi Canaan Philippi Klipheuwel Klipheuwel Rural Jabula Philippi Hadjie Ebrahim Rylands Egoli Philippi Mocke/Gatjie Southfield 13,n Avenue, Philippi rural Philippi Jane Road Athlone Pook se Bos Gatesville Tafelozono/Spoorkamp Table View Kleinzouterivier Melkbosstrand Springfield Philippi Meadowvale Farm Atlantis Goliath Kraaifontein Morning Star Table View Somerset West Station Somerset West It is the City's policy as determined by national legislation to not electrify settlements that are located on private land. In terms of its policy, The City will not electrify settlements that are encumbered by the following elements: • Servitudes • Rail or road reserves • Flood-prone areas • Stormwater retention or detention ponds • Private land • Unstable land • Any other health or safety hazard In certain instances, the City has acquired or is in the process of acquiring privately owned land. In cases where the City has acquired formerly privately owned land (e.g Doornbach), the City will commence with the planning and delivery of an electrification service within the coming months. The City is also currently exploring alternatives that seek to overcome the legal impediments that restrict the provision of services on privately owned land. 3. No residents were without water due to non-payment during July 2011. Residential property owners' water can be restricted but not disconnected. Ad hoc cases have been reported where restrictions have led to "no water" complaints. These incidents are often related to water pressure problems and were addressed as soon as the complaints were received. In the event of water restrictions on residential properties, debt teams do ensure allowance for the free basic water allocation. 4. The Electricity Services Department is in the process of procuring solarpowered lighting for immediate installation at these toilets upon delivery. The installation is aimed to be completed within the next month. 18 WARD ALLOCATIONS 2011/12 ANNEXURE A JULY 2011 & JULY 2011 AUGUST 2011 & AUGUST 2011 Capital Operating Total Subcouncil Actual Exp % Spend Budget Actual % Spend Budget Actual Exp % Spend Budget Exp Subcouncil17 1200000 10000 0.8% 840000 70000 8.3% 2040000 80000 3.9% Subcouncil17 1200000 10000 0.8% 840000 70000 8.3% 2040000 80000 3.9% ANNEXURE G QUESTIONS PUT TO THE MAYOR AS PER RULES OF THE COUNCil For the Council meeting of 28 September 2011 Can the Mayor please tell us how many deaf people were appointed as employees of the City during September 2011 which is celebrated as ''Deaf Awareness Month". Also how many deaf people work for the City and what is the most senior job a deaf person occupies? Does the Employee equity plan provide for any affirmative actions to appoint a deaf person as an Executive Director or as an advisor to any member of the Mayoral Committee or on any of the special committees the Mayor may appoint. Cllr M G Hendricks AlJAMA-AH QUESTIONS TO THE MAYOR OR HER DELEGATED MAYCO MEMBER FOR A WRITTEN RESPONSE IN TERMS OF RULE 22.1 OF THE RULES OF ORDER Council meeting: 28 September 2011 Could the Mayor inform the Council whether the City is aware of the desperate need which exists in Manenberg. Residents are threatened by the Cape Town Housing Company with letters to evict them from their houses. These residents are the victims of the tornado of August 1999 and were given these houses. Many did not pay due to the cracks in the houses that were not repaired. Many are now paying but are still facing eviction. Residents are now paying occupational rent that is above their means because Cape Town Housing Company has closed their current account. Arrears are accruing on the current account and on the occupational rent account. Residents are up in arms and want to know the following: 1. In the light of the above-mentioned the residents want to enter into a new agreement with the Cape Town Housing Company in order not to lose their houses? 2. Can the Mayor assist these residents with her intervention? 3. Can the Mayor give the assurance, if these residents are prepared to pay, that they will not be evicted? Cllr Ferlon Christians African Christian Democratic Party REPLY FROM THE EXECUTIVE MAYOR TO QUESTION FROM CLLR F CHRISTIANS FOR COUNCIL MEETING 28 SEPTEMBER 2011 The houses referred to were built after the tornado on 29 August 1999. They replaced the units which were damaged and construction was undertaken by the Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC) of which the City at the time had a 50% shareholding. The houses varied in size and were sold to the tornado victims at highly subsidised process. Prices varied depending on the number of bedrooms. Many of the houses did have serious defects but these were rectified by the CTHC following a very comprehensive remedial programme which was finally concluded in 2009. All the purchase contracts were signed between the beneficiaries and the CTCHC and not the City. The City in 2008 sold its shareholding via a Council resolution to the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). The NHFC now totally owns the CTHC. Responses to the questions are as follows: 1. Should the residents wish to enter into new agreements they should approach the CTCHC of their own accord and individually. 2. As the CTHC is a private company the Mayor is not in a position to intervene in the contracts entered into between themselves and the company. 3. The residents should address this directly with the company as this is a private company in which the Mayor cannot intervene.