The provincial government is holding back economic development and the provision of housing in the city, says Mayor Helen Zille.
Zille highlighted tensions between the City of Cape Town and the provincial government, at Sunday's provincial imbizo, attended by President Thabo Mbeki.
Premier Ebrahim Rasool called for national assistance to "mediate in order to minimise conflict between spheres of government".
Mbeki told the media later that he had not been surprised by Zille's criticism of intergovernmental co-operation.
Speaking after the session, which was closed to the media, Mbeki said: "The matter of alignment is important and, yes, it is a matter we discussed."
But he said discussions on the issue of misalignment between government spheres had not been "not particularly focused" on Cape Town.
He denied that the control of the city by the DA and the province by the ANC had anything to do with the lack of co-operation between the two spheres of government.
The substance of the issues in dispute, such as the need for housing, were not politically motivated.
Zille said the political struggle between the city and the province was a challenge.
Rasool was more tempered in his criticism of the city, saying that the insistence of local government to conform to its statutory boundaries, limited policy alignment between the city and the province.
But Zille said progress was only possible if each sphere concentrated on its constitutional mandate. She again called for the urgent resolution of unfunded mandates, which had cost the city R500-million.
Unfunded mandates are functions, which although shared by the province and the city, were funded by the city.
Zille laid down the gauntlet to Local Government and Housing MEC Richard Dyantyi in the battle for better representation at ward level.
Dyantyi, who was not present during the presentation, has given the city until September to set up ward committees. Zille said the city would not be taking up his "kind offer".
Dyantyi has also questioned the city's public participation process in drafting the Integrated Development Plan, the basis of the municipal budget. He indicated he would reject an IDP if there was insufficient public consultation.
But Zille said on Sunday that public participation was flawed. "You can't do public participation by asking people 'what do you want?' We need to go out and say this is what local government is mandated to do."
Zille said the imbizo had been "timed precisely" to coincide with the city's IDP process. Imbizos should not be used as platforms for political rallies, she said.
Zille told Mbeki that the province's delay in granting the city housing accreditation was hampering its capacity to provide housing opportunities.
"The biggest constraint is the access to well-located land for incremental housing developments."
The city needs almost 9 000 hectares of land to meet the housing backlog of 400 000 units. This backlog grows by 16 000 a year.
She said accreditation, which would enable the city to access national housing subsidies without provincial approval, would reduce the time taken to get housing developments off the ground.
Mbeki later said that the availability of land for housing was crucial and a concern "that the Cape Town Metro raises quite legitimately".
Both Rasool and Zille referred to state-owned land that could be used for housing in areas such as Culemborg, Wingfield and Ysterplaat.
But Rasool spoke only of the need for national assistance to release land.
Zille also raised delays in funding for projects, such as the Lentegeur Public Transport Interchange and Station upgrade.
Unsuccessful negotiations with province about the buying of a site for an electricity substation in Roggebaai could mean that power supply to the Green Point stadium would not be ready in time for 2010. - Cape Times
Zille highlighted tensions between the City of Cape Town and the provincial government, at Sunday's provincial imbizo, attended by President Thabo Mbeki.
Premier Ebrahim Rasool called for national assistance to "mediate in order to minimise conflict between spheres of government".
Mbeki told the media later that he had not been surprised by Zille's criticism of intergovernmental co-operation.
Speaking after the session, which was closed to the media, Mbeki said: "The matter of alignment is important and, yes, it is a matter we discussed."
But he said discussions on the issue of misalignment between government spheres had not been "not particularly focused" on Cape Town.
He denied that the control of the city by the DA and the province by the ANC had anything to do with the lack of co-operation between the two spheres of government.
The substance of the issues in dispute, such as the need for housing, were not politically motivated.
Zille said the political struggle between the city and the province was a challenge.
Rasool was more tempered in his criticism of the city, saying that the insistence of local government to conform to its statutory boundaries, limited policy alignment between the city and the province.
But Zille said progress was only possible if each sphere concentrated on its constitutional mandate. She again called for the urgent resolution of unfunded mandates, which had cost the city R500-million.
Unfunded mandates are functions, which although shared by the province and the city, were funded by the city.
Zille laid down the gauntlet to Local Government and Housing MEC Richard Dyantyi in the battle for better representation at ward level.
Dyantyi, who was not present during the presentation, has given the city until September to set up ward committees. Zille said the city would not be taking up his "kind offer".
Dyantyi has also questioned the city's public participation process in drafting the Integrated Development Plan, the basis of the municipal budget. He indicated he would reject an IDP if there was insufficient public consultation.
But Zille said on Sunday that public participation was flawed. "You can't do public participation by asking people 'what do you want?' We need to go out and say this is what local government is mandated to do."
Zille said the imbizo had been "timed precisely" to coincide with the city's IDP process. Imbizos should not be used as platforms for political rallies, she said.
Zille told Mbeki that the province's delay in granting the city housing accreditation was hampering its capacity to provide housing opportunities.
"The biggest constraint is the access to well-located land for incremental housing developments."
The city needs almost 9 000 hectares of land to meet the housing backlog of 400 000 units. This backlog grows by 16 000 a year.
She said accreditation, which would enable the city to access national housing subsidies without provincial approval, would reduce the time taken to get housing developments off the ground.
Mbeki later said that the availability of land for housing was crucial and a concern "that the Cape Town Metro raises quite legitimately".
Both Rasool and Zille referred to state-owned land that could be used for housing in areas such as Culemborg, Wingfield and Ysterplaat.
But Rasool spoke only of the need for national assistance to release land.
Zille also raised delays in funding for projects, such as the Lentegeur Public Transport Interchange and Station upgrade.
Unsuccessful negotiations with province about the buying of a site for an electricity substation in Roggebaai could mean that power supply to the Green Point stadium would not be ready in time for 2010. - Cape Times
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