Protests close Cape town roads

Cape Town - Four intersections in Cape Town have been closed to traffic due to a service delivery protest, the city's traffic department said on Monday.

The intersections of Lansdowne and Stock roads, Vanguard Drive and Duinefontein Road, Vanguard Drive and Weltevreden Parkway, as well as Vanguard drive at the R300 were closed, spokeswoman Inspector Maxine Jordaan said.

Motorists were advised to use Old Strandfontein Road and Baden Powell Drive instead.

All city services concerned would attempt to minimise disruptions. - Sapa

Service delivery protest in Nyanga

About 100 people protested about poor service delivery in Nyanga, Cape Town, on Monday morning, Western Cape police said.

Lt-Col Andre Traut said the group gathered on the corner of Lansdowne and Duinefontein roads around 3.45am, and barricaded the road with burning tyres.

"The situation is monitored, and police are on the scene to maintain law and order," he said.

Golden Arrow bus services spokeswoman Bronwen Dyke said one of the company's buses got caught up in the spreading protest action.

"They stoned the bus and set it alight in Gugulethu, on the corner of Lansdowne and Nyl roads," she said.

"The driver was injured. He received facial lacerations because a stone came through the window and hit him on the face. He is okay though."

She could not say how much damage there was to the bus.

- Timeslive

Protesters ‘should not have been held’

The 21 people arrested on charges of public violence in Grassy Park appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court a few hours after they were arrested on Thursday. They were released from custody and warned to reappear in court on August 29.

Eric Balebamye, of the SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in Phumlani Village, said he was unhappy with the way protesters had been treated by police.

“They should never have been arrested in the first place,” he said.

He said the protest, which was scheduled to start at 6am on Thursday, was legal “up until the last moment”, but the City of Cape Town sent an e-mail postponing the time allocated for their march to 9am. By then, it was too late.”

Early on Thursday, protesters from Phumlani Village burnt tyres and set alight traffic lights on Strandfontein Road, bringing morning traffic to a standstill. Police responded by firing smoke and stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

Much of the community anger was directed at local ward councillor Shaun August (DA), who they said had refused to meet them to discuss their grievances about electricity, street lighting, housing, water and sanitation.

But August wrote off the protest as “cheap politicking” by “an affiliate of the ANC” and blamed the community for the grievances, saying it was drug pedlars who had broken street lights to deal under the cover of darkness. He also reprimanded community members for illegal electricity connections and for trying to “jump the queue” in the housing programme.

August said the destruction of property, the burning of tyres and the fact that the protest started at 5am made it illegal.

He met Sanco representatives and community leaders afterwards to discuss a way forward.

- Cape Argus

Housing protest in Cape Town

About 200 people took part in a housing delivery protest in Grassy Park, Cape Town, on Thursday morning, police said.

Warrant Officer November Filander said residents gathered on the corner of 5th Avenue and Old Strandfontein Road around 5.30am because they were unhappy about the non-delivery of housing.

They damaged five traffic lights, burned tyres and blockaded the roads.

“Police had to use smoke and stun grenades to disperse the crowd. They arrested about 21 people for public violence,” he said.

The roads were re-opened by 9am.

Small groups of people were still on the scene by lunchtime. – Sapa

Sexwale receives report on corruption in housing projects

Human Settlements Minister, Tokyo Sexwale, says the Special Investigative Unit has handed him a report regarding its investigation into fraud and corruption in housing projects around the country. 

Sexwale says hundreds of department officials and contractors are already being arrested. He says stringent measures have been put in place to monitor the unblocking of reconstructive development programme projects. Sexwale was speaking at Montheding Village in the Polokwane municipality in Limpopo, where he handed over 49 housing units.

 

“In each of the provinces, each MEC in the province must have focus in those blocked projects. We will never unblock a project until there is sufficient proof that there is capacity, there are funds and contractors who are found to be responsible are brought to book. Two days ago, I received a report from the SIU - it is sad to see that how many hundreds of people inside government are being arrested inside government,” says Sexwale.

 

Sexwale says the 49 houses are part of his department’s nation-wide plans. “The 49 houses that we are handing over today are part of close to 200,000 houses that we are building. So every year we deliver that; in each place we will have 8,000 house."

"We are here to hand over these houses, so do not look at the number 49 look at the number 200 000 - that is what I build per annum. When people protest they do that publicly to attract our attention it is important that people should see with their own eyes, it is important that they see what we do,” the Human Settlements minister added.

 

In 2008, the SIU identified 31,259 potentially irregular housing subsidy transactions awarded to government employees. Twenty-nine cases had been finalised with sentences including the payment of the value of the houses delivered. 

The total amount of debt the department expected to recover was R6,827,036 and a cash amount of R1,103,772 had been paid back. 

In 2009, the SIU  identified more than 50,000 government officials who fraudulently received the state’s low-cost houses. Five hundred and fifty four public servants were convicted of the crime out of the seven hundred and seventy two  who had been charged.

- SABC

Rain brings misery to Cape shack dwellers

Thousands of desperate people living in informal settlements have sought help from the City of Cape Town after heavy weekend rains swamped their homes.

By Saturday, disaster risk management teams had provided relief to 1,705 households and 6,730 people.

On Sunday, an additional 593 people in 257 households were hit by torrential rains.

Cold weather is set to persist on Monday with a low of 11°C and a high of 14°. Partly cloudy weather is expected on Tuesday, with clear skies on Wednesday.

Some light showers are predicted for Thursday night into Friday, according to the SA Weather Service.

Wilfred Solomons-Johannes, of the city’s disaster risk management unit, said 480 people were being housed in a community hall in Sir Lowry’s Pass Village.

Assessors were sent to Lwandle in Strand, Masiphumelele in Fish Hoek, Kosovo, Brown’s farm and Siyahlala in Philippi and YA and YB Sections in Khayelitsha.

Disaster risk teams also went to Blikkiesdorp, where about 500 people were illegally occupying units which had been flooded.

“We provided some sand bags for the units where there was standing water,” Solomons-Johannes said.

Once assessment has been done, disaster risk teams provide the necessary sand, plastic sheeting and sandbags, meals and blankets.

In Lwandle, residents of Wag ’n Bietjie Three settlement said on Sunday that they needed concrete, not sand, to keep out the rain.

Along soggy pathways near a marsh, disaster teams had spread out rocks and broken-up concrete to harden the ground, while residents spent the morning sweeping out water puddles that had collected in their shacks since Friday. Many piled their wet clothing in dry sections of their homes.

Resident Bongiwe Zayiya said she had found some wooden pallets to mount her bed on. She had three children and a grandchild and complained that conditions were not good for them.

“All the clothes are wet and the children have to go to school,” said Zayiya.

She said the sand the city provided was not helping because “it just washes away” when it rains.

Sithembiso Wedu, chairperson of the SA National Civics Organisation (Sanco) in Lwandle, said Wag ’n Bietjie Three was “one of the most challenging” parts of the area when it rained.

He said they had called in the city three times this weekend and the assessors had arrived yesterday.

“We want sand, we need (plastic) sails, but if they can get cement, it would be best,” he said.

Zwelethu Klaas trudged through mud in his home with work boots, a pair of Wellingtons, as she showed how water seeped in through the front door.

“There’s really nothing we can do about it,” Klaas said.

- Cape Argus

Building regulator’s chief axed for graft

National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) chief executive Sipho Mashinini has been dismissed after being found guilty on three charges, two of which relate to financial misconduct.

This was confirmed by Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale in a parliamentary reply to a DA question about an investigation into allegations against Mashinini.

DA spokesman on human settlements Stevens Mokgalapa said yesterday that Mashinini had been found guilty on “three charges of corruption and financial misconduct”.

Sexwale’s parliamentary reply did not specify the nature of the third charge of which Mashinini was found guilty.

However, it was reported in July last year that a staff memorandum had said Mashinini had been put on special leave following allegations of corruption against him after a meeting with Sexwale and NHBRC chairman Vukile Mehana.

Mashinini was chief executive at the time the NHBRC offered Vanessa Somiah, who was investigating the organisation for corruption, a job with an annual salary of more than R1 million. The salary was allegedly nearly double her pay as leader of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) tasked with probing allegations of corruption in public housing.

Somiah resigned as an investigator and joined the council without telling the SIU. While in her new job, she testified at a disciplinary hearing against NHBRC employees who had alerted the SIU to the possible corruption. Sexwale removed Somiah from her post in July last year, according to the staff memorandum.

The NHBRC’s governing council appointed Jeffrey Mahachi as acting chief executive.

Attempts to obtain comment from the Department of Human Settlements were unsuccessful.

Sexwale said in the parliamentary reply that the investigation into the allegations against Mashinini had been finalised and that the disciplinary action had been concluded.

“NHBRC council considered the matter and resolved to summarily dismiss the official (Mashinini) on the strength of the charges of which he was found guilty,” Sexwale said.

The DA’s Mokgalapa said Mashinini faced nine charges of alleged misconduct, which among other things involved the contravention of procurement policies by awarding key contracts to inspect low-cost housing without putting the projects out to tender; signing contracts with service providers before concluding service level agreements; paying service providers for inspections that had not been completed; and recruiting the official from the SIU assigned to investigate him to a lucrative position in the NHBRC.

Mokgalapa said some important question relating to Mashinini’s “missteps” remained unanswered.

- Business Report

Heavy rains displace 480

Close to 500 people were displaced by the heavy rains on Saturday, according to the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk Management Centre.

Spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said 480 people from Strand and surrounding informal settlements such as Uitkyk, Rasta Camp, Pinetown, Rooidakkies and Kanaal were being housed in a community hall. On Friday, the SA Weather Service warned of cold conditions, rain, galeforce winds and high seas for most of the weekend, prompting disaster management to put rescuers on high alert.

But, while the weather service has predicted a 30 percent chance of rain for today and a maximum temperature of 13ºC, wind speeds are expected to slow to 10km/h.

Solomons-Johannes said on Saturday that disaster teams had been deployed to 12 areas in the Western Cape, including Strand, Khayelitsha, Delft and Brown’s Farm. Officials would remain on high alert. He urged motorists to drive slowly and cautiously in the rain, and to be extra careful when driving through large puddles.

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said a vehicle had driven off Sir Lowry’s Pass. “There were no injuries. It’s likely the driver lost control because of wet conditions.”

- Weekend Argus

DEA breaks ground on R8bn ‘green’ head office

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on Thursday broke ground on its new R8-billion head office in Pretoria, which will be South Africa’s first government-owned green building.

The building, which was designed to meet the green output specifications outlined in the Climate Change policy, would be energy and resource efficient, as well as environmentally responsible.

The building incorporated design, construction and operational practices that would significantly reduce or eliminate any negative impact on the environment and the buildings occupants, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said.

“When we occupy this building in two years, we will literary be walking the green talk,” Molewa said at the sod turning of the National Treasury-funded project, in Arcadia.

The R8-billion project included the design and construction of the building over the next two years, as well as facility management services and complementary support for the next 23 years.

The 34 143 m2 building would be set on 3.1309 ha and would accommodate 1 305 employees. It would also hold over 1 100 parking bays.

The facilities of a “resource” centre would include, besides others, training venues, a conference centre and catering facilities for prominent international events.

Overall energy consumption, 10% of which would be sourced from solar power, would equate to 115 kWh/m2 a year. It was expected that the building would result in a 30% drop in the use of municipal water, owing to the harvesting of rainwater.

Other features included sensor-monitored lighting, compact fluorescent lights, internal climate control, environment-friendly building materials, some of which would be locally made, and ergonomic and worker-friendly spaces.

The green building was designed to maximise natural light resources and enable efficient staff movement.

Further, the building’s strategic position allows for easy mass transport, commuting and cycling.

The DEA was aiming for five-star Green Star South Africa ratings for the building, but believed it would, at the very minimum, achieve four-star design and as-built ratings.

The construction, which was undertaken by a public-private partnership between the DEA and the Imvelo concession company, would be complete by June 1, 2014.

Imvelo partnered with construction group Aveng Grinaker LTA and construction company Keren Kula. The consortium also comprised broad-based black economic-empowerment partners Wiphold and Kagiso Tiso.

The consortium appointed Dijalo property management and Old Mutual Property Investments Group to manage the 23-year services contract.

The facilities management would include building, landscape and facility maintenance; facility cleaning; energy and utilities; as well as supply and waste management; furniture management; parking, pottering and churn management; pest control; internal plants; telephone equipment; fire and emergency services; and management of a help desk facility.

- engineeringnews

DEA breaks ground on R8bn ‘green’ head office

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on Thursday broke ground on its new R8-billion head office in Pretoria, which will be South Africa’s first government-owned green building.

The building, which was designed to meet the green output specifications outlined in the Climate Change policy, would be energy and resource efficient, as well as environmentally responsible.

The building incorporated design, construction and operational practices that would significantly reduce or eliminate any negative impact on the environment and the buildings occupants, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said.

“When we occupy this building in two years, we will literary be walking the green talk,” Molewa said at the sod turning of the National Treasury-funded project, in Arcadia.

The R8-billion project included the design and construction of the building over the next two years, as well as facility management services and complementary support for the next 23 years.

The 34 143 m2 building would be set on 3.1309 ha and would accommodate 1 305 employees. It would also hold over 1 100 parking bays.

The facilities of a “resource” centre would include, besides others, training venues, a conference centre and catering facilities for prominent international events.

Overall energy consumption, 10% of which would be sourced from solar power, would equate to 115 kWh/m2 a year. It was expected that the building would result in a 30% drop in the use of municipal water, owing to the harvesting of rainwater.

Other features included sensor-monitored lighting, compact fluorescent lights, internal climate control, environment-friendly building materials, some of which would be locally made, and ergonomic and worker-friendly spaces.

The green building was designed to maximise natural light resources and enable efficient staff movement.

Further, the building’s strategic position allows for easy mass transport, commuting and cycling.

The DEA was aiming for five-star Green Star South Africa ratings for the building, but believed it would, at the very minimum, achieve four-star design and as-built ratings.

The construction, which was undertaken by a public-private partnership between the DEA and the Imvelo concession company, would be complete by June 1, 2014.

Imvelo partnered with construction group Aveng Grinaker LTA and construction company Keren Kula. The consortium also comprised broad-based black economic-empowerment partners Wiphold and Kagiso Tiso.

The consortium appointed Dijalo property management and Old Mutual Property Investments Group to manage the 23-year services contract.

The facilities management would include building, landscape and facility maintenance; facility cleaning; energy and utilities; as well as supply and waste management; furniture management; parking, pottering and churn management; pest control; internal plants; telephone equipment; fire and emergency services; and management of a help desk facility.

- engineering news

Cape Town looks to R2bn loan

The City of Cape Town wants to raise a R2 billion loan from a French development bank to finance a range of its capital projects, it was reported on Wednesday.

The Cape Times reported the loan, funded by L'Agence Française de Développement, could be taken on condition that it be repaid over 15 years and have an interest rate fixed at nine percent.

Deputy mayor Ian Neilson said the loan would be used over the next two financial years for a range of capital projects such as water services, roads, refuse collection, and sewerage.

The mayoral committee agreed on Tuesday to recommend to the city council that the loan be taken up. - Sapa

Cape Town target: 4 000 homes in a year

The City of Cape Town hopes to build 4,000 homes for Cape Town families over the next year.

There are more than 300,000 families on the city’s waiting list – some of them have been on the list for more than 30 years.

And another 10 housing projects are set to start this year, which will eventually provide housing for more than 6,000 families.

Ernest Sonnenberg, the city’s mayoral committee member for human settlements, outlined some of the biggest projects.

Sonnenberg visited one of the sites, Rondevlei, near Lavender Hill, this month. Construction is set to start soon and will provide two-bedroom homes for 145 families.

The families were living in the Cuba Heights informal settlement on the same site. One of the beneficiaries applied for a home in 1979.

In this project residents had a hand in appointing the contractor and in the design of the homes.

It is being funded by the city and the provincial Department of Human Settlements.

It’s also unique in that 40 of the beneficiaries will be employed to help with the construction.

Sonnenberg said other areas where houses will be completed this year include Philippi East, Scottsdene and Atlantis, and Happy Valley near Blackheath.

In Philippi East 405 houses will be completed this year. In Happy Valley 350 homes will be built.

Apart from the actual homes, Sonnenberg explained that 6,000 sites would also start receiving basic services.

This referred to “site and service” and not the actual top structures.

The rental upgrades will also continue. And this year, just more than 900 units will be renovated at the hostel in Langa.

Upgrades to 145 homes in Hangberg will also begin this year, while upgrades to about 7,000 council-owned properties are targeted for this year.

At the beginning of 2010 the city’s Human Settlements Department started the Community Residential Unit programme, a national government initiative.

The city intends to spend more than R1 billion over the next few years to repair council-owned homes. There are about 40,000.

Other housing projects that will begin this year:

* In Delft, a housing project building more than 2,000 homes will start in the next two weeks.

* More than 100 homes will be built on Edward Street in Grassy Park.

* A project in Heideveld will eventually deliver more than 700 homes.

- Cape Argus

Cape Town to assist Sir Lowry’s residents

Residents of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village have been told that the City of Cape Town will service their land and temporarily relocate 52 structures to higher ground.

At a public meeting on Sunday, Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille assured residents that the city had secured the land, on which the Rasta Camp settlement was built, from the provincial government.

De Lille, city councillors, Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and ANC caucus leader in council Tony Ehrenreich attended the meeting to address progress made since the last community meeting in May.

Ehrenreich saluted the community for raising the issues in the matter, saying they had “won a victory”.

Ehrenreich was cheered as he said: “What you deserve is the same as what everyone in the country wants… What you heard here (today) are not presents – they are your rights, they are your victories!”

He praised the community for taking a stand and told them they had made significant progress, but reminded them to continue to unite until all community members were served.

Ehrenreich said although they had got responses from the government, they should continue to be vigilant.

“And if there is no progress, then we must close the N2,” he said to applause.

The city has been engaging with residents since a service protest in the area turned violent in May.

During the protest, residents blockaded the main road, hurled petrol bombs at a satellite police station and damaged a police van. Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Residents were protesting over poor sanitation and a lack of housing and other services.

De Lille requested the co-operation of residents living in 52 structures, built on a flood plain, to be moved to higher ground.

There are 220 structures in the Rasta Camp.

The 52 structures would be “temporarily relocated”, De Lille said, in order to provide space for engineers to service the land.

She said the city would assist with logistics in moving the structures during the temporary relocation by providing trucks, manual labour and starter packs.

But some residents objected, saying they were not “by the means” or financially able to move and get new materials to do so.

De Lille suggested that they do individual assessments of each household and proposed a meeting with the families of the 52 structures on Thursday.

The city plans to introduce “enough taps” and chemical toilets for everyone.

“When we prepare the land, it will be prepared for the 220 families, but we only need to move the 52 families.”

People complained that the government had made promises in the past and had not delivered on them. They questioned why the city was only focused on Rasta Camp and raised concerns about drugs and a lack of recreational facilities in the village.

Other concerns included having a school built in the village. Zille said there were 550 pupils, 450 Afrikaans-speaking and 100 English-speaking, which were insufficient numbers to justify building a school in the village.

- Cape Argus

Shack fire leaves hundreds homeless

Hundreds have been left homeless after a fire burnt down at least 50 shacks in the Mandela informal settlement in Hout Bay, disaster management said on Sunday.

"The fire occured just after 1 am. Fire crews are assessing the situation. The number of shacks burnt down could be more or less," said City of Cape Town disaster management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

It was feared that an unidentified person could have died in the fire, said Solomons-Johannes.

"Police are on the scene to investigate, an inquest docket has been opened. The cause of the fire has not been established yet." Food parcels, blankets, clothing and building material were being provided to those affected.

- SAPA

Water danger for people with HIV

Scores of South Africans with HIV in informal settlements and rural areas lack clean, safe water and this is putting them at risk of contracting potentially lethal waterborne diseases, according to a new report.

“They are particularly vulnerable to opportunistic waterborne pathogens. Exposure to these should therefore be prevented at all costs,” cautioned the Water Research Commission study. “Additionally, the absence of a safe drinking water supply has particular implications for HIV-infected breastfeeding mothers unable to ensure safe infant-feeding through the alternative of formula feeding.”

The report, “How Does the HIV and Aids Epidemic in South Africa Impact on the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Sectors?”, said that drinking water of good microbial quality was essential for the health of people living with HIV and Aids, particularly in rural and informal settlements.

The report noted the irony “in providing people living with HIV and Aids with advanced antiretroviral agents while they are forced to wash them down with water that may contain life-threatening pathogens”.

Caregivers, it said, should be provided with a safe water supply to promote antiretroviral treatment. “Not only is diarrhoea one of the many side effects of these drugs, but people on antiretroviral drugs require greater amounts of water for drinking.

“Diarrhoea is a common symptom of HIV and Aids. Diarrhoea affects 90 percent of HIV and Aids-infected people and results in significant morbidity, mortality, limited uptake of medicines and malnutrition. Morbidity from diarrhoea in HIV and Aids child patients is much higher than in adults.

“People infected with the disease also have to deal with waterborne pathogens that are known to cause eye and skin infections. “Diarrhoeal disease in these patients will compromise the absorption of the drugs and can even contribute to antiretroviral resistant strains of the HIV virus.

“HIV and Aids are changing the structure of African societies, hampering development progress and worsening poverty levels. Social factors such as gender inequality, human rights violations, stigma and discrimination are social drivers of the disease.”

But the report found that beyond water quality, inadequate quantities of safe water were a recurrent issue, highlighting the “inadequacy” of the free basic water policy for people with HIV and Aids “This policy provides 6 000 litres of potable water supplied per formal connection per month per household in the case of yard or house connections. Current estimates of water requirements are highly variable (from 50 to 200 litres and more daily per person) but there are no tangible data to confirm this.”

Often the water supply system was not working. “Water interruptions are common in many of the smaller municipal areas and in townships. People have to store water or resort to using surface water if available, buy water, get water from sources far away from their home yards. Each of these scenarios poses some potential impact for their health.

“Storing water leads to in-house contamination and using surface water exposes people to waterborne pathogens,” said the report. -Saturday Star

Hundreds displaced as heavy rain hits Cape peninsula

Heavy rainfall in the Cape Peninsula displaced 560 people on Friday, the City of Cape Town's Disaster Risk Management Centre said.

Spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said Sir Lowry's Pass village, Red Hill informal settlement and Masiphumelele, in Fish Hoek, were the worst affected areas.

Four hundred people were displaced at River Park, Rasta Camp and Uitkyk informal settlements in Sir Lowry's Pass village. They were accommodated at the Sir Lowry's Pass community hall.

At Red Hill, the city's disaster response teams supplied 80 people with hot food and blankets.

In Masiphumelele, 30 structures were "waterlogged" and blankets and food were supplied to residents.

Solomons-Johannes said that the SA Weather Service (Saws) told disaster management authorities that conditions were likely to become "extreme" in parts of the western, northern and eastern Cape, the southern Free State and KwaZulu-Natal until Sunday.

On Thursday night, snow fell over the mountains in south-western parts of the Western Cape.

"The Saws indicates that snowfall will be widespread and can be expected in areas where it has not snowed in a long time or has not snowed at all," he said.

Residents of the north-eastern parts of the Western Cape, southern parts of the Northern Cape, northern parts of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho were warned to expect heavy snowfalls on Saturday.

A south-easterly swell was predicted along the Cape south coast, with seas reaching about six metres.

- Timeslive

State to fund RDP housing

The national government will give some municipalities money for RDP houses, the human settlements department said on Friday.

This would cut the red-tape they currently had to go through to get housing funds from the provincial government, said department spokesman Xolani Xundu.

Accreditation and the assignment of the housing delivery function to capable municipalities were among the issues discussed at a meeting co-chaired by Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Richard Baloyi on Friday.

The meeting was attended by all MECs responsible for human settlements and local government, and all members of mayoral committees responsible for housing.

Xundu said the decision would affect about 16 municipalities, and that there would be ongoing support for other municipalities to also get national government accreditation.

Municipalities would be deemed to be capable based on their budget, financial status, track record, ability to spend and housing planning, he said.

“The meeting agreed on a time-frame that will see certain municipalities receiving accreditation before the 2014 deadline as stipulated in the Service Delivery Agreement the two Ministers (Tokyo Sexwale and Richard Baloyi) signed with President Jacob Zuma,” said Xundu.

The process would result in billions of rand flowing to municipalities, and would speed up the delivery of services, he said. - Sapa

State environmental body to be shut

The dissolution of the state's environment body Indalo Yethu Trust is on the cards, the environmental affairs department said on Thursday.

"After careful consideration, the department of environmental affairs has decided to enter into negotiations with the Indalo Yethu Trust to discuss its dissolution," the department said in a statement.

This followed a review of the organisation's viability.

Indalo Yethu was established in 2006 by government and the Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (Wessa) to develop and implement a national environmental awareness campaign.

It was to serve as an endorsement brand, conduct a communication and outreach campaign, and generate the income needed to enable its running.

But a review found that the cost of compliance with statutory requirements and its operational expenses could not be supported from the funds allocated to it.

Indalo Yethu was expected to generate sufficient income to fund its operations within two years of its founding.

"As it was never the intention of the department to fund the operations of Indalo Yethu in perpetuity; it was decided to discuss the possible dissolution of the trust with its trustees."

The department would formally withdraw its funding from the trust, following Wessa's withdrawal, even if the trustees did not agree to the move.

"The department believes that the dissolution of the trust should not hamper the objectives for which the trust was set up. Similar work is already being done by the department and its partners and these might be expanded on in the future."

- timeslive

Land grabbers face eviction

Human Settlements officials on Thursday said arrangements were being made to evict people who invaded structures earmarked to temporarily house those waiting for state homes.

People apparently moved into the units in Delft on Wednesday night.

But authorities said the units were earmarked for beneficiaries who are currently being moved into communities, while their state-funded homes are being constructed.

Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela said he would remove the land-grabbers within 24 hours.

“We’re now in the process of removing those people.” - iafrica

ANC lashed over cadres

Researchers at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) have warned the government to start listening to advice to improve services to poor South Africans.

They have lamented the state of the public service in the country, saying it was marked by incompetence and in need of urgent intervention.

The researchers, in a scathing paper presented on Thursday, also called on the government to invest in recruitment, training and retention of skilled and talented public servants who were appointed on merit and subjected to a strict code of conduct.

The researchers also criticised government departments for lacking the basic capacity to investigate charges of corruption and bribery, while officials who were found guilty generally received very lenient punishments, such as written warnings, without the matters being reported to police.

Professor Modimowabarwa Kanyane, an acting director at the HSRC’s democracy, governance and service delivery programme, called for a single public service to be able to produce more effective provision of services.

“One of the serious challenges facing the public service and municipalities is how to deal with the ANC’s policy of cadre deployment, and the consequences of this policy,” he said.

“One conclusion that seems to be common is that the ANC’s deployment strategy systematically places loyalty ahead of merit and even competence.

“Politically connected and, in many cases, incompetent people are deployed to positions, leading to demoralisation in the public service,” said Kanyane.

He said the lack of skilled professionals in the public service was also contributing to the government’s failure to provide even the most basic of services, such as water.

The public service was also struggling to attract and retain the most talented people, with skilled managers constituting only a small fraction of the public service at 0.4 percent, and the majority serving at national departments.

Another researcher, Gregory Houston, said numerous reports by the auditor-general had pointed to poor governance by many government departments and municipalities.

“Poor governance has resulted in prevalent underspending… in a situation of substantial service delivery and infrastructure backlogs,” said Houston.

Although all government failures to deliver services could not be attributed to corruption, it was disappointing that there was no feedback from most departments on corruption cases reported, he said.

- The Star

Number of Cape flood victims rises

Cape Town - The number of Capetonians affected by the floods at the weekend has risen to 32 691, the City said on Wednesday.

Spokeswoman Priya Reddy said the latest figure was recorded after acting mayor alderman Ian Neilson's visit to some of the affected areas.

These included the Masicendane informal settlement in Strandfontein and the Masiphumelele informal settlement in Fish Hoek.

Reddy said the city had worked with the provincial government and the SA Social Services Association to provide social relief amounting to over R1,4 million.

The money was spent on blankets, meals, flood kits, food parcels and baby packs.

Disaster risk management officials said some affected residents were still staying in their shacks, refusing to be moved to temporary centres.

“They don't want to move. They (are) saying they are afraid to lose their plots, but we will continue to talk to them,” said City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

He said winter weather conditions always brought discomfort to residents. “This is not something new.”

On Sunday, the city said it had attended to 348 calls where roads, property and informal areas needed attention.

The SA Weather Services predicted showers on Thursday afternoon, with “localised floods” on Friday. - Sapa

Residents reel after heavy rains

The stench from flooded toilets, residents in rubber boots scooping water out of their homes, muddied roads: this is what life will be like for the next few weeks for people living in an informal settlement in Gugulethu.

Residents of Europe have suffered the full brunt of the heavy deluge which began last week.

Community leader Nombulelo Mgogo said this is what they go through every time it rains. “After the flooding, we get blankets and bread and then it ends there. But for us, that is when the real work begins.”

Resident Yandisa Kwale, 23, has a large pool of water in front of his shack and every time he opens the door his one-roomed shack floods.

His shoes are lying in the water inside the shack. He estimates it will take a week for the water to subside, assuming it does not rain again.

Another resident, Sandile Vice, 45, said he had missed work on Monday in order to clean his home after the floods. His carpet and belongings are hanging up to dry outside his shack as he cleans the muddied floor.

“Every time it rains we have to do the same thing. On Friday this whole place was full of water, it is only getting better now but it will take time for the walls to dry because the cardboard sucks up some of the water,” Vice said.

Neighbours said some residents moved to a different area during the rainy season to escape the flooding.

SA Weather Service forecaster Rian Smit said there would be some showers on Tuesday and that more rain was expected on Wednesday. - Cape Argus

Cape flood victims still need help

The City of Cape Town has spent nearly R1-million helping victims of the recent floods on the Cape Peninsula, it said on Monday.

The money was spent on blankets, meals, flood kits, food parcels and baby packs, said Disaster Risk Management Centre spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes.

The city had helped 19 641 people from 6 102 households since June 26, he said.

Solomons-Johannes said disaster response teams were continuing their mopping-up operations, but that weather forecasters were predicting rain for the whole week.

“The disaster response teams have been ordered to be on an enhanced level of standby, and to brace themselves for a very busy week,” he said.

“The continuous rain has the potential to cause or threaten to cause nearby ponds and rivers to overflow; and could potentially result in discomfort for people living in low-lying areas.”

On Sunday, the city said it had attended to 348 calls where roads, property and informal areas needed attention. - Sapa

Blikkiesdorp anger at residents who sell or rent out housing

Blikkiesdorp community leaders say residents have been illegally selling or letting structures which have been allocated to them as temporary homes.

The City of Cape Town has confirmed that it was aware of the practice, but added that it was difficult to monitor or control.

Community leader Beverley Jacobs said residents found alterative accommodation, sometimes in relatives' backyards, then collected rent of at least R300 a month from their tenants - mainly foreigners.

Structures have also been sold for up to R3 000, she added.

"People are here because they cannot afford homes, yet some are taking advantage to make money. It is sad to see when you consider how many people are out there without homes."

Jacobs said tenants and "new owners" often sneaked into Blikkiesdorp at night.

"We only notice these new arrivals the next morning when we see a new family living there," she said, adding that there were similar cases in surrounding temporary relocation areas.

Jacobs said con artists had also been preying on people, demanding advance rent in exchange for fictitious accommodation, and then disappearing with the cash.

One foreigner said a man offered her accommodation for R300 a month and asked for three months' rent in advance.

"He told me to go to an address in Blikkiesdorp but when I got there another family was living inside. They knew nothing about the man or any deal. I tried to call him again but the number was no longer in use. I had to borrow that money from friends and now it's gone."

She had moved in with her sister and four children because she had nowhere else to go.

Jacobs said the number of cases had increased and that dozens of residents had been complaining to her over the past few weeks.

She had raised the issue with the city numerous times but there was little or no action. Now residents had taken matters into their own hands.

Several foreigners had been assaulted after the community come to the conclusion their occupation was illegal.

"I understand that it is difficult to monitor but the main problem is that there are simply no regular checks. If people are reported they can quickly return when officials come knocking. This has made the community frustrated."

Hanif Loonat, chairman of the Western Cape Community Police Forum, said gangsters also used Blikkiesdorp as a place to hide. The area served as a perfect refuge for criminals, he said.

Ernest Sonnenberg, mayoral committee member for human settlements, was unable to say how many structures had been sold or let.

"This happens from time to time but is very difficult to monitor. In most cases the local residents will report such activities, and in some cases matters of this nature will be reported to our office when deals between the original occupant and lessee go sour."

Foreigners were not allowed to move into Blikkiesdorp, unless they were married to a South African. Only 40 foreign families had been allowed to move into the area after xenophobic attacks in surrounding areas in 2010.

Sonnenberg said the city would do more than random and regular checks in an attempt to prevent the illegal selling and letting of structures.

"We are also currently embarking on a full-scale survey to validate and update our current database."

- Weekend Argus (Saturday Star)

Roads, houses flooded… and there’s more on the way

Heavy rains in Cape Town on Sunday flooded roads and houses and caused the Liesbeek River to burst its banks, and there were “extreme weather” warnings of bitter cold over much of the country.

The M3 was flooded where the road dips near UCT, and traffic was backed up as motorists slowed down to plough through the muddy waters.

Many shacks on the Cape Flats were flooded and the city council and charity organisations provided hot meals, blankets and plastic sheeting to about 350 families.

The SA Weather Service said on Sunday’s cold front had been particularly strong, adding that the cold, wet weather was here to stay for the next few days....

...Charlotte Powell from the city’s disaster management said parts of the BM section of Khayelitsha had been flooded on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning.

She said the Mustadifin Foundation, Red Cross and Salvation Army had provided hot meals and blankets to the 350 families living in shacks.

In Khayelitsha many residents said flood waters were seeping through the floors because the houses did not have proper foundations.

Nosipho Ngqunge had to put her bed on bricks to keep the blankets off the flooded floor.

In Happy Valley, Blackheath, Anita Andrews, eight month’s pregnant, was lying on a wet mattress while her boyfriend made a fire inside their shack to ward off the cold and dry their belongings.

“I am tired of lying on the ground. Why don’t they (the council) fix our houses?

“They bring us plastic, how will that help? The water is still going to suck us in,” she said.

The weather office said snowfalls were likely on higher mountain peaks on Sunday. Because of the thick cloud, it was not possible to see whether it had snowed.

- Cape Times

Cape Town manager responds to protest

The expanded public works programme (EPWP) is not meant to be a permanent employment solution, the City of Cape Town said on Friday.

“The primary objective of the programme is to provide temporary relief over any period of time,” acting city manager Mike Marsden said.

“EPWP is not a permanent solution to our unemployment problems, but it is critical to the fight against poverty and unemployment.”

About 300 SA Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) and Housing Alliance members marched to the Cape Town civic centre on Thursday afternoon to demand equal rights for temporary workers.

They sang and danced outside the civic centre on Hertzog Boulevard, as a line of policemen dressed in protest gear kept watch.

Samwu Cape Metro regional secretary Mario Jacobs accused the city of misleading workers into believing that 11,000 EPWP jobs opportunities would translate into permanent positions.

“All you have done is to recycle job opportunities from one poor, unemployed person to another with no prospect of that leading to quality, permanent employment,” he said.

The union said it was unacceptable that a permanent council worker was paid about R240 a day, whereas an EPWP worker got R60.

Marsden said the conditions of the contracts were explained to workers at the beginning of the project.

“At no stage of an EPWP project is the expectation created that these work opportunities will become permanent.

“We cannot limit these opportunities to the same group of people. Workers are fairly recruited through a jobseekers' database on a random basis.”

The city said it had created over 34,000 temporary jobs in the past financial year. It was paying a minimum of R80 a day for these jobs, more than the R63.18 a day recommended by government.

The union has given the city a week to negotiate the terms of employment for these contracts.

It has asked for greater job security, health and safety protection, longer periods of employment, and access to training, among other things.

Housing Assembly chairman Mhlobo Gunguluzi demanded quality public housing without prepaid water and electricity systems.

He wanted the city to scrap arrears and evictions. – Sapa

Residents close Cape Town road with toilet waste

ENRAGED France informal settlement residents barricaded Lansdowne Road, which runs from Cape Town's southern suburbs through to Khayelitsha and Gugulethu, with a rubbish container and discarded buckets of toilet waste in protest against the lack of decent housing.

The incident prompted city employees to close the road and remove the mess. When Sowetan arrived in the morning the mess had already been cleaned up.

"We want houses, nothing else. We've been staying here since 1998 and there's no development. When we call our councillor to the general meetings he doesn't come. What we must do," asked a resident, who gave his name as Dlamini.

He described the protest as minor: "It's just the beginning. Maybe in the next protest we will discard (bucket toilet waste) into the councillor's house," he said.

Dlamini said local ANC councillor Monde Nqulwana was "disrespectful": "He doesn't care about us."

When Sowetan asked Dlamini about the health risk, he said any struggle has its consequences.

Other residents called for the arrest of protesters, saying their actions were a deadly threat to health.

- Sowetan

‘Convert stadium to low-cost housing’

Cape Town Stadium should be converted into low-cost houses, the Western Cape Congress of SA Trade Unions said on Monday.

“Cosatu has had discussions with engineers and architects who feel that it is possible to turn the stadium into low-cost housing for people in Cape Town,” provincial leader Tony Ehrenreich said.

“This represents an important opportunity to integrate black and white communities, which we should not miss out on.”

The city recently announced it was considering various options to make the R4.5 billion structure in Green Point sustainable.

Maintenance amounted to about R44m a year, with very few hiring activities taking place due to the cost of using the venue.

One proposal was to convert it into a commercial hub, but this had been met with resistance from residents, who did not want added noise and activity.

Ehrenreich said if public funds were being spent on the stadium, it should benefit the most vulnerable citizens.

“The community of Green Point, who does not want further commercial activities in the stadium, should support the plans to promote the building of affordable housing.” - Sapa

Khayelitsha fire leaves 60 homeless

A fire left 60 people without homes in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, the city says.

Disaster risk spokesman Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said the fire on Sunday evening gutted 15 shacks in Phakami Road.

The city was providing food, clothing, blankets and building material to those affected.

The cause of the fire was unknown. - SAPA

R1.4m tender ‘kickback’ probed

Nearly three months after The Sunday Independent revealed that Human Settlements director-general Thabane Zulu allegedly received a mysterious R1.4 million connected to a controversial tender, three government agencies are still “waiting for documentation”. And he is still at work.

While the Hawks, the public protector and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have confirmed that they are investigating, the probes seem to be at an initial stage.

The Sunday Independent reported in April that the money was deposited soon before Zulu took part in the awarding of a R10 billion contract.

Hawks spokesman McIntosh Polela confirmed that they were probing the matter after a complaint from the DA. “The complaint was referred to us last month. We are gathering necessary information for our investigation.”

SIU spokesman Boy Ndala said: “We have requested and are awaiting relevant documents to assess if we are able to motivate for a proclamation to investigate or refer the matter to another agency.”

Public protector spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi said the investigation was still at an initial stage.

“Documents are still being requested from the parties who can assist with the investigation.”

Human Settlements Minister Tokyo Sexwale said Zulu had personally referred the matter to the SIU and the public protector, with his backing. He added that after receiving reports from these institutions, he would then apply his mind and take a final decision, “as it would be inappropriate to act before receiving such reports”.

Zulu previously denied any wrongdoing, but he could not be reached for comment this week.

It is alleged that Zulu received the money from a black economic empowerment company that stood to benefit from the R10bn social grants distribution tender soon before his adjudication committee awarded the contract to Cash Paymaster Services (CPS).

CPS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Net1 UEPS Technologies.

According to documents in our possession, an intermediary deposited R2m into the business account of African Access Information and Communication Technology on behalf of the BEE company. A few days later, African Access transferred R1.4m into Zulu’s account.

Zulu is a former director of African Access.

Zulu and his lawyer, Naren Sangham, had denied ever receiving the money, but subsequently admitted receiving it.

- Sunday Independent