De Lille builds inclusive city

The Transport and Urban Development Authority in the City of Cape Town will spend more than R2 billion on new housing over the next three financial years, with over R500 million budgeted for 2018-19, mayor Patricia de Lille said yesterday.

De Lille said the 2018-19 budget was allocated to 36 housing developments which were either in the planning phase, already under way, or in the process of being finalised.

“In Area South, we have upcoming housing projects in Grassy Park, Dido Valley, Brown’s Farm, Strandfontein, Vrygrond, Retreat, Ottery, Pelican Park, and Philippi, among others,” she said.

“For Area North, the budget has been allocated for housing projects in Atlantis, Fisantekraal, Scottsdene, Hangberg, Durbanville, Salt River and Langa.”

She said under her leadership, Cape Town had committed to undoing the wrongs of discriminatory apartheid rule, including ensuring that “residents who were previously denied property ownership can reclaim that right”.

De Lille said the city had ramped up the handover of title deeds and had issued over 16 000 to beneficiaries since 2011.

“In Area South, we handed out over 789 historical title deeds in the 2017-18 financial year while we issued 730 deeds in Area North for the same period,” she said.

“We have also made good progress in connecting more residents to the electricity grid.

“For the current financial year, we have set aside R113 million to ensure that more families across the city have access to electricity.”

She added that in the current budget, the city had several exciting projects to be delivered, which included R720 million for the Table Mountain Group aquifer project, R75 million for the Cape Flats wastewater treatment works refurbishment, and R33 million for the incremental development area and upgrade of informal settlement project in Sweet Homes, Philippi, among other projects.

“I am working until my last day in office to build a more inclusive Cape Town that provides opportunities to all residents, that we redress imbalances of our past...,” said De Lille who steps down at the end of this month. – ANA