Cape Town routinely features on lists of the world’s most beautiful cities and is ranked among the top tourist destinations across the globe. We are recognised as providing the best services in the country to both our residents and visitors, so we have good reason to be proud of what we have to offer and good reason to take pride in our surroundings.
After meeting with many of you, our residents, in recent months, and hearing your calls that we need to keep a lid on the grime, I’ve allocated an extra R115 million to ramp up our cleaning operations. But we can’t do it without you.
While growth and development are indicators of success, they come with a greater need to keep a hand on the health and physical appearance of our shared spaces. We want the street you live in and the park your children play in to be clean and safe.
In the tabling of the adjustment budget in January, an additional R115 million was allocated towards cleaning up our communities:
- R56 million will go towards additional cleaning of informal settlements
- R14 million is allocated for the recruitment of Expanded Public Works Programme workers who will assist with community clean-ups
- R20 million is allocated to the Area Cleaning Division in our Solid Waste Management Directorate, specifically for services in our poorer areas
- an additional R25 million is earmarked for the Recreation and Parks Department which will go towards grass cutting and maintenance across all wards
The city’s Solid Waste Management Department works hard to ensure that high levels of cleanliness are maintained. Our staff removes residents’ refuse and EPWP workers keep our streets clean. However, it is also the responsibility of residents to throw their refuse in bins and not illegally dump waste on the side of the road or in open spaces. We want this clean-up to be a team effort and something which creates pride within communities and we encourage everyone to look after the neighbourhood that they live in.
We have Blue Flag status beaches with soft sand and crystal-clear water for everyone to swim in and enjoy. We have some of the greenest urban parks for families to relax in, have a picnic or jog through and use our outdoor gym equipment to get some exercise.
We also have a wide variety of sites and attractions to visit including art galleries, museums, theatres, outdoor cinemas, concert venues and thousands of shops, restaurants and cafes. We want to make sure that all the above, including your local neighbourhood, stays safe and sparkling clean because we know that unchecked grime can lead to crime.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be visiting a number of communities to make sure we are spending our budget effectively and efficiently and I’ll be picking up litter, sweeping our streets, and making sure the illegal dumpers are caught and fined. If you see illegal dumping, please report it immediately to 021 480 7700.
Our motto ‘making progress possible together’ is one we live by, and one that we want our residents to embrace too. Let’s work together to keep Cape Town clean!