Tag Archive for: City of Cape Town

Andrew Stegmann
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Cape Town Dam Levels at Historic 100.8%

The Mother City has come a long way since Day Zero. The dams supplying Cape Town with water are at an historic 100.8%, and are full for the first time since 2014.

The latest dam level reading shows that levels increased by 1.3% to 100.8% in the last week. The fullest dams are Theewaterskloof at 101.7%, Steenbras Lower at 101% and Berg River at 100.7%. The remaining major dams are just under 100%.

This time last year, dams were 81.4% full, in 2018 they were 75.9% full and in 2017, an astounding 37.7% full. Theewaterskloof, the Western Cape’s largest source of water, is currently overflowing. Three years ago the very same dam was at 12.9% full, and Cape Town was days away from being the first city in the world to run out of potable water.

On October 2, the City announced that the dams have reached 100% capacity, thanks to an intensive whole-of-society effort to protect our available water supply before, during and after the shock of Day Zero.

“It is clear that as a society we have completely changed our relationship with water,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limberg. “The City’s water saving achievements have been internationally lauded, with the International Water Association naming Cape Town the world’s number 1 water saving city for reducing demand by 55% between 2015 and 2018 without resorting to intermittent supply.”

However, Limberg warns that this exciting milestone does not indicate permanent water security. “Full dams may give the impression that our troubles are over, but rainfall this year was only just above average. Low consumption has also contributed to the recovery of the dams. Although there is some room to relax, we need to remain vigilant that water consumption remains at a water wise level and proceed diligently with additional water sources including groundwater, reuse and desalination as outlined in the City’s Water Strategy,” she said.

She warns that another drought could strike, and last much longer than the one The Mother City battled over the last few years. “Climate change studies undertaken by the City indicate that droughts such as the one we have just experienced will occur more often and last longer.”

On the question of easing water tariffs, Limberg adds that appropriate tariffs and restrictions for the 2020/21 hydrological year (which runs from November 1 to October 31) are currently taking place. “Tariffs are currently on the second lowest level possible in terms of the City’s 2020/21 Budget, and have come down significantly since the peak of the drought. The no restriction, water-wise tariff which is under consideration will provide some relief, but with due cognisance of the importance that sufficient funding is available to continue increasing our resilience. “Also being taken into consideration is the projected increase of the proportion of residents needing indigent support, in part due to the deteriorated national economic climate.”

Read the dam report here: Dam Levels October 5

 

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Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Western Cape Remains the South African Province Most Affected by COVID-19

The Western Cape remains the country’s worst affected province, with over 20 000 cases making it by far the province in most urgent need of monitoring, especially as the country collectively moves into Alert Level 3 Lockdown measures (the transition for which began on 1 June).

Heath Minister Zweli Mkhize arrived in Cape Town on Monday 1 June along with the new Director General (DG) of the Department of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, to discuss the ailing province’s success in stemming its rapidly increasing COVID-19 infection rate. 

Buthelezi was appointed DG on, and enters the political arena at a time when his department is under constant pressure to keep tabs on the successes of intervention strategies across the country.

CTICC Field Hospital Up and Running

Mkihize and his new colleague linked up with Premier Alan Winde and provincial health officials to discuss the province’s response to their hotspot areas, with the majority of the country’s hotspots found in the Western Cape. 

The Health department duo were led on a tour of the newly established field hospital at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) where Mkhize said 862 beds are ready to be utilised when necessary.

The field hospital will be able to accommodate those with mild cases of COVID-19 but who may require hospitalisation, and is one of five such facilities erected in the province in the last month. 

The Thusong Centre in Khayelitsha is another such site, and is situated in one of the province’s worst hit hotspots, where social distancing is challenging as a result of dire congestion. 

Two Thirds of Positive Cases in the Western Cape

The Western Cape now has 21 382 positive cases of COVID-19, and 503 people have lost their lives to the virus in the province. 

A total of 11 099 people have successfully recovered from the virus. 

Mkhize will be hoping that his new colleague, Buthelezi, will be able to assist him in providing support to the ailing province. 

Buthelezi was formerly thecvief director in the Department of Health in KZN, and will now take command as the accounting officer in the department of health. 

“Dr Buthelezi is an experienced leader in health management, starting when he was superintendent of Nkandla Hospital, then at Grey’s Hospital and going on to become a chief director in the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal on  HIV and maternal and child health programmes,” said Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo upon the confirmation of Buthelezi’s appointment. 

“We are looking forward to reaping the benefit of his experience in other areas he has worked in and to take the department to greater heights. We congratulate the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize for identifying Dr Buthelezi at this stage to lead the department under these challenging circumstances.”

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Developer of 18-Storey Building in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town Pleased with SCA Ruling

The developer of a controversial 18-storey building in Bo-Kaap is pleased with the outcome of a Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) case.

This after the court dismissed the Bo-Kaap Ratepayers and Civic Association’s application against the Western Cape High Court’s decision to approve construction of a R1billion high-rise building in the area.

Vantage Properties Managing Director José Rodrigues said: “This ruling vindicated the due process we followed throughout the application. Furthermore, we do not believe there was ever a basis for this litigation.”

In a lengthy judgment delivered on Tuesday, the SCA said it had been unable to find any irregularities in the city council’s decision-making process.

Judge Mahomed Navsa said: “The court held that the City and the mayor had arrived at the decisions in a balanced fashion, that they did not act unreasonably or irrationally. The mayor and the City did not commit an error of law and they did not ultimately hold a rigid view that base zoning rights trumped all countervailing considerations.”

Rodrigues said his company had always considered the heritage of Bo-Kaap during the process and it was aware of the impact the development would have.

“We respect the heritage of the Bo-Kaap and strong sense of community, but are also aware that the noise generated around this development was not so much about the Bo-Kaap community’s antagonism, but rather that of immediate neighbours who are concerned their views will be impacted,” he said.

The development would comprise flats, retail and office space and 310 basement parking bays.

The association’s secretary, Jacky Poking, said: “We are in discussion with our legal team about the decision and what our options are.

“We are still processing the decision. We are concerned about the impact on our living heritage and the erosion of our way of life due to gentrification.”

Marian Nieuwoudt, Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, said: “The City notes the outcome. We are still studying the judgment and have no further comment.”

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Nigel Burgher [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann

Cape Town Moves to Set Up Own Electricity Supply

Cape Town wants to set up its own independent power producer office to secure renewable energy, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement during his Sona address that municipalities in good financial standing will be allowed to procure their own power from IPPs. However, the City says the turnaround could be 2-3 years.

Executive director for energy at the City of Cape Town, Kadri Nassiep says the City has engaged national treasury with a view to setting up its own independent power producer (IPP) office along the lines of the renewable energy independent power producer programme (REIPPP).

He says “we have also engaged CSIR to prepare our mini-IRP that will direct our call for proposals”. Electricity provision in the country is guided by the integrated resource plan (IRP) which sets out what electricity will be sourced and when. Government has used the IPP office, which falls under the department of mineral resources and energy, to procure renewable energy in earlier REIPPs. The IPP office has begun an exercise to source 2,000 to 3,000 megawatts of emergency supply on an urgent basis.

Cape Town’s intention to set up its own IPP office, which will implement its own IRP, would constitute a dramatic re-shaping of the energy landscape. Nassiep says “we still have to refine tariffs, but we are looking at it already”. Budgets need to be realigned, he says, but that’s not a huge issue. “So we are cautiously optimistic, but let’s see what [mineral resources and energy minister] Gwede Mantashe publishes in terms of schedule 2.”

Mantashe announced earlier in February at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town that the government would be gazetting a revised schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, which will enable self-generation and facilitate “distributed generation” by municipalities.

The City of Cape Town has fought a protracted battle with the minister and regulator Nersa over the right to source its own electricity. The dispute has its origins in 2015 when then Cape Town mayor (Patricia de Lille) asked the then energy minister (Tina Joemat-Pettersson) to allow the City to source renewable energy, but did not even get a reply. The case has been set down to be heard in the high court on 11-12 May. Given the constrained electricity supply, the City of Cape Town had argued for an earlier court date, but has not been able to secure this.

Asked if the court case will still go ahead, Nassiep said: “In my opinion yes. We still need clarification from the court regarding our rights. “For instance, the minister might opt to issue [a] once-off determination in favour of munis and then not again. Or he can opt to keep it later to a cap of 500 megawatts, which might limit us unfairly. So it’s still needed.”

Nassiep says that “unfortunately” there is a likely two- to three-year time horizon for Cape Town’s own sourced power to come on stream because of financial closure issues, environmental impact assessments, power purchase agreements as well as connection charges and ordering of connection and plant equipment. The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has joined the Cape Town court action, the CER’s Nicole Loser saying that local government has a constitutional duty to provide clean and healthy electricity, “which does not pollute our air, water, soil, or damage our climate”.

Loser says the Sona remarks were “very vague” on the details of municipal procurement. “Also not clear is if there will be the needed legal reform to address the current uncertainty around municipal procurement of whether Mantashe will simply issue the determination requested by the City.”

Cape Town mayor Dan Plato cautiously welcomed Ramaphosa’s announcement. “However, urgent clarity is required from the national government on the legal and regulatory nuts and bolts of how this must happen. “We need urgent clarity from the government on the roles and responsibilities for municipalities and other stakeholders in terms of the new generation capacity regulations in the Electricity Regulation Act,” said Plato.

He says the City is doing a study to determine how best to overcome energy poverty, through various projects including installing solar kits, solar home systems, increasing free basic electricity and improving access to gas. “Improving access to affordable electricity is a key deliverable that we are investigating at the moment.”

Ramaphosa also announced that “a Section 34 ministerial determination will be issued shortly to give effect to the IRP 2019, enabling the development of additional grid capacity from renewable energy, natural gas, hydropower, battery storage and coal”. “We will initiate the procurement of emergency power from projects that can deliver electricity into the grid within three to 12 months from approval,” he said.

Nersa will continue to register small-scale distributed generation for own use of under one megawatt, for which no licence is required and will ensure that all applications by commercial and industrial users to produce electricity for their own use above one megawatt are processed within the prescribed 120 days, Ramaphosa said. “It should be noted that there is now no limit to installed capacity above one megawatt.”

He said that a bid window for round five of the renewable energy IPP will be opened and that the government will work with producers to accelerate the completion of bid window four projects. “We will negotiate supplementary power purchase agreements to acquire additional capacity from existing wind and solar plants.”

While the electricity generation shortfall the country faces was quantified at the release of the IRP in October at 2,000 megawatts, this has subsequently been revised in later official pronouncements to 3,000 and then 5,000 megawatts. A document issued after the January lekgotla of the ANC’s national executive committee put the shortfall at 5,000 to 7,000 megawatts.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: Matthew Henry [1], Arqm Ahmd [2].