Squatting a priority for councillors
Tackling illegal squatting, say ward councillors Riad Davids and Katherine Christie, is a top priority for them this year.
Both councillors are serving their first term of public office following their election in the 2021 municipal poll.
Mr Davids, of Pinelands, is in charge of Ward 53, which covers Pinelands, Thornton, Epping Industria 1, Maitland Garden Village and parts of Mowbray.
The most pressing issue for the ward, he said, was the illegal occupation by 15 squatters of a patch of land in front of the Cape Town Market in Viking Way.
Mr Davids said his office would work this year to end the illegal occupation of the land and help the squatters to reintegrate into society.
Residents of Maitland South, he added, continued to complain about neglected properties owned by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa).
Derelict and abandoned buildings on Prasa land were illegally occupied by squatters, and City Law Enforcement had to deal with the resulting problems without any support from Prasa, Mr Davids said.
He said he would also work to ensure that all public open spaces, parks and sports grounds were used, or, in the case of derelict buildings, repurposed for use, by their communities.
Ms Christie, of Rondebosch, is in charge of Ward 58, which covers Rondebosch, Claremont, Harfield Village and Kenilworth.
Squatting on the streets and in public open spaces remained a challenge, she said, adding that she would continue to encourage residents to buy Mi-Change vouchers to help street people instead of giving them money.
The vouchers - which were created by U-Turn and Mould Empower Serve, two non-profit organisations that help the homeless - can be redeemed at partnering service providers for a meal, a bed, shelter, clothing, a shower and toiletries.
Ms Christie said the planned MyCiTi bus route through Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plain and Claremont and then to the City along Imam Haron Road had raised concerns, primarily about customer parking, among business owners in Imam Haron Road.
“The concerns of the Claremont business owners along the route will be heard by the City engineers,” said Ms Christie.
Ms Christie urged residents to email her at her official email address at Katherine.christie@capetown.gov.za instead of sending her a WhatsApp or a Facebook message as the email would allow her to send the queries through the City’s official channels.
