Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato joined hundreds of children on Tuesday 2 March 2010 to break the record of the largest number of people simultaneously performing the Diski Dance, South Africa’s official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ dance.

The event was organised by Cape Town Tourism to coincide with countrywide celebrations marking the 100-day countdown to the kickoff of the World Cup, and took place on the Cape Town Stadium concourse.

A total of 570 schoolchildren from local communities and another 80 guests – 650 in all – performed the dance – a sequence of moves based on soccer tricks – under the instructions of Amanda Maartens from Cape Town fusion band CODA, to cheers, laughter and music, as part of Cape Town Tourism’s Live It! Love it! LOUDER! campaign. “Diski” is the slang word for soccer in Xhosa.

Cape Town Tourism believes it broke the previous record of 600 by SA Tourism in London.

“It was a big commitment to organise everything, but it was worth it, and we’re very happy we pulled it off. It was a very real experience, seeing it from the kids’ perspective – their energy and excitement and honour to come together and display it,” said Leanne Pohlmann, Cape Town Tourism 2010 Marketing Manager.

The children were originally trained to dance for the opening ceremony of the Peace Cup, which was cancelled, and were taught the Diski dance in an attempt to create a pool of resources that could hopefully assist with welcomes and Public Viewing Area entertainment during the World Cup™, said Pohlmann.

The participants came from areas such as Atlantis, Athlone, Langa, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Stellenbosch and Kayamandi.

Plato called on the children to be ambassadors for the FIFA World Cup™ and also to support Bafana Bafana, whether the national side wins or loses. He reminded them that the FIFA World Cup™ belongs to them as much as anyone else, and then delighted the crowd with his own Diski Dance moves.

“Cape Town is one of the world’s premier tourism destinations, and in preparation for the FIFA 2010 World Cup™, we have spent massive amounts of money on making Cape Town an even more accessible and enjoyable destination. These improvements are taking shape as the World Cup™ approaches, and we look forward to them benefiting residents and visitors for decades to come,” he said.

Cape Town Tourism spokesperson Lianne Burton said: “In just over three months, Cape Town will be on the centre stage of the sporting world. Our young people are leading the way to Live it! Love it! LOUDER! as we near the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. Hosting a successful, friendly FIFA World Cup™ has a direct impact on our children’s legacy. Now, more than ever we need to join in on their enthusiasm in welcoming our visitors.”

She added that despite initial concerns, ticket sales and hotel bookings are now on the rise, and Cape Town is more or less ready for the World Cup™.

Managing international perceptions will be a challenge, and the months ahead will be focused on countering negative and skewed perceptions. But despite this, the worldwide television coverage will give an opportunity to show that Cape Town is not only a proven lifestyle and events capital, but it is also capable of hosting a mega-event, Burton said.

Cape Town’s top film producers and industry specialists will be honoured at the second annual awards ceremony to showcase and recognise excellence in the local film industry.

The Imbongi Awards ceremony will be hosted by the Cape Film Commission (CFC) and the City of Cape Town on Saturday 6 March 2010 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

“Over the past nine years, Cape Town’s film industry has grown from an exotic, niche industry into a flourishing multi-billion rand industry attracting big budget features, commercials and stills production,” says Alderman Felicity Purchase, Mayoral Committee Member: Economic Development and Tourism.

“The phenomenal growth in this industry has injected millions of rands into the local economy, providing a tremendous return on the City’s ongoing investment in Cape Town’s infrastructure and positioning Cape Town and Western Cape as a globally competitive industry destination,” says Purchase.

“The prestigious Imbongi Awards will showcase the very best film production talent and facilities in Cape Town and the Western Cape,” says Mansoor Mohamed, Executive Director: Economic, Social Development and Tourism.

“As one of the biggest commercial and stills production destinations in the world, Cape Town and the Western Cape enjoy increasing attention from advertising agencies and big brands employing internationally experienced production crews with the facilities to back it all up. The Imbongi Awards builds upon Cape Town’s strong reputation for production craft by honouring individuals and companies for outstanding achievement in pre-production, production and post production,” says Mohamed.

Awards will be made in 10 categories including the Chairman’s award and the 2010 awards. The 10 categories are: Best contribution to marketing Cape Town and the Western Cape through film content, Technical Service Provider of the Year, Best Producer/Production Manager, Best Locations Professional, Excellence in Animation, Excellence in VFX and Post Production and Best contribution to Skills Development and Transformation.

“The film industry has been able to attract a significant amount of productions to Cape Town and the Western Cape which in turn contributed significantly to the growth of the film industry and the economy of the Western Cape. In addition these productions have further contributed to the marketing of Cape Town and the Western Cape as a desirable location and industry for film productions. The Imbongi Awards is thus our way of paying homage to those individuals and companies who have all contributed to this success,” says Laurence Mitchell, Head of the CFC.

FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke has described the newly-built Cape Town Stadium as “perfect.”

“It’s just an amazing stadium, and all the teams who play in Cape Town, will play in a perfect place.”

Without wanting to be biased regarding other host cities, he said Cape Town is “one of the most beautiful in the country”.

He was visiting the city’s 68 000 seater stadium as part of the FIFA Local Organising Committee “state of readiness” roadshow of 2010 World Cup™ facilities in South Africa on Monday, 1 March 2010.

Valcke addressed 125 national and international journalists, along with Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato, and Head of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Danny Jordaan.

Valcke added that the Cape Town Stadium rye grass pitch will be treated as a benchmark for all other new World Cup stadiums.

The visit came one day ahead of the official 100 days until kickoff. Celebratory events were held countrywide.

The City of Cape Town celebrated this milestone with a media event at Signal Hill to launch the official 2010 FIFA World Cup™ coin, which has been specially created in honour of the tournament. Mayor Dan Plato kicked off a soccer ball to mark the occasion.

The City has also urged Capetonians to wear soccer shirts or jerseys in support of this occasion.

Valcke said that South Africa’s preparations for the World Cup™ were largely on track, and the country as a whole is 80% ready to host the tournament.

Motorists are advised to expect some disruption to the free flow of traffic at the intersection of Boundary Rd and the R27 for the weekend of Friday 5 – Monday 8 March 2010.

A median closure at the intersection of Boundary Road and the R27 (Marine Drive) will be in effect. This is to allow for work to be conducted for the construction of Cape Town’s new Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system, specifically for work on the transport corridor along the R27 from Milner Road to Racecourse Road.

Engineers will commence work after the morning rush hour peak on Friday 5 March and will finish their work before the morning rush hour period on Monday 8 March 2010.

Motorists travelling past this intersection should please note the following alternative routes that will be in place to accommodate the flow of traffic. Directional information signage will be erected as well.

Motorists travelling along Marine Drive outbound will not be able to turn right into Boundary Road, instead having to detour via Loxton Road, back along Union Road.

Motorists travelling along Marine Drive inbound will not be able to turn right into Lagoon Beach, instead having to detour via Milner Road.

Motorists travelling along Boundary Road towards Marine Drive will be forced to detour via Union Road, into Loxton Road and back onto Marine Drive.

The City apologises to residents for the inconvenience and thanks them for their patience during construction. The City has tried to reduce the inconvenience by ensuring that alternative routes are available during this period and by instituting these road works out of peak traffic periods.

Short term insurer Santam has agreed to co-sponsor the Energy Efficiency Forum for commercial property, which is run by the City of Cape Town, Eskom and the South African Property Owners’ Association (SAPOA).

The Energy Efficiency Forum provides owners and managers of commercial and public buildings with a platform for practical, shared learning and collective action. Efficient use of electricity has become increasingly important in view of steeply rising electricity tariffs and the medium-term shortage of South Africa’s electricity supply. The need to reduce operating costs, the risk of future power cuts and carbon emissions all add up to the urgent need for a concerted effort to improve energy efficiency, particularly for the larger electricity users.

The next forum meeting is scheduled for 9 March 2010. Commercial property owners and managers who would like to attend should contact Melissa Van Harte of SAPOA by e-mail to MVanHarte@omigpi.com

The forum is also endorsed by the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), the Cape Town Partnership, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) and the Provincial Government of the Western Cape.

Minister of Community Safety, Lennit Max and City of Cape Town Mayco member, JP Smith will today launch a 30 day blitz on seatbelt and number plate compliance, and cell phone usage while driving.

At 13h00 today, Minister Max and Transport Minister Robin Carlisle will travel in separate Ghost Squad police cars to personally observe the operation.

Over the next month, a team constituted of provincial and City of Cape Town traffic officials will conduct a variety of mini-blitzes throughout the metropole to clampdown on the three traffic offences.

The CoCT processed 1874 number plate offences, 661 cell phone offences and 3034 safety belt offences in January.

Minister Carlisle said: “The blitz is the first of a rollout of special traffic enforcement operations for 2010 under the banner of the provincial government’s Safely Home campaign which aims to halve road fatalities in the province by 2014. The province and city are determined to avoid the spike in road carnage of recent years.”

Minister Max was emphatic that the blitz will help change perceptions about seatbelt compliance.

“Many motorists only wear a seatbelt to avoid a fine or arrest. We want motorists to buckle up because they can save lives by simply wearing their seatbelts. Too many lives have been lost on our roads due to human negligence. Research shows that we can reduce road fatalities by at least 30% by enforcing seatbelt compliance”.

Minister Max also urged motorists to take personal responsibility for the safety of their passengers. “Every motorist must also ensure that their passengers buckle up. Motorists who fail to do so will be prosecuted without fear or favour”.

A recent study by the Automobile Association (AA) showed that South Africa’s average seatbelt wearing rate for all occupants is 56%. This is too low compared to international practice.

Cllr. Smith highlighted the real dangers of using a cell phone while driving. “Using a cell phone while driving, be it talking or texting, has the same consequences as drunk driving. It results in avoidable accidents and fatalities. We hope this blitz will significantly reverse the reckless trend of using a cell phone while driving”.

The mini-blitzes are rooted in “back to basics” government, Max observed. When basic traffic laws are adhered to, citizens’ adherence of all traffic laws increases dramatically.

Research shows that a staggering 80% of all road accidents can be attributed to human factors in South Africa. The Human Factors Quarterly Journal crisply states: “Cell phone distraction causes a multitude of deaths and injuries yearly”.

The same study reveals that motorists who engage in cell phone conversations while driving are less capable than drunk drivers with blood alcohol levels exceeding 0.08. The ubiquity of cell phones in our society fuels these alarming statistics.

Lets be careful out there people!

The world’s largest timed cycle event – the annual Cape Argus Pick ‘n Pay Cycle Tour – will be held in Cape Town on 14 March. Thousands of competitors training frantically in preparation for the event have begun to fill up the city’s roads.

With this increase in the number of cyclists on the roads, the City urges motorists to exercise extreme caution. Tolerance, awareness, and mutual respect are values which must be exercised during this time. If cyclists and motorists are considerate of each other’s needs, the roads will be a much safer place for all.

“Motorists and cyclists both have a legal right to use South Africa’s roads. Cyclists may ride on any public road other than a freeway or where cycling is expressly forbidden. Motorists need to be more tolerant of cyclists and cyclists need to be vigilant and obey the rules of the road,” says Councillor Elizabeth Thompson, Mayoral Committee Member for Transport, Roads and Major Projects.

What cyclists can do:

• Obey the traffic rules
• As road users, cyclists are required to obey all traffic laws and signs. They have to stop at red traffic lights and stop streets and ride in single file.
• Always wear a helmet
• Never get on a bicycle without a helmet. Head injuries are the leading cause of cyclist fatalities, so invest in a good quality helmet that fits properly and is positioned correctly on your head.
• Carry identification with you
• When cycling, carry personal identification with you and an emergency contact name and number for a spouse, relative or friend.
• Be visible
• Cyclists are often not seen by motorists until it’s too late. Increase your visibility by wearing bright, reflective clothing and fitting lights on your bike – especially when riding at dusk or dawn.
• Ride unplugged
• Be aware of what is happening around you and of traffic approaching from behind by listening. Keep your ears unplugged – do not ride with your iPod or MP3 player.
• Use hand signals
• In the interest of courtesy and safety, use hand signals to inform motorists of your course of action.
• Choose your route and time
• Choose your training routes wisely and avoid peak periods and routes with high traffic volumes.
• Enter fun rides for training purposes
• This is the perfect environment for long training rides and to expose yourself to real-time race conditions.
• Safety in numbers
• Avoid riding alone. Group riding will teach you race-riding skills and will ensure that help is readily available in case of an emergency.

What motorists can do:

• ‘Think bike’
• Watch out for cyclists, drive safely and show respect. Be aware of cyclists who may be on your inside when turning. Don’t cut them off.
• Be patient towards cyclists
• A few seconds lost while driving behind a cyclist hardly affects your total journey time.
• Obey the traffic rules
• Keep within speed limits and signal before turning. Always obey traffic laws and signs.
• Give cyclists space and pass wide
• Never force your way past a cyclist. Leave at least a metre (ideally 1.5 metres) between yourself and a cyclist when passing.

Imagine that our earth and every living creature (including ourselves) on it are part of a giant soccer match – but everyone is losing. The Earth United team needs to work a lot harder to ensure that we win the game, and that our earth and the life it sustains are able to carry on.

This is the message of a new environmental education product developed by the City’s Environmental Resource Management Department. Consisting of a poster and a teacher’s guide, the Soccer and the Environment “Making Connections” project is one of more than 40 identified for implementation in South Africa’s 2010 Green Goal Action Plan.

The ‘game’ is aimed at Grade Seven learners, helping them to become more environmentally aware and sensitive to local issues.

The unique feature of Making Connections is that the exploration of environmental issues is developed through the game of soccer, and every soccer action on the poster has an environmental action linked to it.

For example, while learning about First Aid and injuries, Grade Sevens discover that the world is like a human body: the more ‘knocks’ it takes, the more damage is done, and the longer it takes to heal. ‘Injuries’ to the planet include soil erosion, climate change, and water and air pollution.

Our earth has already been weakened by years of damage, so it is more likely to suffer injury. We need to repair it through good environmental practices (injury prevention) and preparedness to step in when disasters occur (first aid)…

The coach trains the players to use their skills and passion for the benefit of the team. You too, Grade Sevens learn, can coach others to become champions for the environment…

Perhaps learners would like to model themselves on the referee instead? The match officials ensure fair play, and uphold the rules of the game they learn. Similarly, government and environmental activists enforce the laws that are there to protect the environment.

With each soccer action or role player, class activities are designed to show learners how to score a ‘green goal’ and make a positive impact on our earth.

The project is funded by the City of Cape Town and the Royal Danish Embassy.

For Cape Town’s IRT system to work, it must be easy for regular passengers to get from their home to an IRT bus station. Once commuters arrive at their destination station it must also be easy to get to wherever they have business.

With this in mind, a key element of Cape Town’s new Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) public transport system is the transformation of areas along its routes and around its stations into pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods.

In many places, Capetonians using the IRT will need to make some of their journey on foot. This is a familiar practice for those living in most major international cities, but has not yet become a part of South Africa’s urban culture. But with rising fuel prices, growing congestion on the roads, and more awareness of the impact that cars have on the environment, South African cities are ripe for change.

Walking down the road to a bus station and leaving the car at home, or not owning a car at all, will be a difficult shift for some. Part of the answer is to make walking safer and pleasanter.

To do this, engineers working on the IRT have designed customised upgrades of all streets that intersect with the IRT route based on a comprehensive review of what the pedestrian demands will be, and what the existing challenges are.

Depending on the environment, examples of improvements include installing bollards to prevent parked cars from blocking walkways, creating highly visible markings and signage to warn motorists and direct pedestrians, making sure that all areas are well lit for safety and building new, wider or resurfaced pavements, to make walking a good experience.

Around schools, or where high volumes of pedestrians are expected and space allows, new three metre-wide walkways will be built separate from the road along the trunk or main routes. These areas will also have a lot of visible signage, with large black and white zebra crossings at intersections.

Most upgraded pedestrian areas will extend approximately 500m on each side of the IRT’s main trunk routes, but where necessary, new infrastructure will be built much further than this to link the system to other areas. For example, in the Paarden Island area of the first main trunk route up the West Coast, three solid pathways will be built across the nearby wetland to allow users of the system to access it from surrounding neighbourhoods.

These pathways will have good lighting along their entire length for safety, and will reduce damage to the sensitive local environment by encouraging people to walk in one place. In the same area a pedestrian bridge will also be built to link the IRT to the nearest railway station.

The IRT system is designed to provide universal access to people with disabilities, so all pedestrian areas need to be easy for a person in a wheelchair to use. Extensive research has been done into these improvements, which benefit all pedestrians, and include dropped curbs at all intersections, and wide, even pavement surfaces.

For those who really don’t want to walk, using a bicycle is another option. All IRT pedestrian routes will include cycleways, either as part of the walkway or in painted lanes on the road. These will link up to existing cycle routes where possible and as this network spreads across Cape Town, commuting by bicycle will become a simpler, safer and healthier alternative.

In response to an ever-increasing feeding crisis in schools that have feeding schemes, the City’s Environmental Resource Management Department’s Youth Environmental School (YES) team has launched an innovative new product that will increase the supply of fruit and vegetables to these schools significantly.

In partnership with the Heart Social Investments for Life, and with financial support from Subcouncil 22 and funding from Danida’s Urban Environmental Management Programme, ‘FoodTents’ will be put up at each of the 10 previously disadvantaged schools in the Delft area in Ward 19. School learners, teachers, caretakers, community and church members will work together to make these food gardens sustainable. They will all receive ‘Smart Living’ and ‘Smart Eating’ training.

A FoodTent is a makeshift greenhouse made out of shade cloth in the shape of a tunnel. It houses 330 nursery bags in which vegetables are grown. An adapted hydroponics technique is used and all that the beneficiary needs to do is water twice a day with the nutrients provided. Instructions, seedlings, a growing medium, nutrients, delivery, training, sponsor banners and maintenance support for a year are all included with each FoodTent.

A FoodTent can be erected in 45 minutes. Fruit and vegetables can be harvested every six weeks, feeding approximately 50 people per month. The produce from a FoodTent can be used to supplement a current feeding scheme or initiate one.

To erect a FoodTent, all that is needed is sufficient space, access to water, a small amount of manpower and the will to feed hungry tummies. FoodTent installations also make fantastic, fun, inexpensive, easy-to-do community projects and volunteerism packages. FoodTents are proving to be extremely popular as a solution to the lack of food security in South Africa.

The City’s YES programme is an extensive, integrated ongoing youth capacity building, education and awareness programme providing a variety of projects and programmes, activities and resources to all schools in Cape Town.

The feeding scheme of Silversands Primary, where the launch of a FoodTent will take place on 26 February, will now be able to sustain itself with home-grown vegetables. Other schools in the area that will benefit from this unique opportunity are Silversands Primary, Vergenoeg Primary, Rainbow Primary, Wesbank Primary, Rosendal Primary, Delft Primary, Rosendal High, Hoofweg Primary, Wesbank High and Voorbrug High Schools. This initiative also creates an opportunity for these schools to go green.

Following a successful public participation process, the City of Cape Town’s Planning and Environment Portfolio Committee (PEPCO) has endorsed the draft Problem Building By-law which will aim to address the health and safety risk posed by dilapidated buildings in the city.

During the public participation process six of the City’s 23 subcouncils responded with positive comment and input. Written comments were also received from three individuals and three organisations. Those comments that were considered appropriate have now been incorporated into the draft by-law.

According to Alderman Brian Watkyns, chair of PEPCO, the new by-law will help the City act against owners whose buildings are identified by the City as problem buildings. These are buildings that are dilapidated, contravene national building regulations, are overcrowded or invaded by illegal squatters, or pose a health and safety risk to people in its surroundings.

“Abandoned and dilapidated buildings are a cause of major concern for the City, as they are often unsightly, unhealthy, unsafe, and become havens for anti-social and criminal activities. This by-law will assist the City to force the owners to address these issues,” said Watkyns.

Councillor Taki Amira, who headed up the task team and the public participation process, said: “With new procedures set out in the by-law, the City will investigate a building when complaints are received. After the investigation, a notice will be served on the owner stating all the contraventions and the deadline for correcting these.”

Amira added that a difficulty always encountered in the previous enforcement process was to whom a notice could be served. The by-law now clearly defines who is deemed as “the owner” on whom notices may be served. It further tightens up and streamlines the process to be followed to ensure action against the owner in cases of non- compliance.

“This by-law will not only help the City to identify and deal with problem buildings, but will also seek to restore and renovate the buildings rather than demolishing them. In cases where buildings cannot be restored properly, the owners will be consulted to look at other options and where necessary, the by-law may be used to facilitate the sale or demolishing of problem buildings to achieve compliance,” said Amira.

The by-law has now been recommended to the Mayoral Committee and will be implemented as soon as Council approves it.

Since its completion, the new Cape Town Stadium has become an iconic landmark in the city, and has elicited a lot of attention and interest.

Curious residents and visitors to the city who were not able to attend one of the successful test events held at the new facility can now for the first time visit the new 68 000-seat stadium, which will host eight 2010 FIFA World Cup™ matches.

The Cape Town Stadium Visitor Centre opened on 9 February, and is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Hour-long tours commence at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Prices are R30 for adults, and R15 for pensioners and children.

School tours are also available, at R10 per child.

The tours are run by the operators of the stadium, SAIL STADEFRANCE.

The tour of the stadium includes the stands, players’ changing rooms, VIP/hospitality area and prison cell. Access to the pitch is, however, not permitted.

The first signed soccer and rugby ball brought in the stadium also feature.

Directions: From the new raised Green Point traffic circle, take the entrance closest to McDonalds, and park near the site of the old stadium. Enter via the entrance on Granger Bay Boulevard at entrance C onto the podium.

For more information, call 021 430 7346.

Despite the increase in the numbers of dwellings in informal settlements, the City’s Fire and Rescue Service recorded fewer fires in informal settlements in 2009 compared to previous years.

During the course of 2009, a total of 3 780 individual informal dwelling units out of approximately 84 000 were affected by fires.

The causes of the fires vary from the illegal use of electricity to malfunctioning heating and cooking devices. Isolated cases of arson have also been recorded.

“If one takes into context the number of dwelling units affected in 2005, which was recorded at 8 864, then the City has gone a long way to reducing this by more than half over the last four years, and we will strive to reduce it even further over the years to come,” says Ian Schnetler, Chief Fire Officer for the City.

To educate people about the dangers of fires, the City’s Disaster Risk Management Department distributes awareness pamphlets to informal settlement areas prior to and during the fire season. This campaign works in tandem with an appeal to employers of people who might live in informal settlements to help spread the awareness message. “Such people can make a big difference in a small way. By taking five minutes to discuss fires and the dangers thereof with their employees, they might just save a life,” says Schnetler.

In an attempt to improve the City’s fire fighting ability in informal settlements and to alleviate the effect of densification in these areas, which make it difficult for Fire Services to access fires in the fastest possible time, seven new fire engines (with 4 x 4 capabilities) were acquired late last year. These have been specifically designed to assist fire fighters in mountainous and informal settlement areas. Disaster Risk Management staff are carrying out pro-active inspections of informal and other areas to recognise risk areas and pre-plan effectively.

The City has repeatedly appealed to members of the public to be careful of starting fires, to be vigilant and to report fires if they spot them. “Many people are reluctant to report fires because they think that someone else has done so. The faster a fire is reported, the faster the City can respond,” says Schnetler.

There are also prohibitions in place on the making of fires in the open air across the Western Cape, due to extraordinary fire hazards. This includes the burning of rubbish or any other material for purposes of disposal – this action is illegal.

Fires can occur anywhere – in informal settlements and in formal structures. To reduce the risk of fires, please note and apply the following tips:

• *Every home needs at least one exit route which will enable the occupants to escape should a fire break out
• Keep matches, lighters, paraffin and poisons in a safe place that is not accessible to children
• Keep stoves on a flat surface, away from draughts and anything that could catch fire
• Open fires and stoves should never be left unattended
• Extinguish candles and paraffin lamps before you go to sleep or leave your home
• Smoking in bed is dangerous
• Keep a bucket of water and a bucket of sand ready to extinguish any fires that break out
• If a paraffin stove catches alight, extinguish the flames with sand rather than water
• Turn off the electricity at the mains before trying to extinguish an electric fire

Residents of Blue Downs and its surrounding areas are already reaping the benefits of a brand new swimming pool where they can cool off from the summer heat and learn how to swim and train – while also being secure in the knowledge that the facility they’re enjoying has no adverse effects on the environment.

The new indoor swimming pool was officially opened on Thursday 4 February by Cllr Garin Cavanagh, Chairperson: Community Services Portfolio Committee (Amenities, Sport and Recreation).

“It is a welcome facility, especially for the community of Blue Downs and its surrounds,” said Cavanagh.

The facility is unique in that it uses natural resources and elements, meaning it has less of an impact on the city’s water and electricity resources.

Rainwater is collected in four 10 000 litre silos, which form the four cornerstones of the building housing the pool. The rainwater is then transferred into six 5 000 litre capacity holding tanks inside the building, which are then used to fill the 800 000kl pool.

The water is heated by 100 solar heating panels on the roof. A solanoid detects the panels that are most exposed to absorbing maximum sunlight throughout the day, and controls water flow direction. This heats 80% of the pool’s water. Three heater filter units are programmed to heat the pool to 27 degrees Celsius.

The pool is 25×25m, and can accommodate 10 swimming lanes. It has a seating capacity of 576 on the stands, and the building and pool together can accommodate 950 people.

A senior lifeguard and three seasonal lifeguards are on duty, while five other staff members run the building. Since the pool opened its doors in December, there has been an average of four rescues per day, highlighting not only the importance of having lifeguards, but also of teaching members of the public how to swim.

For this reason, the Learn to Swim and Come and Play programmes are important, and are actively attended. Schools and clubs such as the Blue Downs Swimming Club, Newcar, Khayelitsha Aquatics and The Greater Blue Downs Community-Based Organisation are making use of the facility.

A swimming gala that attracted over 250 youth participants was held in December 2009.

“These areas are still lacking much-needed facilities, and I am sure that by choosing Blue Downs as the spot for the pool, it will inspire the community to use it as their own and also attract other swimmers from the professional ranks to come and exchange their expertise through the City’s Learn to Swim Programmes,” said Cavanagh.

“I am also assured by Swim SA and also WP Aquatics that they are most willing to share their expertise and provide swimming equipment and also bring swimmers to Blue Downs who will qualify in 2013 as professional swimmers.

“In doing so, Blue Downs will also be able to boast that they are part of and instrumental in bringing home some medals in swimming.”

Former Executive Deputy Mayor Gawa Samuels, who is the president of the Blue Downs Swimming Club, has been closely involved in the project since it started in 2003, as part of the mayoral listening campaign at the time.

“It has taken five years to be completed, due to budget constraints, with the R31 million funding spread over that time.”

“This is a poverty trap area, with little recreational facilities, so this will keep the youth and everybody busy with something positive to do,” she said.

The City of Cape Town has started the process of preparing its budget for the 2010-2011 financial year, in which it will attempt to find a balance between moderating tariff increases and ensuring that services are adequately provided, while at the same time continuing the goal of infrastructure-led economic growth.

The draft Budget will be tabled in Council at the end of March, and will then go through a public comment process before it is adopted by Council at the end of May and implemented from the beginning of the City’s next financial year on 1 July 2010, according to Johan Steyl, Director: Budgets.

As part of the preparatory phase, the Mayoral Committee recently adopted the Medium term Revenue and Expenditure Framework (MTREF), which will form the basis for the development of the draft Budget.

This framework takes account of budget and economic realities facing the City, and guides the Budget formulation for the next three years, setting the path for sustainable medium-term funding of service provision.

The previous MTREF has been adapted to take account of changed conditions, such as lower interest rates, the national three-year salary settlement, and lower collection ratios.

It has also indicated that the City needs a moderate slowing of capital expenditure to ensure long-term sustainability.

Major challenges facing the City include Eskom’s proposed tariff increase of 35% and the postponement of infrastructure projects as a result; the closure of localised refuse disposal sites which has necessitated the construction of transfer stations; and significant infrastructure provision and refurbishment in the Water and Sanitation service.

The final valuations of properties have been completed and were received at the end of January. The values of each of the 780,000 rateable properties were assessed, and will determine the City’s rates income. Modelling of the impact of the proposed rates and tariffs will be undertaken ahead of the Budget, so that the City can obtain a fuller understanding of how these will affect different income groups, and attempt to minimise the impact of the rate structure on those more vulnerable in society.

Soetwater Resort, between Kommetjie and Scarborough on Cape Town’s south peninsula, is an important historical camping site that represents the environmental challenge of finding a balance between conservation goals and community needs.

The area represents some of the last remaining functioning coastal ecosystems in Cape Town and is of great long-term cultural importance. The resort itself, which is set amid “phenomenal coastal biodiversity” according to Gregg Oelofse, Head of Environmental Policy and Strategy at the City, is entrenched in the holiday-plans and psyche of many locals, especially those from the Cape Flats, who go there every year for long weekends or end-of-year seaside breaks.

The resort has one of the highest densities of oystercatchers (shore birds that are endangered in South Africa), and active families of otter and caracal, along with a unique coastal wetland with lagoons. However, it is also next door to the old Witsand landfill site, which although closed for almost 30 years, occasionally ‘leaks’ waste into the area as it has not been capped.

To manage this challenge, the City’s Environmental Resource Management Department (ERM) has begun a process to protect the land, not as a traditional nature reserve but as a coastal conservancy, in which camping and social activity – not only conservation-focused activities such as hiking or bird-watching – are encouraged. “We would like people to continue using the area they way they like to use it, but within a context where the natural habitats remain functional and healthy,” says Oelofse.

Since 2008, Soetwater Resort has had a full-time nature conservator whose task has been to oversee the ecological management of the area as well as the interface between nature and people. And at the end of 2009, the area below the tarred roadway from Slangkop (Kommetjie) Lighthouse to Misty Cliffs became funded as the new Soetwater-Witsand Coastal Conservancy.

For the next three years at least, R300 000 (half from ERM and half from the City’s Solid Waste Department) has been set aside for the management of the coastal conservancy and the landfill site, with Kommetjie Environmental Action Group (KEAG) as the implementing agency. Already the boat ramp in the resort has been upgraded, and stone walls have been constructed in the parking lay-bys. Information signboards have been erected and more are on the cards. Significant alien clearing has been completed, and the KEAG team is also clearing illegal dumping, cleaning up litter and managing the landfill site (taking care of the dunes covering the landfill, and cleaning up any waste leakages). The project will provide at least 2 000 days of employment a year, and the City plans to grow the project on a larger scale.