City Vision E-edition 28 May 2026

Mb eni Ng a week

“Izizwe”. Mayhis soul rest in peace.The song implores black people to unite and asks athornyquestion about black-onblack violence, averyreal phenomenon the run-up to the firstdemocraticelections of 1994 will foreverbeassociated with One importantquestion Ngemaasks in hissong is “nibesabani abelungu?”

In the midstofthiswhole conundrum such aquestion becomes especially relevant. Why, whyisthisrage targeted at only black foreigners?

WheneverI walkaroundCapeTown I meet andsee alot of whiteforeignerswho continuetolivecharmed,untrammelled lives while ourblack brothersand sisters facepoverty, adversity andongoing discrimination on adaily basis

Ilistenedtoapolitical leader recently, whosaid thatifthispattern continues the tide of discontent will be unstoppable; it will spill overand playout along ethnic lines.

As aXhosapersonone canbeattacked in KZN or as aTswana person be kicked outofthe EasternCapepurelybecause one doesn’t speak the local vernacular.

At the beginning of the year KZN police spokesperson Col RobertNetshiunda was dubbed “ikwerekwere”bya stupidold woman for notspeaking isiZulu.Whatis wrong with us as black people?Why are we so susceptible to others’ influence and notuse ourown judgment? Aforeigner is notonlyblack butanyonewhose origin is outsideSouth African borders.The reality is thatmanySouth Africansborninthe TBVC (Transkei, Bophuthatswana,Venda andCiskei) states technically find themselvesoutsiderswhereverelsetheyhappen to be.Sowhatdodivisivepoliticians fuelling discontent hope to gain?Timewilltell.

A journo’s voice -KeananHarmse

This week Ifelt apersonal call to action listening to amother from Ottery tearfully remember what the last telephonic conversation with her daughter aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla sounded like before she was detained.

Igasped at the horror of seeing armed officers capturing and detaining someone’s daughter on alivestream video. The sadness, anger and exhaustion in her voice resonated with me and Ifelt her pain. I can only imagine how terrified and upset Iwould be not knowing if my sister or brother was alive, starving or worse, being tortured.

Theirony is, we are more connected than ever with technology and social media that the thought of not being able to message or call our loved ones, is often ablessing we take for granted. The fact that instant communication is available with the push of abutton can seem like ahellish nightmare when this convenience is taken from us in acrucial time when we need to know amissing person’s whereabouts.

It’sdreadfully sad, and even more so when these brave souls bringing baby formula, food and toiletries, enduring the mercies of the ocean, are captured, taunted, and painted as “terrorists” and troublemakers. To hear amother’s desperate cry for confirmation of her daughter’s safety was areminder of how cruel, violent and unforgiving the world outside can be. Empathy for our fellow brothers and sisters matters more than ever.

Nganya helpsMfuleni residents

UNATHIOBOSE

Atanearly age, BongolwethuNganya from Extension 6inMfuleni dedicated his life to helping the community improvetheir lives

The 30-year-old is the founder of Bongolwethu DrivingAcademy, whichwas established in April 2023. Nganya offers free learner’s licence classes to residents of Mfuleni.

He said his aim is to encourageyoung people to obtain drivinglicences.Nganya started the academywith onlya fewlearners,but it has grown overtime.

“When Istarted this academy, my focus was on the youth. Inoticedthatmostof them did not have driving licences,yet nowadays adriving licence isone ofthe requirements employers are lookingfor.I also wanted to motivate them to at least obtain alearner’s licence while thinking about the next step,” saidNganya, adding that part of the initiativewas to keep young people away from the streets.

He said he later opened the academy to everyone interested in obtaining alearner’s licence. He added that he realised older people are often more committed than the youth because most of them know what they want.

He said when he startedthe academy,he had no equipment but made plans to push his vision forward. He went aroundthe community photocopying the K53 learner’s book to help students study.

“I’m using alocal church as ourclassroom.Our classesare held everyMonday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday andSaturday. During theweek,classes startat16:00 and end at 18:00. On Saturdays, classesrun from 11:00to13:00. Only afew people attendduring the week because most are working. The maximum numberofpeo-

pleattendingduring the week is about20, while on Saturdayswehavearound 50 people,”hesaid.

Nganya said he mostlyrelies on word of mouth to market the academy.Headded thatheenvisionsowning oneofthe biggest drivingschools in Mfuleniand expanding with branches across the country.

“Themainchallengenow is alack of funding andhaving my ownstructure. For now weare depending in the church.In most cases, when Ineed to photocopypapers,I ask for smalldonationsfromstudents. Eachstudent contributes at least R5, andthey understand my situation. They contribute freely,” he said.

Nganya proudlysaidthat since starting the academy, more than 2000 people have obtainedlearner’s licences throughhis assistance. He added thatsomelater return to show him their driving licences after qualifying.

“Even when I’mwalking in the street, theygreet me. Community leaders know me and appreciate whatI’m doing forthe community.I also have no problems with localdriving schools,” he said.

Nganyaurged young people to stayaway fromcrimeand wrongdoing andfocus on building abetter future forthemselves

Community leader Sicelo Mpemba describedNganya as agreat leader who genuinely cares about hiscommunity. He said Nganyaisabornleader.

“Thereare many people who have been assisted by Nganya. He is abrilliant young man.His initiative has changed many people’slives,” he said.

OneofNganya’sformer students, Kholiswa Mphutha, said she attendedhis learner’s licence classes last year. She praisedhim forintroducing such avaluable initiative.

“WhenI went there, Ihad no money to

attend adriving school to do my learner’s licence. Iheard abouthim through my boyfriend’ssister WhatI like abouthim is hispatience

He doesn’t mind repeating the same thing three times. Sometimeswewould stay behind afterclasses to study again,” said Mphutha.

CPF leaders alarmed by rising crimestats

UNATHIOBOSE

Community Policing Forum (CPF) leaders from Nyanga and Khayelitsha have expressed concern over the latest crime statistics, released on Friday 22 MaybyActing PoliceMinister FirozCachalia in Pretoria.

The Fourth Quarter statistics, covering the period from January to March this year and werecompared withthe sameperiodlast year.

CPF leaders believe more still needs to be done to improvesafety in their communities.

The CityVision focused on three crime categories which include murder,rape and carjacking.

Mfuleni Police Stationranked third nationally in themurdercategory and first in theprovince.

The station recorded65cases compared with53cases registered inthe previous statistics, an increase of 12 cases which constituted 18,5%.

Khayelitsha Police Stationranked sixthnationally and fourthinthe province, with 48 murder casesreported this year compared with 38 last year, reflecting an increase of 10 cases.

In the rape category Nyanga Police Station ranked14th nationally and second in the province,with42 rape cases reported this year compared with 35 last year an increase of seven cases.

Khayelitsharanked20th among

stations nationally andfifth in the province. Itrecorded 39 rape cases thisyear, up from 37 caseslast year,representing an increase of two cases.

Forcarjackingcases Lingelethu-West Police Stationranked fourth nationallyand second in the province, with 54 casesreported thisyearcompared with 50 last year,anincrease of four cases.

It wasfollowedbyHarare Police Station,whichrecorded 40 cases comparedto 39 last year. Harare ranked11th nationally and third in the province.

Nyangaranked 25th nationally and fourth inthe province. Carjacking cases dropped from 48 last year to 31 this year, adecrease of 17 cases.

Meanwhile, Khayelitsha Police Station ranked30th nationally and fifthinthe province, with 27 carjacking cases reported this year compared with 22 last year, an increase of fivecases

KhayelitshaCommunity PolicingForumpublicrelations officer

Mzolisi Malungisa said the figures were concerning,althoughthere wasstillroomfor improvement.

“Lookingatall three categories, there isaslight increase in allof them, andthatisnot good.That means we still have alot of work that needs to be done. There are variousfactorsaffecting our communities, and theway thingshappeninour communities is abnormal.”

He said extortion-related shootingscontributed significantly to the murder rate in the Khayelitsha policing precinct.

Malungisaalso pointed to alcohol abuse as amajor factorinrapecases. “In many instances rape incidents occur whilepeople are under the influence of liquor. Sometimes they happen in socialspaces.”

However,hestressed the need for proactivemeasures to curb crime.

Nyanga CPFsecretary Dumisani Qwebepraised the Nyanga communityfor helping to reduce crime in the area.Hesaidthe fact that Nyanga wasnolonger among the top 10 areasfor murder wasasignificant achievement.

“Nyanga wasknown as the murder capital, and it had been leading formanyyears. Thesecret forthe turnaround wasworking together with everyone, including taxi associations.”

Qwebealso agreed that alcohol abuse played amajor role in the increase in rape casesand urged the City to enforce bylaws against illegalshebeens more strictly.

KhayelitshaCPFwants permanentcommander

UNATHIOBOSE

TheKhayelitshaCommunity Policing Forum is demanding that acting Minister of Police Prof FirozCachalia appoint a permanent station commander at Khayelitsha Police Station, saying the constant changes in management arecausing instabilityatthe station andaffecting operations.

MzolisiMalungisa,Khayelitsha CPF publicrelationsofficer (PRO),said the departure of formerstation commander Brig KhuthalaMasakala to Mitchells Plain as asub-district commanderlefta huge void.

He said Masakala was dedicated to herworkand hadmajorplans for thestation

“Whathurts us the most is that we were noteveninformed abouther departure. Shereceivedaletter from the province instructing hertoleave immediately.Weviewher departure as asetbacktothe station andour operations,” said Malungisa

He described Khayelitsha as a crime hotspotand highlighted the lackofresourcesatpolice stationsasa majorconcern

“Khayelitsha Police Station was among the top 10 nationally in the third quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year

crimestatisticsfor murder. We need to move awayfrombeing among the top 30 stationsin the country. We need stability at the station.Weneeda permanent station commander whowillmonitorevery aspect of operations. As stakeholders, we were beginning to build a strongworking relationship under Brig Masakala andgetting to knowone another,” said Malungisa

He said he is concerned that the community maylosetrust in the station because of the constant leadership changes He added thatMasakala had served at the station for only oneyearand eightmonths

“She started here in September2024, taking overfromBrig Mnoneleli Magobiyane afterhe was promoted as Khayelitsha sub-districtcommissioner. We were happy working with her,” said Malungisa

According to crimestatistics releasedinFebruary this year, comparing the period between October andDecember2024 with the same period in 2025, Khayelitsha PoliceStation rankedeighth nationally and fifth provincially for murder cases. Thestation recorded 49 casesinone period and50in the other,reflecting an increase of onecase, or 2%.

SantacoWCdistances fromsector’scrime

UNATHIOBOSE

TheSouth African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the Western Capehas distanced itself from anycriminal activities allegedly committed by individualswithin the organisation, stressing everyone must be held accountable for theirown wrongdoing.

Makhosandile Tumana,Santaco Western Capepublic relations officer,clarified the organisation cannot continue to be blamed for actionsitdid not commit.

“Weare saying to all our memberswho areinvolved in criminal activities, some of whom areappearingincourt, that the organisationhas nothingtodowith those actions. It cannot be blamed for the conduct of individualswithin our association.Wewantthe law to take its course.”

In astatementreleasedon Friday 22 MaySantaco Western Capesaid it hadnoted with seriousconcern the matters currently beforethe courts involvingcertain individuals.Itsaid it didnot condone violence,extortion, intimidation or anyformof criminal conduct.

“Due legal processesmust be allowed to unfold withoutinterferenceorprejudice Membershiporleadership within the taxi industry does not exempt anypersonfrom accountability beforethe law.”

It furtherstated it wanted to be partofthe solution andnot viewed as partofthe problem.

Santaco Western Capesaid it wasreadytoworkcollectively with all relevant stakeholders to restore public confidence in

the public-transportsector.

SANTACOWesternCapealso expressedsupportforandwillingnesstoparticipatein:

○ Jointanti-extortion task teams;

○ Industry-stabilisation initiatives;

○ Violence-prevention programmes;

○ Route disputemediation mechanisms; and

○ Community andstakeholder engagement platforms Theorganisation reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with law-enforcement agencies andthe provincialgovernmenttopromote stability, safety,accountabilityand professionalismwithin the sector. It alsocautionedagainst broad generalisationsabout the entire taxi industry based on allegationsagainst afew individuals, noting thatthousands of operators continued to servecommuters responsibly andwith dignitydaily.

SantacoWesternCapehighlightedthefollowingpoints:

○ Thousands of operators transport commuters daily withoutinvolvement in criminalconduct;

○ Many familiesdepend on the taxi industry for survival and/oremployment;

○ Communities relyheavily on taxi services as acritical mode of transport; and

○ Criminality must neverbe allowed to defineasector. Santaco said it remainscommitted to rebuilding public trust, strengtheningethical leadership andpromoting unity andlawful conduct within the industry

Communityleaderurgescalmaftershooting

UNATHIOBOSE

Acommunity leaderfrom SST informal settlement in TownTwo, hasappealed to residents to stop taking the law into theirown handsfollowing the fatalshooting ofanunidentifiedman on Thursday 21 May

The incident reportedly occurred about21:00 in Michael Frank Hamling Street.

The leader, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, said the community had beenliving in fear sincethe incident,and wasun-

aware of what ledtothe shooting.

“I wasalready asleep when the incident occurred. Iheard this morning(Friday 22 May)that someone hadbeenshotand killed in the area. However, Idonot havefull informationbecausepeople are afraid to speak out. Ialso do not want to speculate about the cause because Isimplydonot know.”

The community would wait for the police reportbefore drawing conclusions, theleaderadded.

Provincial police spokesperson SgtWesley Twigg confirmed Makhaza police had opened amur-

der case following the shooting incident on Thursday night, 21 May, in which a20-year-oldman died

“The victim wasidentified by medical staff at alocalhospital. The victim sustained gunshot wounds to the headand wasdeclared dead at the hospital.”

He added thatthe circumstances surrounding the incident were still under investigation and no arrests had been made

Anyone with information is urged to contact CrimeStop on 08600 10111 or submit information throughthe MySAPSmobile application.

Catabossstillbehindbarsdespitebail

UNATHIOBOSE

Cape Amalgamated TaxiAssociation (Cata)boss SiviweKiva remainsbehindbars afterbeing released on R30000 bail by the Wynberg Magistrates’ Courton Thursday 21 May, following hisarrest earlier this month at Engcobo in the Eastern Cape,being charged

withmurderand returned to the Western Cape NationalProsecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Western Cape EricNtabazalilaconfirmed Kiva hadbeengranted bail, but waskeptincustody on other, separate charges “I’veheard he is still in prison on othercharges which arenot related

to the case he appeared in courtfor on Thursday 21 May. However, I do not have the full details because the docket willarriveonlywhen he appears in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court on Monday 1June.”

He added that, as part of hisbail conditions, Kiva wasordered to attend allfuture court appearances until the matter wasfinalised

Fear grips Khayelitsha aftershootings

UNATHIOBOSE

LeadersfromMakhaza and Harare have expressed mixed feelings following two separate shooting incidents in their areasonSunday 24 andMonday25May in which six people were fatally wounded. Both leadersagreedthat the government needs to deploy more army personnel in Khayelitsha.

The firstincident occurred at Nkonkxa StreetinMakhaza wherethree men, believed to be related, were shot andkilled while inside ashack

In aseparate incident, three menwereallegedly shot and killedata shebeen in Endlovini informal settlement, Harare,in the early hoursofMonday.

Acommunity leader from Makhaza, whospoke on condition of anonymity for fear of harassment, said tensionsremain high following the incident. He didnot mincehis words, saying more soldiersneedto be deployedinKhayelitsha. He said residents arelivinginfear.

“I am acommunity leader, but Iamscared to speak openly.Khayelitsha as awhole is dangerous,and thatisnosecret. Anything canhappen here. Imagine,three menshot andkilled inside ahouse.Itisa clear indication thattheywere targeted. That was nota mistake,” he said He urgedpoliceofficersnot to leave anystone unturnedin their investigation

Anothercommunity leader from Harare,who alsorequested anonymity for fear of reprisal, blamed the shebeen owner for allegedly trading after hours.

“Law enforcement agencies need to imposestricterpenalties on illegal shebeens. We cannot have ashebeen operating at 01:00, especially during timeswhenunknown people arerandomly shooting innocent residents.I think the gov-

FROMPAGE1

Afterthe meeting, the leaders returnedwith station managementand handedthe memorandum to station commander ColKhunjulwaKhanyile.

Khanyile welcomed the memorandum andsaid the officers were doing everything possible to find Godongwana

She added thatthe policestation is opentothe community.

“Asthe community, you are welcomeatthe station.There is no need for you to march. You arefreetocomehere,” said Khanyile.

Secretary of the South African NationalCivicsOrganisation (Sanco)inLingelethu Thumeka Mbombosi addressed residents, saying theyhad received all the answers theyneeded. The leadership alsodiscouraged community members from asking questionsdirectly to the station commander.

“We went inside the station

What we wanted was to know what was happening with Inga’s case,and theyinformed us. We asked other relevant

ernmentneeds to deploy more soldiersinadditiontopoliceofficers in ourcommunities,”he said,addingthatKhayelitsha is oneofthe crimehotspots in the Capemetro

Provincial policespokespersonCol André Trautsaid officers areinvestigating two separate shooting incidents in Makhaza andEndlovini,Harare,inwhich sixmen were killed within hoursofeachother

“Inthe firstincident, three menagedbetween20and 24 were shot andkilled inside an informaldwelling in Nkonkxa Street, Makhaza,onSunday evening at about 19:30. Family members reportedly heard gunshots andfound the victims with gunshot wounds inside the structure

“Ina second incident, three adult males in their thirties were shot at ashebeen in Endloviniduringthe early hoursof Mondaymorning at about 01:38. Thevictims latersuccumbed to their injuries at amedical facility,” said Traut. He said the suspects in both incidents fledthe sceneand have notyet been arrested, while the motivesremain underinvestigation Trautsaid policemanagement hasassured the affected communities thatevery availableresource will be utilised to trace andapprehend those responsible.

“A teamofexperienced detectives attachedtothe Seriousand ViolentCrimesUnit hasbeentasked with pursuing all available leads andensuringthatthe perpetratorsare brought beforecourt. Police deployments andoperations have alsobeenincreasedinthe affectedareas to stabilisethe situation andprevent further violence

“Anyone with information is requested to contactCrime Stopon08600 10111 or make use of the MySaps mobile application anonymously,” he said

questions, andtheyresponded, andweare happy with their response,” said Mbombosi

Sheadded thatthe lastpeople whowereseen with Inga had been questioned andlaterreleasedbythe police.

Inga’smother, Bulelwa Godwangwana,said theyare heartbroken overher son’sdisappearance

Shesaid sheispraying to God to reveal the truth andadded thatithas been difficult to sleep.

“Wewishthatone of thechildren wholastsaw Inga could tellusthe truth. They said they last sawhim at about 22:00 when theyaccompaniedhim to take ataxi while he was drunk. They asked the drivertodrop himoff at Ilitha Park, even though theyhad fetchedhim from hishomeinASection,” explainedBulelwa. Sheconfirmed thatInga’s friends were questioned by the officersbut were laterreleased duetoalackofevidence.

Amissingpersoninquiryhas been opened.

Some of the learners from Encotsheni PrimarySchool proudlycarrying their newschool bags whilestaff andrepresentatives from councillorNtomboxoloKopman’soffice stand behind them.

Councillor gives bags to learners

UNATHIOBOSE

Astrong light shone on an atmosphere of hope at four primary schools in Ward18, in Site C, when its councillor, Ntomboxolo Kopman, donated school bags to 40 of their neediest learners,10at each school, on Thursday 21 May.

The schoolsthat benefitedwere Vuselela, Encotsheni,Sivile and Nolungileprimary schools Kopman saideach school bagcontained fivebars of soap, toothpaste and atoothbrush.

She saidthe items were purchased using the wardallocation, and the aim of the initiative was to encourage and motivate learners

NAMHLAMONAKALI

At 28, Londeka Phakathi has already beaten the odds, orphaned young, graduated against the odds,and now putting her socialwork degree to work for deaf communities at DeafSAinNewlands.

Every weekday, the young socialworker walksinto the DeafSAWestern Cape offices on the corner of Thicket and Hemlock Roads in Newlands and doesthe work she onceonly dreamnt of.

Phakathi was born and raised in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, and lost both herparents at ayoung age. She is deaf. By most measures, the oddswere stacked against her.

Yet she graduated from theUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) withaBachelorof SocialWork degree and now advocates for

“Wewishwecould have given bags to all the learners,but we were unabletodoso becauseoflimited funds. We asked teacherstoidentify learners who were most in need.Weencouraged the learners to focus on theirstudies.”

She addedthe toiletries were included to help promotegoodhygiene among learners.

PumlaSibene,principal at Sivile Primary School, praised the councillor forthe initiative. She expressed gratitudetothe ward councillorand her teamfor supportingthe learners.

“Theinitiative washelpful because some learners didnot have school bags.Webelievethatreceiving new school bags will motivate them andboost their self-esteem.”

Strandfloodvictimsreceive reliefkitsafterheavyrains

UNATHIOBOSE

Floodvictims from Ward 86 in Strandwere very happytoreceive flood-relief kits on Thursday 14 May.

More than 300 residents from Simanyene, Green Pointand Pholile informalsettlements benefited from the initiative spearheadedbyWard86councillor XolaniDiniso. Each residentalso received aplastic sheet andapacket of nails

One beneficiary,Sisanda Maqhubela from Green Point, said the flood-relief kit would make abig difference. Shesaid what remainedofher belongingsweredamp, whileothers hadbeen totally damaged.

“My shackisfull of water. It was leaking throughthe roof,with wateralsocoming in underneath. My fridgeand cupboard are damaged andotheritems,including beds, blankets and clothes, arewet.Getting this assistancewillhelp me.”

Another resident, Badanile Ndima from Simanyene,saidwhat residents really need is properhousing. He explained thatthe community has been experiencing flooding during winter rains formanyyears

“All these thingsthat theCity is giving us won’tchange the fact that we areflooding.Weare stillgoingtoflood again. We need properhouses.”

Diniso described the distribution of the flood-relief kits as atemporary solution Recent floods hadcaused significant damagetomanyhomes in the area,hepointed out.

“Manyshacks have been damaged, including residents’electrical appliances.As the City, we aretrying to assist wherewe can.”

Ward 86 councillorXolani Dinisohanding over plastic sheets to some of the flood victims at Pholileinformal settlementinStrand. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

the civil,human andlinguistic rightsof deaf, hard-of-hearing anddeafblind South Africans at acommunity organisation.

“Ihaveexperienced manychallengesin my ownlife and have seen howpeople can strugglewithout support,”said Phakathi.

“Growing up without parents taughtme resilience andgave me adeep understanding of thedifficulties manypeople face.”

Rather than let griefdefine her, Phakathi channelled it into purpose enrollingat UKZN and pushing through years of financial, emotional andacademicpressureto earn her degree.

“It was an emotional andrewarding experience becauseitrepresented years of hardwork, sacrifice andperseverance,” she said. “There were times when Ifelt overwhelmed, butreceiving my degree reminded me that determination and per-

sistence can overcome many obstacles.”

On campus, the challenges went beyond coursework. Limited interpreter support, communication gaps with lecturers and staff, andnavigating ahearing environment made every semester atest of endurance.“Accessing information during lectures andparticipating in discussions could sometimes be difficult,” said Phakathi.“There were also situations wheresupport services were simply not available.” She credits family, friends and ahandfulofsympathetic lecturers for helpingher staythe course. But she is clear that individual goodwill should not be what deaf students rely on.

“Universitiesshould create environments wheredeaf students can participate fully and equally in all aspectsofuniversity life,” shesaid.

Phakathi wants qualified SouthAfrican Sign Language interpreters, captioning services and accessible learning materials to become standard in every SouthAfrican university.

“Never allow your disability to limit your dreams,” said Phakathi. “Your voice matters, your dreams are valid, and you are capable of achieving great things.Keep pushing forward and never give up.”

‘Court’s tariff ruling willaffectthe poor’

DESIRÉERORKE

The City of Cape Town has confirmed it will not appealthe Western Cape High Court’s rulingontariff structures, opening the wayfor arevised budget process to begin.

In astatement issued on Friday morning, the City said it would now publish amendments to its tabled 2026-’27 Budget for public comment.

The City maintained the ruling’s primary effect is to curtail the ability of municipalities, including Cape Town,tocross-subsidise services in amanner that shields lower- and middle-income households from the full cost of those services.

The proposed amendments, itsaid, reflected the City’s commitment to preserving that protection within the boundaries set by the court.

The City was also at pains to emphasise all revenue raised in 2025-’26 had been directed towards itsintended purpose for infrastructure investment andservicedelivery.

Equally significant, the court’s ruling did not question the legitimacy ofthesefunding requirements; the City must still be resourcedtofunction. Whatchanges under the proposed2026-’27 frameworkisnot the obligation to fund those costs, butthe manner in which ratepayers will contribute to meetingthem.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis saida key im-

pactof the ruling waswhat the City had warned all along: that water andsanitation fixedcharges willgoupfor many families in lower- and middle-value residential properties, andgodownfor higher-value properties.

“We havedone our utmost to mitigate this effect. To protect lower- and middle-income householdsfromthe impact of this courtruling we propose afurther raising of therates-free rebate to the first R620 000 of property value, up from R450 000, for residential properties under R8 million. All indigent benefits willalso applyuptoR620 000 residentialpropertyvalue.”

This, according to Hill-Lewis, willreduce property rates formanyhouseholds in the lower- and middle-valuebandstomitigate therise in fixed water andsanitation charges they willface because of the court ruling.

“Whileweadjust forthe impact of this ruling we remain concerned aboutits implications forthe ability of municipalities to cross-subsidiseinutility tariffsinthe South Africansocial context equitably We will engage the NationalTreasury and Co-operative Governance departments nationally to seek regulatoryclarity on available options formunicipalities to cross-subsidise lower- and middle-income householdsequitably

“Itremains my firm belief that Cape Town cannot truly work unless it works for everyone. Forthis reason we do not

proposeany cuts to Cape Town’s essential infrastructure projects, such as pipe replacements, better sanitation andpublic transport. To cut these projects, as has been suggested by some, would lead to a less functional city and less basic dignity forresidents.Itwouldbeaterrible andindefensible action.”

Proposedamendments to be publishedfor commentinasupplementarypublic participationprocess from yesterday (27 May) to Wednesday 10 June include the following:

○ City-wide cleaningcosts is to move back into property rates. This will remove the city-widecleaning chargeasa standalone item on bills, andincrease propertyrates forresidential customers, changingthe -10,2% reduction tabled in March. Commercial property rates willalso increase while electricity unit costswillreducedue to the phased-reduction of the surchargecontribution to city-widecleaning.Residential electricity tariffsremain unchanged as these customersnolongercontribute to city-widecleaning in this way

○ Fixed water and sanitation charges is to revert back to water meter connection size, the method used before propertyvalue bands. According to the City thisimpact of the court ruling meanshigher-value properties willpay less fixed charges while lower-value oneswillpay more thanthey currently do

“The City hastried to buffer thisimpactby consolidating the fixed tariff charged for all

meter sizesupto22mmand shifting costs to higher consumption userscomparedto the Marchtabled Budget,” it stated.

○ Lastly, to protect especially lower-and middle-incomehouseholds from the changes to fixed charges,the City will raisethe indigent relief qualifying threshold and rates-free benefit. All residential properties up to R8m will nowget the firstR620 000 rates-free, up from R450 000 in 2025-’26. Indigentbenefits apply for all propertiesunderthe newR620 000 threshold

Theproposedamendments cover the ratein-the-rand, rates ratios,and tariffs for water andsanitation

JurieFerreira, AfriForum’s regional head for the SouthernRegion,said the City hadmadethe rightcallinnot pursuing an appeal,but stressed thathow it engages residents from here will matter enormously.

“Wetake note of the municipality’s decision andbelieve it is astep in the right direction

“AfriForumisofthe view thatthe judgment handeddownbythe three judges was deliveredinaresponsible andfairmanner, andregards it as ameaningful outcomefor ratepayersinthe City. We trust thatthe currentbudget process will provide afurtheropportunity for constructive public participation,and thatthe inputs andconcernsofratepayerswillbegiven thorough consideration to ensure their voicesare adequately heard.”

SA’s only children’s book festival returns to DistrictSix

LAURENO’CONNOR-MAY

For the fifth year running South Africa’s only literaryfestival dedicated entirely to children brought authors, picture books and the pure joy of reading to schools in District Six, aplace that looms large in the country’s literary imagination.

TheSAFestival of Children’sLiterature, held in sevenprimary schoollibrariesby the Otto Foundation, ran fromMonday 18 to Wednesday 20 Mayand featured awide arrayofauthors.

Readingforpleasure,notprescription

The festival, now in its sixth year, was founded by Darryl David, an education lecturer in English and Afrikaans at the University of theWestern Cape (UWC) who is widely credited withputting book festivals on South Africa’s literarymap. David hasfounded several literary festivals, including the BookBedonnerd Literary Festival in Richmond, the Olive SchreinerLiterary Festival in Cradock, the Midlands Literary Festival in Howick, the Alan Paton Literary Festival, the Adam SmallBoekefees and the Books on the Bay festival in Simon’s Town. Healso established South Africa’sfirst and only BookTown, Richmond in theKaroo.

But theSAFestival of Children’sLiterature, which has been running since 2020, holds aspecial place on thatlist.It is, David said, the only festival ofits kind in the country,and perhaps on thecontinent.

“This is aliterary festival where authors of children’s literatureand young adult literature take centrestage,not like allthe other festivals where they are an afterthought, afestival where we recognise illustrators.”

His vision is clear and deliberately simple: reading must be apleasurableactivity. “I did not want afestivalwhereliteracytakes centrestage, wherewepreach abouthow our festival is going to improve literacy rates in South Africa. Reading for pleasure is the name of the game. And maybe if we get the basics right the bigger questions will take care of themselves down the line.”

Giraffesdoingyoga

When sourcing authorsfor the festival David looks for books that spark imagination rather than deliver lessons.

“Uniquebooks.Beautifully illustrated books. Books with not asingle word Booksthat will make children want to go home and tell their parentsand siblings about the wonderful book areal author read to them today. Books aboutgiraffes trying to do yoga. Books about apigeon taking his first love out to dinner.Books that allowchildren to be children and not burden them with all the problemsofthe world.”

WhyDistrictSix?

Lynn JoffefromJohannesburg.

PHOTO:LAUREN O’CONNOR-MAY

David, who grewupinHowick,KwaZulu-Natal, said he noticed as an outsider to Cape Town that DistrictSix, despite itsenormous presenceinSouth African literature, had been overlooked in favour of otherareas

“It seemed to me DistrictSix, aplace that looms large in ourliterary imagination, hadbeen forgotten. Luckily, the Otto Foundation hasquietly goneabout the businessoftryingtoright this oversight. AndIdecidedtopartner with it in this enterprise.”

Forthe festival the foundation has partnered with the Literacy Association of SouthAfrica (Litasa).

Authors from across the country took part, includingsome thathave appeared on television overthe years, such as Bianca Flanders who wrote the rhythmic and wildly popular Pumpkin Pie series.

VennessaScholtz of Parow read Kita’s DanceWithDust, while LynneJoffe,of Johannesburg, had learners dancingand swaying with herreading of TheTale of Stingray Charles.Elsibe McGuffog, of Wellington taughtGrade 2learners the basics of poetry.

Whatcomesnext?

David says the DistrictSix chapter is only onepart of atwo-prongedplan. In October the festival will return to its original home at UWCfor theFaculty of Education’s Literacy Week, when the focusshifts to slightly older learners in the Further Educationand Training(FET) phaseas well as student teachers.

“The two-pronged approach will be a District Six chapter focused exclusively on school children from the foundation phase uptoGrade 5, andthena more adolescent-focused book festival at UWCevery October,” he said. “To help them become betterteachers, but also betterparents.”

TheSAFestival of Children’sLiterature is presented under the banner: Experience Imagination

Artscape marks big milestone

KAYLYNNEBANTOM

Music, colour andcelebration filled the Artscape as hundreds gathered to mark the 55th anniversary of the artfacility on Tuesday 19 May.

The celebration alsofeatured the unveilingofBecomingArtscape –APlace Reborn,amemory wall honouring the people whoshaped its legacy.

Speakingatthe event, Marlene le Roux, chief executive officerofthe Artscape, said: “A country without the heartbeat of art is acountry without asoul. This building is vibratingwith the colourful diversity of ourcountry.”

Le Roux said she is overwhelmed by the support of everyone who came to celebrate

“I am overwhelmed andemotional becausepeople came from far to come and be part of this. We thought we would only have 500 people,but thousands came out. This celebration is about30years of our democracy and ourconstitution and the Artscape is built on those pillars.”

Reflectingonthe arts centre’stransformation since apartheid, the Le Roux highlightedhow the once-segregated space now embracesdiverse voices and community-driven storytelling.

Le Rouxdescribed artsasapowerful vehiclefor tellingthe stories of people, while alsomaking asignificantcontribution to theeconomy, with artists contributing 4% to thecountry’s GrossDomestic Product (GDP)

“Thenarrative should change. Artists areprofessional people and the country is hungryfor live performances. For the next55years we want to see that artists

have theirplace not just at Artscape but at every institution.”

She expressed her gratitude to her staff and said each member played apivotal role.

Thecelebration marks aseries of events that will take place at the facility over the next few months. These will include a career expo on Saturday 6June.

Le Roux encouraged young people to attend.

“We want to demystify the arts and say it is possible to have acareer in the arts.”

Le Roux thanked government partners, staff and the publicfor theircontinued support of Artscape and itsprogrammes.

Francine Higham, Mayco member for community services and health, congratulated the team on 55 “remarkable years.”

“What stands out about thismilestone is not only longevity, but transformation. From beginnings that reflected exclusion, Artscape has become aplace wherepeople from all backgrounds can gather,connect and tell stories and experience the richness of shared humanity.”

She noted that athriving city needs “thriving cultural spaces”.

“Spaces that inspire young people, bring communities together and help us imagine something bigger than ourselves.”

Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport,called on the privatesector to support the arts.

“We need more organisations to play theirpart. Please invest in the arts so that in the next 55 yearsweprotect more than just the Artscape. There are many of our community art facilities that need support, particularly in our film industry. Butwe cannot do it on our own.”

BigBand Jazz Festival bringssounds of jazz at BaxterTheatre

For the 26th consecutive year, the Baxter Theatre Concert Hall in Rondebosch is ringing with the sound of jazzaspart of theBig Band Jazz Festival. The festival opened yesterday (27 May) andruns until Saturday 30 May.

Performances begin at 19:00 each evening.

“It’s acelebration! The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival is back and celebrating its26th anniversary,” said Ann Barr, festival organiser.

Twenty-six big bands will take to the stage over the four nights, with ensembles drawnfrom junior schools, high schools, universitiesand community bandsacross CapeTown. Tickets range from R100 for learners, studentsand senior citizens, to R180 for adults. The festivalwas founded by the late Dennis Barr, andinthe years since his passing it has grown into one of South Africa’s most respected platforms for young musical talent

This year’s programme includes anall-

staralumni band ledbyProf Mike Campbell, featuring guest trumpeter Gordon Vernick from theUnited States of America.“We also welcome the BavarianYouth Jazz Ensemble from Germany whowill be joining us,” Annsaid.

Thefestival is presented in collaboration with the University of Cape Town,the SouthAfrican College of Music andthe Baxter Theatre

Tickets are available throughWebtickets, at Pick nPay ticketoutlets andatthe Baxter Booking Office

For more information, visit www.ctbigbandjazzfest.co.za or follow thefestival on Facebook, Instagramand YouTube at ctbigbandjazzfest. Email ctbigbandjazzfest@ gmail.com or phone Barr on 082451 3696.

Musiciansperform at theCape Town Big Band Jazz Festival, which celebrates its26th anniversary at the Baxter TheatreConcertHallinRondebosch from yesterday(27 May) to Saturday30May

PHOTO:SUPPLIED