GOOD Statement by Lulama Benge
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
23 August 2023
The GOOD party calls on the City of Cape Town to account for the failing state of the city’s roads and sewer networks.
Earlier in the week, an image of a rubbish truck, stuck in a sinkhole circulated on community WhatsApp groups and social media.
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Waste Management, Grant Twigg, confirmed a road in Lavender Hill “gave way”.
He went on to say “There was no visible sign of damage on the road surface.”
This incident in itself is alarming that a seemingly normal road gave way with no notice.
But sadly, this isn’t an isolated incident.
Just last month, images circulated of a truck being “swallowed” by a sinkhole in De Villiers Street, Strand.
In June, homes in Khayelitsha’s SST informal settlement were severely impacted by a sinkhole, following a sewer pipe collapse. Residents are still waiting to be relocated by the City.
In fact, reports of sinkholes are not new at all, in December 2021, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate began investigating a sinkhole in Sunningdale, with the cause also being suggested as a sewer pipe leak.
In February this year, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the City was “passionate about significantly accelerating our city’s infrastructure investment”.
He has gone as far as allocating a R120-billion, 10-year infrastructure portfolio.
The portfolio aims to address “City-wide roads upgrades” and “Quadrupling Sewer Pipe Replacement from 25km to 100km per year, worth R755m over three years”.
GOOD asks the mayor to live up to his promises and prioritise infrastructure maintenance.
Media Enquiries:
Lulama Benge, GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 060 688 8384
Email: lulamab@forgood.org.za
Samantha Jackson, GOOD Acting Media Manager
Cell: 083 550 9875
Email: media@forgood.org.za