LETTER: Cape Town bucks trend

If you’re looking for a one-stop explanation for why SA’s economy, and government services, underperform so badly, look no further than the latest report by the SA Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) (“Lack of investment leaves public infrastructure in sorry state, says report”, November 13).

The report paints a dire picture of chronic underinvestment in infrastructure in SA, giving us an overall “D” grade — a pass, but barely. It means not enough is being built to cope with growing demand, and that which has already been built is poorly maintained. Without urgent action basic infrastructure will deteriorate to the point where services collapse, logistics cripple the economy, and South Africans face possible danger.  

In Cape Town we are determined that this will not happen. We have spent great effort this year growing our infrastructure investment pipeline and ensuring we have enough engineers and project managers to deliver these projects on time. We are focusing our investments where it counts: infrastructure that improves lives for residents, especially in poor communities, and that helps grow the economy.

Water and sewage projects will thus soak up half the nearly R30bn we plan to spend on infrastructure over the next three years. This will deliver meaningful dignity to people living in poverty, and will support the further rapid growth of our city.

We are working to ensure our infrastructure is world-class, fit for the future and resilient. We will achieve this through adequate spending commitments, a pipeline of opportunities for financing, policy certainty, and precise data on the state, quality, and performance of existing infrastructure.

This way we can hopefully turn around the SAICE report in years ahead and provide a blueprint for how SA’s cities can invest to protect their residents for the future.

Geordin Hill-Lewis, Cape Town mayor

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