Cape Town - Budget cuts to the City have led to a proposal to further shrink the number of subcouncils in the metro from 21 to 20.
The number of subcouncils was previously reduced from 24 to 21 in 2022.
As the deadline for public comments on the latest proposal inches closer, council speaker Felicity Purchase said a multi-party committee had been established for a relook at the subcouncils’ boundaries.
“With the ongoing budget cuts from national government, it was decided that the boundaries of the subcouncils be reviewed and that Alderman Matthew Kempthorne be appointed by the executive mayor to reconvene and lead a multi-party committee to relook the boundaries of the subcouncils,” said Purchase.
Cape Town’s budget was reduced by R540 million in national funding over the next two years, as announced by the finance minister in the Budget speech on February 21.
The draft Subcouncil Amendment By-law 2024 proposes to disband the 21 metropolitan subcouncils in order to establish 20 subcouncils; and to cluster wards for each subcouncil area.
The new cluster proposals include designating Century City and Lagoon Beach in ward 55 with Paarden Eiland in ward 4; and moving Plattekloof, De Grendel Farm and Welgelegen in ward 1 from subcouncil 3 to subcouncil 7, joining ward 107 in Bloubergstrand.
The City has called on residents to submit their comments on the proposed new boundaries before July 30.
The City said council considered the new subcouncil boundaries with the view to creating greater synergy in service delivery by aligning subcouncil boundaries with line departments’ service delivery areas as far as possible.
Mayco member for corporate services Theresa Uys said: “At the council meeting held on June 12, council decided to approve this proposal as submitted by the multi-party committee and thereafter advertise it to the broader community of Cape Town for comment.
“Once we have received public input, we will then submit these comments to the multi-party committee for consideration. The committee will then make a final recommendation to council.”
A council meeting is scheduled for August 22.
Council will consider the comments, objections and recommendations before coming to a final decision on the new subcouncil boundaries.
Mitchells Plain United Residents Association (Mura) deputy chairperson Michael Jacobs said no meaningful public input was sought prior to the City advertising its intention to reduce the subcouncils via the media.
“Our view as Mura is that subcouncils at the moment don’t serve any purpose and if subcouncils are to be maintained then Mitchells Plain’s two subcouncils must be amalgamated into one subcouncil.”
The draft by-law and a map depicting the new proposed sub-council boundaries are available for viewing at www.capetown.gov.za/collaborate
For written/faxed submissions or general enquiries, contact Keith Miller on 0214002285 or email [email protected]