Hlabisa commits to six-monthly reports on Cape Town's service delivery failures

South Africa's Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Velenkosini Hlabisa, has pledged to provide Parliament with updates every six months on the City of Cape Town's efforts to address the issues highlighted by the Public Protector in their report on service delivery failures in Langa Flats and Khayelitsha. The Minister made this commitment during a session of the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday after MPs raised concerns about the City's accountability in addressing these shortcomings.

Hlabisa assured MPs that a six-monthly report would be submitted to Parliament detailing the progress made in implementing the recommendations given by the Public Protector to the City of Cape Town. The Public Protector's investigation revealed that the City was found at fault for various deficiencies in municipal services in Langa Flats and parts of Khayelitsha, including housing, sanitation, water, electricity, waste management, public lighting, and safety at municipal clinics.

These issues were determined to stem from maladministration, improper conduct, and prejudice. The report outlined binding remedial actions for the City, such as enhancing water access, repairing sewer infrastructure, resolving electricity and lighting problems, improving cleaning services, and regularizing lease agreements. Hlabisa emphasized that the responsibility of implementing these recommendations rests with the City of Cape Town, while COGTA would facilitate the implementation through existing intergovernmental structures, including the District Development Model.

He stated that the implementation of these measures is the primary responsibility of the municipality. COGTA would, therefore, continue to coordinate the response and track progress across the three spheres of government. While some issues require collaboration between the City, the Western Cape government, and national departments, especially in areas related to human settlements and basic services, Hlabisa clarified that COGTA lacked the authority to impose consequences on the municipality and could only provide support and ensure the recommendations' adherence.

MPs also raised concerns about the marginalization of poorer communities and questioned whether municipal planning and investment were exacerbating inequality between affluent suburbs and historically disadvantaged areas. Hlabisa affirmed that the government is dedicated to utilizing municipal planning, infrastructure investment, and service delivery to rectify historical patterns of inequality.

He mentioned several mechanisms, such as the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act, the Integrated Urban Development Framework, and the ongoing review of the White Paper on Local Government, aimed at fostering spatial justice. Hlabisa promised to table an implementation report in Parliament and monitor the City's compliance with the Public Protector’s recommendations, ensuring that the City follows through on the remedial actions.