Cape Town council to focus on poor areas

cape town cape town's r9bn budget for this year and next year will shift "significantly" towards spending on programmes in the city's poorer areas, focusing on urban renewal, addressing service delivery backlogs and cleaning up informal settlements, said mayor nomaindia mfeketo.

the city's executive committee met yesterday to consider reports on various aspects of the draft budget, which will be presented to council on may 28.

mfeketo said she was "very pleased" with the hard work that has been put in and by the progress made to date in producing a budget that will be "balanced and which will serve the interests of all residents".

the draft budget, which sets the city's priorities for the coming year, is based on policy adopted by council in december last year, as well as criteria determined by the committee in response to mfeketo's listening campaign, which saw politicians and council representatives holding meetings with communities in a number of areas of the city to listen to their opinions.

"both of these factors have contributed to significant shifts in both capital and operational programmes to poorer areas of the city," said mfeketo.

the draft budget will now be submitted to portfolio committees and sub-councils for comment and discussion, before returning to the committee and the full council.

"i plan to continue the positive interaction we have had with the people of cape town during the listening campaign in a spirit of openness and accountability, so that a real partnership and vision is developed for our city," said mfeketo.