Meet the Mayor: Part 4/5
While Cape Town has much to offer, the average household still faces various challenges and concerns. As is the case across the country, loadshedding is a persistent problem, with many left in the dark for hours on a daily basis.
Also read: Icebergs won’t save Cape Town from the next Day Zero
In 2018, disaster was narrowly averted when rains delayed Day Zero for the time being, but fears that the City may soon run out of water remain.
Crime is another major cause for concern as properties and people fall prey to undesirable elements on a daily basis.
These are just some of the largest issues facing Capetonians and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
In the fourth part of our series of exclusive interviews, we learn what the mayor is doing to ensure that his home and family are able to keep their lights on, have sufficient water, and remain safe and secure.
Watch:
While many South African households have installed generators to address loadshedding, Hill-Lewis said that this was not the case in his home in a bid to minimise the negative impact of burning fossil fuels by using environmentally friendly energy sources instead.
‘We don’t have generators,’ he added. ‘Certainly not ones paid for by the government like some ministerial houses.’
‘Instead, we installed solar panels a few months ago so we can still make a cup of tea during loadshedding.’
‘It’s a small system but it makes a huge difference.’
A constant supply of water is another common concern for South African households, including the Hill-Lewis family.
While the mayor acknowledged this, he remains confident that fears of a second Day Zero can go unfulfilled thanks to the City of Cape Town’s contingency plans.
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‘We used to have JoJo tanks in our old house but now we just have the normal municipal supply,’ he added. ‘Fortunately, we (CoCT) are working hard to make sure we beat both loadshedding and avoid another Day Zero.’
This may be easier said than done, with semigration likely to see a population explosion in the city in the next few years.
However, Hill-Lewis is confident that the CoCT is taking the right steps to address these concerns in a timely manner.
In the final part of our series, we look at what the CoCT is doing to avoid a crisis in years to come as we discuss the mayor’s vision for Cape Town and the importance of creating a model for other South African cities to follow.
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Picture: Supplied / CoCT