Hout and About
May 2010
The publication of the Residents’ Association of Hout Bay
rahb@houtbay.org.za
www.houtbay.org.za
View of Hout Bay from Chapman’s Peak
|
In this issue: |
|
Len’s
Lines: A message from the Chairperson |
|
Speaking out
against the abuse of power |
|
New
rules applying to juvenile delinquents |
|
Crime
and the 2010 FIFA World Cup |
|
Fixing
the fire hydrants in |
|
A
raw deal for ratepayers |
|
Tackling the
problems of Imizamu Yethu |
|
Preserving |
|
Can we stop the Cape
Town Zoning Scheme (CTZS)? |
|
‘Stad Amsterdam’ visits |
|
To join the Residents Association |
Len’s
Lines
A
message from the Chairperson of the Residents’ Association of
On the morning of Friday 16 April we learnt with shock and outrage of
the horrific murder of Conrad Griss - the son of Charles Griss, a member and
long-time supporter of our Association - following an armed robbery at his
parents’ house in
My primary duty is to extend condolences, on behalf of the Residents’
Association, to Conrad’s family, and my deepest personal sympathy.
This senseless act of violence throws into sharp relief, once again, the
rising incidence of crime in our community and the inadequacies of the local
police force. It is worth mentioning
that we have approximately 1 policeman to every 1000 residents in
I wish to state, categorically, that it is our intention to work with,
and not against, the local authorities - including the police force - to
address the issues and problems in our area.
That said, it is also our duty to monitor the activities of the
authorities and to fight any abuse of power on their part. We will not hesitate to report on any
perceived shortcomings and we vigorously defend out Constitutional right to
freedom of speech in this regard (see also the article on the treatment of
Johann van Blerck in the April issue of Hout
and About).
Against that background, we were appalled by the “suspension” of Rob
Paterson, the recently appointed Chairman of the Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch,
by Lt. Col Xesha, the Hout Bay SAPF Station Commissioner, purportedly for for
discussing the increase in violent crime in
We include in this
issue of Hout and About and on our
website - www.houtbay.org.za/SupplementHoutAbout.html#PowerAbuse
(click on this link to be directed to the
relevant section) – excerpts from the protest against the
“suspension” of Rob Paterson raised by members of this Association, prominent
community leaders and other concerned citizens.
I am pleased to report that as a result of this protest and the ultimate
intervention of Minister Mark Wiley, MPP, Community Safety Portfolio, Chairman in
the Government of the
We note with
interest that Minister Lennit Max, the Minister of Community Safety in the
In closing, I call
upon all residents to continue to oppose the abuse of powers and the flagrant
disregard for justice on the part of civic authorities.
Len
Swimmer
Chairperson,
Residents Association of
Tel: 021 790 0268;
Email: lens@telkomsa.net
Speaking
out against the abuse of power
The “suspension” of
Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch Chairperson Rob Paterson by Hout Bay SAPF Station
Commissioner Lt. Col Xesha - purportedly for criticising the lack of police
resources in our community in the media - has been widely reported. We include here excerpts from some of the
views of prominent citizens as an indication of the outrage that this action
provoked. (See our website - www.houtbay.org.za/SupplementHoutAbout.html#PowerAbuse
- for the full statement of Councillor Haywood, together with a statement
released by MEC Mark Wiley).
Len
Swimmer, Chairman of Residents’ Association (email to Lt. Col Xesha): “Dear Madam, this is to advise you that we are appalled at the suspension
of Rob Paterson and wish to register our disappointment in the manner in which
this was done. We believe that your action is procedurally flawed and not
consistent with the audi alteram partem rule and the laws of natural justice and ask that you
set this suspension aside with immediate effect.”
Jimmie Birch, Resident of Scott Estate (email to
Marga Haywood, DA
Ward 74 Councillor (email to Lennit Max, Minister of Community Safety): “The actions of
Colonel Xesha were not only ultra vires, but also in
contravention of the procedural fairness requirement in s33 of the
National Constitution. Mr. Paterson was not informed that the meeting, which
was called for another purpose, was going to deal with any purported misconduct
on his side, nor was he given an opportunity to state his case or to apply his
mind before he was summarily suspended. Apart from the procedural deficit, and
the lack of authority, there was also no substance to the purported charges,
which were never formally put to him.
Should such usurpation of authority by SAPF be tolerated, it will
certainly be a defeat for democracy.”
Chris Hudson,
Penelope Brown, Residents’ Association of
Sheryl Ozinsky, Chairperson Oh Watch (Weekly Blog): “It would indeed be a sad day for this
country if neighbourhood watch organisations were gagged when the very reason
they were brought into being is to communicate honestly with residents in order
to create safe neighbourhoods for everyone to enjoy. At a time when SAPS, the neighbourhood watch and the community of
New rules applying to juvenile delinquents
New regulations applying to the treatment of juveniles (persons under
the age of 17) who are accused of committing crimes provides some cause for
concern to
As Residents’ Association Chairman Len Swimmer points out, these new
rules do not necessarily bode well for an area like Hout Bay where we have a
sprawling slum-like squatter camp in our midst, thousands of illegal squatters
and a heavily ‘Tik’-infested area in Hangberg. In his words (following notification by the
Hout Bay SAPF to apply the new rules): “I think Hout Bay
will be alone in following these new rules and we are the last place that
should abide by these new rules.”
The new rule states
that “If it is necessary for a child, who is
alleged to have committed an offence, to be transported in a police vehicle,
the child must, as far as reasonably possible, be transported — (a) in
an unmarked police vehicle. If this is not possible, and the child has
to be transported in a marked police vehicle, the child must — (i)
preferably be transported in a sedan police vehicle; and (ii) if the child has
to be transported in a marked police van, the child must be transported
in the cabin of the van and not in the back of the van; and (b) separately from
adults.”
Crime
and the 2010 FIFA World Cup
With the 2010 FIFA
World Cup now only a matter of weeks away, excitement levels are rising
rapidly, and with good justification, as the anticipated influx of tourists
provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase our country.
87% of
respondents have not visited
While
this is good news for the local economy, not surprisingly 81% rate crime and
personal safety as their top concern when visiting the country. For 51% cost is also a drawback.
Fixing the fire hydrants in
Hout Bay
The issue of
non-functioning fire hydrants in
He advises that during
the course of recent earthworks outside his property a fire hydrant was
uncovered. He requested the local fire department to test the hydrant, which
they promptly did, only to discover that the hydrant was not working and had
not worked since its installment, estimated at some 25 years previously.
Following further
investigation, Howard Ball established the following about
·
They are not routinely tested,
·
There is no register of their locations, and that
·
There is no certification indicating a record of their
ability to correctly function.
In his words: “To
my mind it seems pointless to have our very competent fire fighting staff and
not provide them with essential tools.”
By way of response
Gerald Langenhoven of the City’s Fire and Safety Department has said that the inspection of fire hydrants is an
on-going process, which is routinely undertaken. He notes that a faulty fire
hydrant cannot be repaired by the hydrant maintenance team, whose function it
is only to clean, flush and mark the hydrants, but must be referred to the
waterworks department. In addition to
attending to the fire hydrant in question, he has however encouraged residents
to report faulty hydrants and promises prompt action in fixing any hydrant
found to be faulty.
A
raw deal for ratepayers
The draft budget
for the City of
With the tabling of
the draft budget in March, ratepayers will be expected to pay, on average, an
additional 8 percent for services with effect from July 1.
Good Hope
subcouncil chairperson Taki Amira has described the budget as akin to the
"golden goose being slain in the backyard", with the money being
spent "elsewhere".
but their services
are reduced.”
As always, the elderly – retired persons on fixed incomes – will be
particularly hard hit by the increases.
A group of ‘ Concerned Retired Ratepayers’ in Simon’s Town has suggested
that a property owner, on reaching the retirement age of sixty five, should be
allowed to apply to the City to have the valuation of his or her property at
that date ‘frozen’ i.e. to remain unaltered until such time as the property is
sold or transferred. While the City
Council has said that this proposal will be considered as part of the 2010/11
Budget & Public Participation Process, at the time of going to press no
other response has been forthcoming.
Tackling
the problems of Imizamu Yethu
In his address at
the AGM of the Residents Association of Hout Bay, held on 14 April 2010,
Chairman Len Swimmer noted that the Association’s repeated requests for City
Council to be proactive in controlling the influx of people to Imizamo Yethu
and Dontse Yakhe and/or in providing services to the residents which comply
with reasonable community and engineering standards, had been actively ignored.
He therefore
advised members that the Association plans on following a legal route, and is
in the process of commissioning an independent spot assessment of the current environmental/
health dangers.
In outlining the
problems associated with the informal settlements, environmental expert and
Residents’ Association EXCO member Dr Justin O’Riain, describes them as “a
suppurating wound on the side of the mountain, never healing and constantly
discharging a foul and infectious flow of matter into the
While noting that
there have been some improvements with the installation of many more flushing
toilets he points out that these remained permanently locked to all but a few,
which explains the continued wholesale use of the mountainside as an open
latrine for the many non-key holders, and most children.
“It is hard to
believe that one can barely take a step on the slopes of the mountain on all
sides of IY without stepping in human faeces, but sadly this is not an
exaggeration. A small number of 15
randomly sampled stools revealed high levels of gastro-intestinal parasites and
thus this encircling ring of faeces is a effectively a high health risk. Needless to say heavy winter rainfall flushes
these dangerous stools down towards the residents of IY who suffer the most as
the parasite laden faeces start their long journey down to the ocean via the
streets and foot paths of the township.”
Of significant
importance in this regard is the fact that the City of
"Water
quality in the
“Other
contributory factors include sewerage system failures in the formal areas,
urban stormwater runoff, birds and horses. It should be noted that
contamination levels in the lagoon and immediately upstream have remained
essentially constant over the past seven to eight years. No material
improvement in the situation is likely unless the informal settlements in
Please
see the website - www.houtbay.org.za/SupplementHoutAbout.html#TacklingIYproblems – for a full copy of the City of Cape
Town media release, and future editions of Hout
and About for updates on the proposed legal action.
Preserving
A delegation representing the Residents’ Association of Hout Bay, the
Hout Bay & Llandudno Environment Conservation Group, the Imizamu Yethu
branch of SANCO, and the Hout Bay & Llandudno Heritage Trust, recently met
with K Hennessy, Principal Spatial Professional: Districts G & H. The
purpose of the meeting was to find out what could be done to arrange the
production of and acceptance by the City of overlays which the community
organisations in Hout Bay consider essential to the retention of the area’s
unique features that contribute to its status as a prime tourist destination,
sense of place and consequent financial and employment-generating asset for
Cape Town.
The wide ranging discussion highlighted those areas of
·
The Hout Bay
River corridor, between Valley Road and Main Road, which protects erven in this
corridor from being sub-divided below 8000m².
·
Protection of
the erven abutting the Urban Edge around
·
Protection of
the
·
Protection of
the forest grove along
·
The Kronendal Furrow dug by
slaves in the 17th century to serve the Kronendal farm established
back in 1682.
·
Maintenance of
the Urban Edge line in its present position, with regard to both the upper edge
along the mountain and the lower edge on the river and wetland corridor.
·
Identification
of the harbour environs, especially in the area immediately adjacent to the
suburb of Hangberg, as suitable for immediate development for light engineering
industries.
·
The remaining
dune area between the beach and Princess Street.
·
Realignment of
While Mr Hennessy stated that he had taken note of the delegation’s
concerns and would address them as best he could, he also noted that the delegation
“did not represent all shades of opinion in Hout Bay/Llandudno”.
Can we
stop the Cape Town Zoning Scheme (CTZS)?
The Residents
Association has submitted a comprehensive and detailed response to the proposed
Cape Town Zoning Scheme
(CTZS) and Spatial Development Plan (SDP) plans – as reprinted on our website: www.houtbay.org.za/SupplementHoutAbout.html#StopCTZS.
Together the proposed CTZS and SDP plans will
effectively see the entire
‘Stad Amsterdam’ visits
The Hout Bay
Heritage Trust in collaboration with De Nederlandsche Club de Kaapstad were
responsible for the visit on Sunday 25 April of the Dutch Clipper "Stad
Amsterdam" to Hout Bay, where it took on board special guests before
proceeding to Cape Town.
The ship is retracing Charles Darwin's historic
circumnavigation voyage of discovery from which his
famous book the "Origin of the Species" evolved and
will shortly start its final leg on its way back to its home port.
To
join the Residents Association:
Contact us via
email on rahb@houtbay.org.za
Membership forms
available from Chairperson (see above) or Hout Bay Library
Membership fee: R50
per couple; R30 per individual
Banking details for
payment of subscriptions:
(Payment may be
made electronically or manually via our wooden box at the Library or by post at
Post Office Box 27031,