Latest news with #GeordinHill-Lewis
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Sound On: Cape Town's iconic clock tower gets a glow-up
The City Hall clock, in the heart of the CBD, hasn't worked properly for nearly 15 years. But thanks to the dedication of a local engineer and one self-taught horologist, this grand old clock is ticking and set to be chiming again soon. Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has just dropped a behind-the-scenes look at the painstaking restoration of the iconic clock tower, once the tallest building in the city about 120 years ago when it was first built. Earlier in 2022, horologist Alexios Vicatos successfully repaired the time-keeping mechanism. Now, under the guidance of local engineer Marius Schoemant, the restoration of the chime mechanism is set to be fully complete between June and July. Watch the Mayor's video t o get a rare peek inside the clock tower: Cape Town's heritage tourism is alive and ticking This iconic clock is ticking time-traveller proof that Cape Town knows how to fix the past without necessarily losing the plot. The City Hall's balcony is also where former president Nelson Mandela delivered his first speech as a free man to a throng of supporters looking on from the Grand Parade. Don't miss the chance to grab a snap with the life-size statue of the great Nobel Peace Prize winner on the City Hall balcony. There is also an exhibition inside City Hall dedicated to Madiba and his long walk to freedom. You'll also find the Cape Town Tourism Visitor Experience Centre located on the ground floor. They're packed with local advice and a few gift ideas celebrating the Mother City. And the City Hall isn't only about politics. You can also experience a Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra performance in the historic main hall, with its grand acoustics and vintage charm. Set your clocks for a lunchtime date Head to City Hall around 12 pm, grab a gatsby, park off on the parade and soak in the steampunk vibes. You might hear the bells ring out for the first time in nearly 20 years. There is instant local cred in being able to say, " I was there when that old clock came back to life.' Check out this interview with the Mayor himself, as he shares a few of his favourite things to do in the Mother City. TIME OUT RECOMMENDS:
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Cape Town Mayor unveils budget changes to ease ratepayer burden
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announces major tariff cuts and confirms the City's R40 billion infrastructure commitment during the tabling of the amended 2025/26 "Invested in Hope" budget . Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has tabled major changes to the City's 2025/26 "Invested in Hope" budget, slashing proposed tariffs to ease the burden on ratepayers, while maintaining an ambitious infrastructure investment plan valued at R40 billion. Hill-Lewis said that these additional measures will complement the existing wide-ranging relief already contained in this budget He confirmed that the relief will 'bring meaningful relief to more homes, with bills lowering by up to 35% compared to the March budget for households under R7 million in value.' Responding to feedback from Capetonians, the mayor said the amended budget will result in 'meaningfully lower increases to bills' compared to the version tabled in March. 'We have listened carefully to ratepayers in higher value properties,' Hill-Lewis said. 'And do agree that not everyone in higher value homes is wealthy or cash-flush.'
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Cape Town Budget: Reduced tariffs, more pensioner relief, R40bn infrastructure
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announces major tariff cuts and confirms the City's R40 billion infrastructure commitment during the tabling of the amended 2025/26 "Invested in Hope" budget . Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has tabled major changes to the City's 2025/26 "Invested in Hope" budget, slashing proposed tariffs to ease the burden on ratepayers, while maintaining an ambitious infrastructure investment plan valued at R40 billion. Hill-Lewis said that these additional measures will complement the existing wide-ranging relief already contained in this budget He confirmed that the relief will 'bring meaningful relief to more homes, with bills lowering by up to 35% compared to the March budget for households under R7 million in value.' Responding to feedback from Capetonians, the mayor said the amended budget will result in 'meaningfully lower increases to bills' compared to the version tabled in March. 'We have listened carefully to ratepayers in higher value properties,' Hill-Lewis said. 'And do agree that not everyone in higher value homes is wealthy or cash-flush.' The city has extended the rates-free benefit from R5 million to R7 million in property value and raised the qualifying income threshold for pensioner rebates from R22,000 to R27,000 per month. 'A pensioner rebate for City-Wide Cleaning has also been included, which will offer up to 100% off this charge,' he announced. Homes valued at R1.2 million will see up to 15% lower monthly bills, while those between R5 million and R7 million could see reductions of up to 40%. According to the mayor, 'the relief will be even greater' for pensioners. Yet despite this extensive relief, the City is not backing down on infrastructure. 'We cannot cut or re-phase this City's infrastructure budget. There are no luxury or optional major infrastructure projects in this budget that are not urgently needed,' Hill-Lewis said. He added that 75% of the R40 billion budget 'will directly benefit lower-income households.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Projects include upgrades to wastewater plants, sewer and water pipe replacements, new water sources, and the ongoing MyCiTi expansion from Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain to Wynberg and Constantia. 'These are just some of the reasons why we must keep intact our South African-record R40bn infrastructure budget,' he said. Fixed charges will remain part of the system to ensure financial sustainability. 'Many costs are fixed in nature, pipelines, trucks, chemicals, cables, staff to service it all,' Hill-Lewis explained. 'These costs remain no matter how much people consume, and so fixed costs must be met with a portion of fixed revenue.' He stressed the importance of fairness in how the city funds services. 'We cannot sustainably run a city where a R50 million household makes the same fixed contribution to water and sanitation infrastructure as a R500,000 household. Let's call that what it is, regressive taxation, and we oppose it.' On electricity pricing, Hill-Lewis confirmed that from July, the per-unit charge will decrease. 'This is made possible by discontinuing the 10% cost embedded in electricity prices that previously paid for city-wide cleaning.' Hill-Lewis dismissed reports of skyrocketing increases, stating, '97% of ratepayers won't experience the often-repeated +20% increase in monthly bills, and virtually no one will experience a 30% increase on any reasonable household consumption scenario, let alone the fabled 40% of a recent clickbait report.' He concluded by reaffirming the City's long-term vision: 'We are well on the path of raised infrastructure investment, together with ratepayers whom we most warmly thank for their contributions, we are truly on the path to building a city of hope for all.' IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Eyewitness News
5 days ago
- Eyewitness News
After Chris Hani rail corridor reopened, Hill-Lewis keen to see full train service resume in CT
CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said he was happy to see trains moving again in the city, albeit at a reduced scale. The mayor accompanied Minister of Transport Barbra Creecy, her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, and members of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) board, who reopened the Chris Hani corridor in Khayelitsha on Thursday. This is one of the crucial links in Cape Town's central rail network. Services in this line came to a screeching halt in November 2019 due to widespread theft and vandalism. PRASA said that of the 124 Metrorail train stations in the province, only three did not have train access. Cape Town's central line is considered the backbone of public transport in the Western Cape, ferrying more than half a million train commuters when operating at its peak. Hill-Lewis said that the normal resumption of train services would be beneficial for all Capetonians. "At the moment, it's costing you more than R40 to use a minibus taxi to get to town, and this is going to bring the cost for every resident of Khayelitsha down significantly. It's going to save you money, it's going to save you time - this is a very important public service." PRASA said that full train services on the line would resume as soon as the three remaining train stations were reopened in a few months' time.
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Community activists accuse DA-led City of undemocratic practices
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. Image: City of Cape Town/Supplied CIVIL society organisations have described as undemocratic the City's decision to allegedly deny the opportunity to attend the tabling of the budget on Wednesday. Advocate Rod Solomons, convenor of the #SA1stForum and coordinator of the Push Back Against the City Of Cape Town's Proposed Unaffordable Rates and Service Increases campaign, had planned to attend after he was invited by a councillor, until he was informed guests were no longer allowed to attend the meeting. In a notice, the City noted that 'limited seating' was available for councillors' guests and media only. 'Interested members of the public can follow the meeting via a live audio feed on Youtube'. GOOD councillor Wesley Neumann noted that they were informed seating had been reserved for officials who worked on the budget document and members of the media. However, pictures of the gallery on the day seemingly showed scores of empty seats which could have accommodated members of the public with a vested interest in the meeting. Solomons said: 'The DA is supposedly the paragon of openness and regularly took the national government to court to demand transparency. The decision by the DA-led City of Cape Town to prohibit members of the public from attending the upcoming Council meeting where the Mayor will introduce the budget is deeply concerning and fundamentally undemocratic. This threatens the open and transparent governance that residents of Cape Town deserve and undermines the principles of accountability and public participation that are vital to a healthy democracy. ' He said transparency must be preserved to ensure that the budget process remains open, inclusive, and accountable to the people it serves. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Speaker Felicity Purchase said Wednesday's Special Council and Ordinary Council meeting were open, public meetings given that proceedings were livestreamed. 'Only the in-committee portion of the meeting is closed to the public as has always been the practice.' Purchase said she determines and gives approval to individuals who request gallery access. 'Given that gallery seating is limited, my office cannot accommodate all requests. My office often receives group requests and has accommodated members of the public, students, choirs, sports teams, local, national and international delegations and must prioritize seating accordingly. 'In this instance… gallery access was prioritised for officials who worked on the budget and accredited members of the press as per my determination as Speaker.' 'Over the last few weeks my Office has also had reports from many councillors who have received death threats and cases have been opened with SAPS in this regard. As such we are also being cautious to protect and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our public representatives,' Purchase said. Mayor Gordin Hill-Lewis in a statement said they had listened to the public and adjusted the budget. 'Extending the 'first R450 000 rates-free' benefit to all homes up to R7 million property valuation (up from R5m). More pensioners to benefit by raising the qualifying threshold to R27 000 monthly income per household (up from R22 000), regardless of property value, SA's widest criteria for pensioner support. Reducing City-wide cleaning charges for all residential properties under R20m compared to the tabled March 2025/26 budget. A pensioner rebate for City-Wide Cleaning has also been included, which will offer up to 100% off this charge. Lower fixed water charges for property value bands between R1m and R25m compared to the March tabled budget draft. 'The above relief measures will lead to lower total monthly bills compared to the March budget. From July, the per unit electricity charge for customers on the Home User and Domestic tariffs is going down. This is made possible by discontinuing the 10% cost embedded in electricity prices that previously paid for city-wide cleaning. We have considered the petition by the Cape Town Collective Ratepayers Association, which calls for the raising of electricity prices instead of a City-Wide Cleaning Tariff. Our modelling shows this will negatively impact households, and that it is better to pursue other means of relief,' said Hill-Lewis.
