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IOL News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Join the public participation for Tafelberg housing development starting May 21
The public participation process into the contentious Tafelberg site in Sea Point, which housing activists have called to be used for social housing, has begun. The first step of the process is set to take place on May 21 at the Life Conference Centre in Sea Point. According to ward councillor, Nicola Jowell, the process seeks to gain communication from the residents. 'Public participation: The Province has sent out an invitation to attend an information session on the site enablement of the Consolidated Erf 1424 – RE (including unregistered Erf 1675), 353 Main Road, Sea Point East (Tafelberg Site)," she said. "This is the first step in the public engagement process. "It is aimed at providing interested and affected parties with essential information and an opportunity to engage directly in the co-creation process from an early stage,' she said. Infrastructure MEC, Tertuis Simmers, said they were happy that the process was ready to begin. 'I am very pleased with the good progress being made in providing mixed-use, affordable housing in the inner city. 'In terms of the Tafelberg development, we have now sent out invitations to the first information session on the site enablement of the property. 'The engagement aims to equip interested and affected parties with key information and create an opportunity for them to actively participate in the co-creation process from the outset," said Simmers. In February, the Constitutional Court reserved judgment in the matter involving activists' plight of spatial apartheid against the City, Western Cape Government, the Premier and Transport and Public Works MEC, over the site. . The activists took their plight to the apex court to appeal the Supreme Court of Appeal's judgment handed down last year, which ruled in favour of the Western Cape Government. The property is over 1.7 hectares in size and has a legacy of forced removals. Until 2010, a portion of the land was used as the provincial education department's Tafelberg Remedial School and a portion known as erf 1675 and 1424 was used by the provincial department of human settlements as affordable state-rental housing known as the Wyngard Mansions site. The application was prompted following the sale of the Tafelberg property known as 'The Tafelberg Site" to the highest bidder - the Phyllis Jowell Jewish Day School at the price tag of R135 million in 2015. Earlier this year, Simmers and Jaco Londt for the Western Cape Social Development announced that a portion of the site be allocated for social services, while the other portion is proposed to be utilised for affordable housing. Cape Argus
IOL News
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
AA reports 45. 6% drop in road deaths during Easter weekend 2025
The AA has commended law enforcement departments for the decline in road deaths during the past Easter weekend Image: Western Cape Government The Automobile Association (AA) has expressed optimism following the encouraging statistics from the Easter 2025 period, which showed a remarkable decrease in vehicle collisions and fatalities on South African roads. The positive outcomes of this period are attributed to enhanced planning, robust law enforcement, and effective partnerships aimed at saving lives. According to official statistics, road crashes plummeted by 32.5% while fatalities saw a stunning decline of 45.6% compared to Easter 2024. This is the lowest number of fatalities recorded during the Easter period in the last three years, representing a significant milestone for road safety advocates across the nation. 'We commend all those who played a role in this outcome—from government departments at all levels, to civil society organisations, public transport operators, law enforcement officers, private sector stakeholders, and community leaders,' said AA CEO Bobby Ramagwede. 'Through coordinated efforts, we are finally beginning to see measurable improvements in road safety.' The success of the campaign launched in anticipation of the Easter peak travel period establishes a promising precedent for the remainder of 2025. The AA attributed these achievements to a combination of high-visibility law enforcement and impactful public education initiatives such as the #GotHomeSafe campaign, which significantly influenced road user behaviour. During this Easter travel period, law enforcement reported that 2,018 vehicles were discontinued and 1,536 vehicles were impounded. These figures highlight ongoing concerns about the roadworthiness of vehicles in South Africa. In response, the AA has reiterated its longstanding call for annual roadworthy testing for all vehicles, which currently only requires assessment at the point of sale or upon ownership change. 'Removing unroadworthy vehicles from our roads is as important as promoting responsible driving,' Ramagwede emphasised. 'A vehicle in poor mechanical condition is a threat to everyone. Annual roadworthiness testing will be a critical step toward reducing crashes and fatalities caused by mechanical failure.' Although the overall decline in crashes and fatalities is a cause for celebration, the AA raised alarm over the rise in fatalities in Mpumalanga and the concerning statistic that nearly 50% of all road fatalities now involve pedestrians. These figures highlight the urgent need for intensified awareness campaigns targeting vulnerable road users and improving infrastructure and law enforcement in high-risk areas. 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. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕
IOL News
23-04-2025
- IOL News
Easter weekend road fatalities in the Western Cape show slight decrease
The Western Cape Government reports a decline in road fatalities, with 22 deaths recorded compared to 26 last year. Image: Western Cape Government Road deaths declined from 26 last Easter to 22 this year, with a further 23 fatal shootings, six confirmed suicides and one drowning. The latest and final data provided by the Western Cape Government shows a total of 22 fatal crashes between April 17 and April 21. The fatalities were 14 pedestrians, five passengers, two drivers and one motorcyclist The Western Cape Mobility Department's Provincial Traffic Services conducted 784 integrated operations across the province during this period, including roadblocks, vehicle check points and speed control operations. During integrated operations, over 30 000 vehicles were stopped and checked, with just over 19 000 fines issued for various offences, 8 714 speeding violations recorded and 226 arrests made, of which 181 were for driving under the influence of alcohol. 'The Western Cape Government is encouraged by the slight decline in road-related fatalities over the 2025 Easter weekend, but continues to urge all road users to make responsible choices on the road, especially as another long weekend approaches. Teams from the Western Cape Government's Mobility Department and the Department of Health and Wellness were out in full force across the province to assist road users, enforce road safety, and respond to emergencies during the peak travel period,' said the Western Cape Government. They added that between 7am on Friday and 7am on Tuesday, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) logged a total of 7 988 incidents. The most frequent calls were for non-cardiac related pain, assault-related injuries, transport-related emergencies including 85 pedestrian vehicle accidents, and 104 motor vehicle accidents. They explained that hospitals across the province also managed high volumes at their emergency centres and that 16 395 patient episodes were recorded over the weekend. Of these 3 624 were trauma-related cases. The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness Forensic Pathology Service (FPS) also responded to a number of fatalities over the Easter weekend, with 23 fatal shootings, six confirmed suicides and one drowning. Health MEC Mireille Wenger said: "The sustained demand on our healthcare services highlights the vital role our healthcare workers play across the province - responding with skill, compassion, and unwavering dedication. Each call and each hospital visit represents a person in crisis. We are deeply aware of the emotional and physical toll this takes - not only on our staff, but also on affected families. Preventing trauma is a shared responsibility. We urge residents to continue practising road safety, avoid abusing alcohol, and treat healthcare workers with respect. A safer province is only possible when we all do our part. Thank you to our EMS and hospital teams who worked throughout the long weekend, and for the care and commitment you continue to show our residents." Muneera Allie, Mobility spokesperson, added: 'We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones who lost someone on our roads this weekend. While it is encouraging to see a reduction in road fatalities this Easter compared to last year, we must not lose sight of the fact that every life lost is one too many. All road users are reminded that safety is a shared responsibility. Please obey road rules, avoid reckless behaviour, and ensure that you are fit to drive, not tired or under the influence." Cape Argus
