Ramaphosa, Hill-Lewis' spat 'misses the real point'

POLITICAL parties have not held back in their criticism of both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis after they got into a verbal clash over service delivery within the City of Cape Town (CoCT).

- THEOLIN TEMBO

It was during a question-and-answer session in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament, on Tuesday, when the president criticised the City, saying that despite its good performance in measures of financial governance, the City has not reduced inequality.

"The City of Cape Town shares many of the challenges faced by other metros, including rapid urbanisation and population shifts, which increase pressure on services such as housing, water and sanitation," he said.

Ramaphosa said that the legacy of apartheid spatial planning placed many townships and informal settlements far from economic hubs and service centres.

"Census data shows that between 2011 and 2022, Cape Town performed worse than the average of all metros in expanding access to services such as refuse removal, piped water, electricity and flush toilets."