'City fails to spend millions on Cape Flats projects’ - Fransman

By Celeste Ganga
20 March 2008

The Western Cape Transport and Public Works MEC Marius Fransman has expressed anger at the City of Cape Town for being “anti-poor” after it surfaced that since the 2002/03 financial year, the City has failed to spend millions of rands that were meant for public transport infrastructure on the Cape Flats.

A statement released by the Department stated that the MEC said an overwhelmingly high percentage of an amount of R137.7-million that had been transferred from the Province to the City had been earmarked for projects in places such as Nyanga, Gugulethu, Athlone and Mitchells Plain. But only about 60 percent of the total amount had allegedly been spent.

“I’m deeply concerned – and angry about this. There seems to be a far too blasé attitude in some quarters in the City when it comes to service delivery for the poor. The City is claiming to have spent 91 percent of its total funding, but my Department is still waiting for it to provide us with updated progress reports,” said the statement.

Fransman will be writing a letter to Mayor of Cape Town Helen Zille regarding the issue. He warned that if the Mayor doesn’t act speedily, he will have no choice but to withdraw any future funding to the City.

Robert McDonald spokesperson for the Mayor denies such claims and says that the MEC is misleading the public.