By Akani Nkuna
The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Saturday announced incumbent Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis as its mayoral candidate for the upcoming local government elections, backing him for a second term at the helm of South Africa’s second-largest metro.
Speaking at the party’s campaign launch in Hanover Park, Hill-Lewis outlined a five-point plan centred on stronger policing, job creation, affordable housing, reliable municipal services and cleaner public spaces.
He said the city had made significant progress during his first term but warned against complacency.
“As much as we’ve done, there is always much more to do. We cannot be complacent, we must keep moving Cape Town forward,” Hill-Lewis told supporters.
The mayor acknowledged that rapid population growth in Cape Town had increased pressure on housing, transport and municipal services, saying the city needed “bold, practical action” to meet rising demand.
He pledged to intensify efforts to improve living conditions for residents living in poverty and said the DA would continue spending public funds “efficiently and effectively” while keeping municipal property rates among the lowest in the country.
On crime, Hill-Lewis said Cape Town could no longer rely solely on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to keep communities safe.
“We know the truth: SAPS is failing too many communities. It is under-resourced, badly led and, in many places, corrupt officers are in corrupt relationships with gangs,” he said.
He announced plans to establish a Metro Police Detective Unit and continue lobbying for greater policing powers for the city.
“The only way we will live without fear is if we build our own policing capacity,” he said.
Hill-Lewis also highlighted Cape Town’s economic performance, claiming the city had created 480,000 jobs over the past four-and-a-half years, more than any other metro in South Africa.
He said a second-term DA administration would continue cutting red tape, streamlining licensing processes and investing heavily in infrastructure to attract investment and create jobs.
On service delivery, Hill-Lewis promised to reduce the city’s dependence on Eskom by procuring additional electricity from independent power producers and passing savings on to residents.
He also committed the city to replacing 100 kilometres of water pipes and 100 kilometres of sewer pipes annually to improve basic services and reduce infrastructure failures.
Addressing the housing crisis, Hill-Lewis said the city would expand its affordable rental housing programme through partnerships with the private sector and release more municipal land for affordable and social housing developments.
“We will release more City land for affordable housing. We will upgrade informal settlements and protect communities from unlawful land occupation because illegal occupation does not solve the housing crisis, it makes it worse,” he said.
Hill-Lewis further announced that commercial operators of short-term rentals would be taxed at business rates to help ease pressure on Cape Town’s housing market.
The mayor also renewed his focus on urban cleanliness, an issue he described as a personal passion.
“You’ve seen how much I love picking up litter. It is a passion, or even an obsession of mine,” he said.
He vowed to expand cleaning services in informal settlements, crack down on illegal dumping and littering, and continue investing in parks, beaches and other public spaces.
Hill-Lewis said the city would also expand access to Safe Spaces and social support programmes for homeless residents, while maintaining that public spaces could not be permanently occupied by people refusing assistance.
Concluding his address, he urged residents to judge the DA not only on its promises but on its record in government.
“Judge us by what we have already done. Judge us by the fact that Cape Town keeps moving forward while so much of South Africa has gone backwards,” he said.
The DA’s announcement formally launches Hill-Lewis’s bid to secure another five-year term as mayor and retain the party’s control of the City of Cape Town.
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