City asks for help

Johan van der Merwe, mayoral committee member for finance,City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town asks residents to help prevent damages and loss across the city

There is nothing as valuable to a local government as residents taking an active role in their communities. It makes government better.

One of the practical ways in which residents can assist is to report theft, vandalism, damage or other potentially problematic issues relating to the City of Cape Town’s property and infrastructure before they lead to greater damage and loss. Prevention is key.

The City’s insurance department deals with many claims and in many instances these claims could have been avoided.

We therefore urge residents to report potholes on the road surface and uncovered manholes – especially because in our experience, the most common and unfortunate incidents of loss and damage being claimed for are as a result of such unreported cases.

Any vandalism of City infrastructure, including but not limited to electrical sub-stations, overhead cables, and illegal electrical connections, should be reported.

These are often extremely high-risk cases which, if not reported, can have detrimental effects on the surrounding community.

We always welcome reports of trees located in public areas or on sidewalks which members of the public identify to be potentially problematic or which require trimming, as well as reports of leaks in water meters or bursts pipes, which of course is particularly crucial during this time of drought.

Residents may call the City on 0860 103 089 or send an SMS to 31373 for water and sewer faults or SMS 31220 for electricity faults to obtain a reference number as your proof of the case being reported.