CoCT invests R39.7 billion into 'making Cape Town a safer place for everyone' – Hill-Lewis

Amy MacIver (standing in for CapeTalk's John Maytham on Afternoon Drive) interviews Mayor of the City of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Listen below:

The City of Cape Town is making a historic investment in safety and infrastructure, with Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis unveiling the ‘Invested in Hope’ Budget for 2025/26.

This ambitious plan includes a three-year infrastructure investment of R39.7 billion, surpassing the combined budgets of the three Gauteng metros.

The City will also see the deployment of more than 700 new municipal police officers, marking Cape Town’s largest single-year safety investment to date.

Hill-Lewis explains that of these officers, 220 will be dedicated to providing armed escort services for frontline staff.

“We’re not going to give up the fight,” Hill-Lewis says, emphasising the City’s ongoing commitment to safety.

He says that the aim is to "make Cape Town a safer place for everyone.” 

"We are trying everything we possibly can to get crime stats in Cape Town, and indeed South Africa, to move the right way."

- Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor – City of Cape Town

Hill-Lewis explains that their strategy so far has concentrated on communities most affected by violent crime, and this focus will continue.

However, the new officer deployment will differ in that they will be evenly distributed across all wards in the city.

"Every ward's going to get five or six dedicated officers."

- Geordin Hill-Lewis, Mayor – City of Cape Town

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.