Report Back – December 2024
Dear Napier Residents,
As 2024 draws to a close, I’d like to combine my feedback for November and December while taking a moment to wish everyone a joyful festive season and a prosperous new year!
It’s heartening to see the incredible work being done in our community by various organizations and individuals. While the Napier Residents Association (NRA) focuses on bridging the gap between residents and local government, we deeply appreciate and support the efforts of others.
Community Highlights
- The new “Welcome to Napier” sign has been installed and the drive for improved tourism – thank you to everyone involved!
- Youth activities hosted by NADs, NASOG, Elpida, and the CPF’s Spiritual Crime Prevention have been a wonderful start to the holidays. I had the privilege of participating, engaging with over 110 enthusiastic children on the first day.
- Exciting news: the Heritage Inventory and Heritage Area have been approved by Heritage Western Cape, marking a significant milestone for preserving Napier’s charm.
Safety and Municipal Engagement
However, concerns remain about safety near the river behind the sports fields and schools. Despite meetings with the Department of Social Services, Child Welfare, and CAM administration, progress has been disappointing. We will persist in pushing for solutions.
Informal Settlement Updates
Collaboration with the Informal Settlement Committee has highlighted ongoing challenges:
- Training commitments from CAM remain unmet.
- Surveys reveal illegal rental units, including one property with seven dwellings.
We continue to address these issues, including unlicensed shebeens, and press CAM for accountability. If there is a shortage of land this must be addressed but the current situation cannot persist.
Road Infrastructure
There have been some developments regarding road maintenance:
- Stormwater trenches have been dug, and roads graded or repaired.
- Additional stormwater trenches are planned, though we await approval for crossing private land in certain areas.
- The bridge repairs have been delayed due to CAM’s failure to issue tenders on time, which we will continue addressing to avoid further setbacks.
- Unfortunately, for severely damaged roads, funding reallocation within the CAM budget will be required.
Traffic Calming and Safety
Traffic calming measures remain an ongoing challenge:
- Requests for calming measures, particularly on Sarel Cilliers Street, have spanned over a decade with little progress.
- Provincial Government has shifted responsibility to CAM, which has failed to meet its commitment to station a traffic officer in Napier on a semi-permanent basis.
- While we address these issues, CAM Traffic has increased enforcement on Friday, with fines issued for violations. Please note that both marked and unmarked vehicles are being used for enforcement.
- We encourage residents to drive safely, to keep to a speed of 40km/h within Napier’s narrow or dirt roads to protect all road users in consideration of residents.
Policy Updates
- The new Solar (SSEG) Policy aligns better with our proposals.
- An Events Policy was passed without public comment – we’ll follow up on transparency.
- The Animal Bylaw approval is pending, and we’ll advocate for its finalization.
We urge residents to read council meeting agendas to stay informed on decisions impacting Napier.
Food Safety Checks
- As part of a food safety initiative, CAM conducted law enforcement inspections of local shops and spazas to ensure compliance with food safety standards and to check for expired goods. Many establishments were found not meeting the required health standards and were temporarily closed on Friday until they could comply. This is an important step in safeguarding the health of our community, and we encourage all businesses to maintain these standards to protect their customers.
Looking Ahead
As 2025 approaches, we are optimistic about changes in CAM’s senior management and other key departments. CAM senior management changes have included a new Director: Management Services and Director: Financial & Information Management. At other levels is a new manager within Building Control, Acting Manager for Electrical Services and Acting Manager for Law Enforcement and Traffic. We hope these new appointments will lead to improved service delivery.
Outside of the Municipal environment it has been noted the reporting of Suidernuus on happenings within Napier and keeping residents informed of activities within CAM. Thanks to Suidernuus for the reporting they have done throughout the year.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to my fellow NRA Executive members – thank you for your dedication and teamwork. I look forward to what we’ll accomplish together in the year ahead.
Wishing you all a happy and safe festive season!
Warm regards,
Kevin Poulter
NRA Chair
