Patricia de Lille proved to be a hot ticket speaker at the first Cape Times Breakfast hosted at the Cape Town Hotel School Restaurant in Granger Bay.
A mix of Cape Times subscribers and editorial staff, media from various outlets and social justice groups gathered to listen to the politically embattled mayor talk about spatial transformation.
Introducing the mayor, Independent Newspapers Regional Marketing Manager Vernon Adams welcomed the Cape Town Hotel School into a new partnership. The Cape Town Hotel School forms part of CPUT’s Faculty of Business and Management Sciences’ portfolio.
Adams pointed out that the Cape Times Breakfast was notable not only because of the topics of discussion raised by speakers but also for the way the venue showed that Cape Town was a place of empowerment.
He drew everyone’s attention to the waiters who are all CPUT students: “It is an accomplished team,” said Adams.
Welcoming de Lille to the Granger Bay Campus Head of School: Sports Events Tourism and Hospitality Management Mandisa Silo said the mayor’s presence had brought a bit of excitement to the campus, “but we are used to that.”
“We prepare our students for greatness,” said Silo.
De Lille started off by alluding to her forthcoming court challenge to interdict the City from declaring a mayoral but she quickly shifted gears to first enumerate Cape Town’s achievements as a sought-after tourism destination and World Design Capital of 2014.
She spent the bulk of her time working through what changes would be wrought in 11 areas around the City according to the City’s Transit-Oriented Development Strategic Framework which dovetails with the national government’s Integrated Urban Development.
“To correct the apartheid spatial planning we need to first acknowledge our history.
“The emphasis is now on building a more inclusive and equitable city,” said de Lille.
She called it an indictment on government leaders that we have not done more to reverse that planning over the past two decades but pointed out that this Strategy, adopted by City of Cape Town in 2016, will change how the city is oriented, creating growth and development opportunities around transport hubs.
Once the Q&A session was opened things got heated with representatives of social justice organisations challenging de Lille on various issues around development of high density housing.
Adams eventually reluctantly had to call an end to the Cape Times Breakfast which by then was running over scheduled time.
*The Cape Times Breakfast will host four more events at the Cape Town Hotel School Restaurant.
 |
 |
 |
Written by Theresa Smith
Email: