Fan need a fix? Favourite shirt in need of a mend? Sewing machine stuck? Why not bring them to the Cape Town Repair Cafe?! What is it? A free event with volunteer repairers to help get you started on that fix you’ve been meaning to get to but weren’t quite sure where to start. Maybe…
Community Manifesto
In the lead-up to the election, the Umbrella Civic has committed to leading a process of developing a Community Manifesto to represent the commitments of the people in our ward (Salt River, Observatory, Woodstock, Walmer Estate, University Estate) which will from this election onwards be Ward 92 (you can browse the 2026 ward boundaries here…
How “miracle plant” spekboom is helping revive South Africa’s Eastern Cape
A rhino among spekboom at the Kwandwe Game Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Todd Brown / UNEP Doc Ndyawe is always on alert in case poachers target the black rhinos that browse the thickets along the Great Fish River in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. But he worries more about another lurking danger: drought….
Electrical Meters
An OCA member wrote to us that the City of Cape Town is conducting a mandatory, free replacement of older electricity meters with new, smart, or upgraded prepaid meters.’ The facts are that access to premises is mandatory but installation of prepaid meters is not – if residents/owners choose, they may opt for upgraded Credit…
Recycling made easy
We offer weekly collection of your Gooi waste with two subscription models. Standard, which covers the average small household and accommodates up to two 5L bags of kitchen scraps per week. Bigger families, or just a very avid juicer, may need to move up to the XL package. With this model you can fill a…
UPDATE OF THE CITY’S FREIGHT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Joburg’s ward committees have collapsed — residents forced to govern themselves
Illustrative image: Johannesburg Skyline (Photo: iStock) By Anna Cox – 22 February 2026 Residents’ committees have replaced ward committees in Johannesburg, deepening inequality. Joburg’s civic safety net has quietly frayed. At ward level, the city is meant to rely on its 135 ward committees, which are statutory bodies chaired by ward councillors and made up…
From the CT Concerned Residents Assoc
“We are encouraging all our residents not only to look up their new property values but also to factor in the increase in the fixed charges as this gives the full picture which the city hasn’t highlighted. As an example sent to residents: https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Forms,%20notices,%20tariffs%20and%20lists/Budget_2025-26_Advert_English.pdf All the current fixed charges are shown here. Look up the…
Cape Town homeowners urged to verify property valuations before April deadline
City centre of Cape Town, Table Mountain. Wikimedia Commons/Discott Chante Ho Hip – 23 February 2026 While the City of Cape Town’s valuation system is automated, verification is encouraged, said Storm MacLennan of Jawitz Properties. Cape Town property owners are encouraged to review their latest municipal property valuations. The City of Cape Town has released…
Residents urged to verify new property valuations amid rising municipal bills
Erin Carelse – 23 February 2026 Homeowners in the far south are reporting significant increases in their municipal bills following new property valuations by the City of Cape Town. Bas Zuidberg, chair of the Cape Town Collective Ratepayers’ Association (CTCRA) and also chair of the Noordhoek Ratepayers’ Association, said a social media poll the association…