Cape Town’s service delivery failures breached residents’ rights, Public Protector finds

By Johnathan Paoli

Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka has found that the City of Cape Town committed maladministration by failing to progressively provide constitutionally mandated basic municipal services to residents of Langa and parts of Khayelitsha, infringing several constitutional rights.

In a report released on Tuesday, Gcaleka said her office had substantiated long-standing complaints relating to housing, sanitation, water, electricity, waste management, public safety and healthcare services following a systemic investigation prompted by complaints received during Public Protector outreach visits to the Western Cape in 2022 and 2023.

“The municipality’s failure to implement reasonable measures within available resources, coupled with its inadequate response to three years of documented service delivery deficiencies despite multiple commitments and undertakings, established a pattern of conduct that falls squarely within the definition of improper conduct,” Gcaleka said.

She said the investigation found the city’s failure to progressively and effectively provide basic services had left residents exposed