Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has appointed Carl Pophaim as mayco member for human settlements.
Pophaim will fill the vacancy after the previous mayco member, Malusi Booi, was axed in March.
Hill-Lewis fired Booi after he received an updated briefing from police about a multi-million rand tender fraud investigation implicating the former MMC.
When announcing the appointment, Hill-Lewis described Pophaim as energetic, young and talented.
“Carl is a young and talented councillor who has distinguished himself in the Human Settlements portfolio and is also a past junior mayor of Cape Town. I am excited about the value he will bring to this portfolio – especially the important work we are doing to enable micro-developers and to release City-owned land to deliver much more affordable housing across the city. He has the energy to get things done and the proven mettle from his experience in both the Human Settlements and Planning Appeals committees,” he said.
The mayor further thanked James Vos for the way in which he “applied himself with much positivity and hard work” as acting mayco member in the past months.
Well-located housing activist group Ndifuna Ukwazi wished Pophaim well. They said they would be keeping a close eye on him to ensure that he delivers in his new role.
Spokesperson Zach Maskele said: “We wish councillor Pophaim well and will be watching closely to ensure that he fulfils this crucial role with the seriousness, diligence and pragmatism that it requires.”
EFF regional secretary Banzi Dambuza welcomed the appointment but said it should have been made sooner.
“As the EFF, we have worked with Pophaim, and we know that he understands the challenges of the job, we welcome this appointment. We say that we will be watching him to ensure that he delivers and serves the forgotten areas where several projects have been left unfinished. We still believe that no MMC from the DA will be good in serving the marginalised communities, but we will give him a chance,” he said.
Pophaim has been serving on the City’s Portfolio Committee for Human Settlements for close to five years, also sitting on the Planning Appeals Advisory Panel, among others.
Cape Times