Cape Town should be South Africa’s capital. Helen Zille

The Western Cape Premier yesterday commented on el presidente’s mention of reducing South Africa’s two capital cities – Cape Town being the legislative and Pretoria the administrative – to just one.

Despite everything that really needs fixing in Mzanzi, the Zuma wants parliament to pay “urgent attention” the matter of reducing the two capitals to just one. Zille, however, believes that more money could be saved if we scrap Pretoria as the administrative capital and move the Republic’s administration to Cape Town, where parliament is.

The Premier asked her MECs to pull up plans to find suitable buildings in which to host major government administrations and to also start looking at finding suitable accommodation for MPs closer to parliament.

 “This would combine the live and work philosophy in increased urban densities, enabling government to set the example of the new urban form we require,” Zille said.

“It would make it possible for the government to sell the costly range of ministerial houses. They could be accommodated in apartments on the upper floors of these high rise buildings,” she said.

The Premier added that government would be able to cut a lot of costs on the blue light brigade – a norm in the North, but not in the Western Cape where Zille has barred her administration from using them –.

 “Because parliamentarians can walk to work,” she said.

Zille said that Zuma should start looking at proposals as soon as possible.

“We are up to the task, Mr president.”