CPA MEETS WITH CAPE TOWN MAYOR

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Representatives of the CPA and SAASP met last month with Cape Town Mayor, Patricia de Lille, to hand over a petition signed by 1 500 people and communicate concerns regarding access to locations and the efficiency of the permitting process in the Mother City.

The Mayor was very responsive and undertook to urgently look into the matter.  Mayor de Lille also indicated that she will call on the CPA and SAASP in the near future to present their case to the City Line Departments and Ward Councillors who have the responsibility of granting permission for permits to be issued for film shoots.

The meeting with Mayor de Lille comes on the back of an on-line petition calling for the Mayor and Premier to urgently interevene and a project launched by the two organizations in which subscribing members have contracted the services of a full time unit manager, Rudi Riek, to assist with location problems when they arise.  So far, the project has been extremely successful with over 40 interventions staged however there is recognition that the root cause of these problems need to be identified, addressed and rectified.

The CPA and SAASP have, with Rudi's assistance, worked closely with the Cape Town Film Permit Office to ensure filming can take place and have met with several City line departments and Provincial authorities to discuss ways to make the processes involved in permitting more efficient and film friendly.  The plan going forward is to continue with these meetings and also request a meeting with Premier Helen Zille to discuss concerns at a provincial level.

The CPA & SAASP would like to thank all those who signed the petition, submitted comments and sent in letters of support.  We hope that the Mayor and Premier will heed the call to ensure that Cape Town's status as a film friendly city is restored.