Where a child grows up shapes their access to education, safety, public services and opportunities, making local government a powerful force in children’s lives.
This was the focus of the first Metro Lives dialogue, held at the Homecoming Centre in District Six on Tuesday 21 July, where government representatives, child rights advocates and political leaders discussed how municipalities affect children’s well-being.
The panel included Cape Town deputy mayor Eddie Andrews, Brett Herron, representing political parties GOOD and Rise Mzansi; Western Cape commissioner for children Sarah Roberts, and DG Murray Trust (DGMT) project director Kwanda Ndoda.
The discussion explored how municipal planning, infrastructure and service delivery affect children’s daily experiences.
DGMT chief executive David Harrison opened the event. He said children’s experiences today would influence the city’s future.
“It’s the experience of children in Cape Town today that will determine the future of this city,” Harrison said. “That’s not an exaggeration, it’s probably the single biggest predictor of what this city will look like in 20 years’ time.”
Roberts illustrated the unequal experiences of children living in different parts of Cape Town. She described one child who walks through a well-maintained neighbourhood to a nearby school with access to sport and extracurricular activities, while another wakes before dawn to travel long distances by public transport to school.
For Andrews, the second example reflected his own upbringing. “That was my life,” Andrews said.
Much of the discussion centred on the legacy of apartheid spatial planning, which continues to leave many lower-income communities far from employment opportunities and public amenities.
Herron said where children live continues to shape their opportunities. “Where children live matters,” Herron said.
“In 32 years, we haven’t done enough to fix the apartheid spatial plan and everything that goes with it.”
Andrews said the City of Cape Town is directing a significant portion of its budget towards improving services in historically disadvantaged communities.
He also highlighted measures aimed at helping more early childhood development (ECD) centres become compliant with registration requirements. Andrews said the City has established an ECD task team to address compliance barriers and a fund to assist with development costs.
The initiative forms part of a broader programme supported by about R300 million from German development bank KfW, in partnership with DGMT, to assist unregistered ECD centres in meeting compliance requirements and qualifying for government subsidies.
DGMT communications specialist Corné Kritzinger said the dialogue focused on the impact municipal decisions have on children’s lives.
“Children don’t get to vote in local government elections, yet municipal decisions shape almost every aspect of their daily lives, from whether they have safe places to play and learn to the quality of public services in their communities,” Kritzinger said.
The Metro Lives series will continue in Johannesburg on Monday 24 August, followed by Durban in September. Both events will be livestreamed on Zoom.
This article was originally published by the People’s Post on 28 July 2026.
