Author: Marillia Veldkornet
29 March 2023 Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality supports Western Cape Government’s Water Awareness Campaign in Kannaland
Garden Route District Municipality supports Western Cape Government’s Water Awareness Campaign in Kannaland
For immediate release
29 March 2023
The Western Cape Department of Local Government on 27 March 2023, embarked on a door-to-door awareness campaign in Ladismith (Kannaland) to encourage citizens to use water responsibly. In the roll-out of the campaign, the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Disaster Management officials joined the Community Development Workers on 28 March 2023 to further enhance the initiative with the aim of reaching more residents of the area.
The Responsible Water Awareness Campaign runs in the Garden Route district until 31 March 2023. With this initiative messages of the importance of water and how to use it sparingly are shared. An outside radio broadcast and activation at the Spar in Ladismith has already taken place.
The campaign was rolled out in response to the recent decline in dam water levels. The message has been clear – reinforcing the need to save water, especially with the upcoming winter season. The need to conserve water is a long-term behavioural change, and constant reminders are required to make the message stick, especially with the increased levels of loadshedding having a further impact on the provision of water.
This campaign will also be extended to provincial radio and social media pages.
By: GRDM Communication Intern, Jacqueline Thomson
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27 March 2023 Media Release: Fire Emergency Evacuation Drill Training conducted at the Frail Care Centre
Media Release: Fire Emergency Evacuation Drill Training conducted at the Frail Care Centre
For immediate release
27 March 2023
Emergency Evacuation starts with any notification of fire or other emergency, including the activation of alarm (an installed fire protection system, which ensure that occupants of the building or premises are timeously notified) to which occupants are then required to evacuate as soon as possible; preferably in the safest and most orderly manner.
GRDM Fire Services were requested to assist the Lyttleton Frail Care Centre in George with training in this regard. The visit to the establishment took place on 22 March 2023. As part of the training, officials carried out a thorough size-up of the premises and inspected the building to ensure they acquired a proper assessment of all applicable elements. The GRDM team was warmly welcomed by the occupants and staff on their arrival and the elderly were brave enough to enjoy the little action facilitated by the GRDM team.
Lyttelton Frail Care Centre is a 24/7 establishment that accommodates 25 vulnerable occupants and 30 personnel (on and off basis).
“Awareness, Information and Education is the ultimate goal to ensure owners and occupants operate as safely and timeously upon the notification of fire, and how the process of Evacuation is conducted. Occupants are immediately made aware of the do’s and the don’ts in the case of fire occurrence and / or ignition within a building,” said Acting Station Officer: Fire & Safety and Training at Garden Route District Municipality’s Fire Services, Heinrich Leslie.
Manager of the Centre, Stefan du Toit, expressed his gratitude to the team and he indicated that they “will now be able to rectify and improve on what was discussed during the briefing”. Adding to these words, Du Toit highlighted: “We are grateful that we could experience a fire drill and that the Garden Route District Fire Services Team made an effort to visit our facility in a friendly manner while at the same time equipping us with the necessary skills needed to be ready for any fire outbreaks at any time ”.
“The team of GRDM Fire Services, and especially the learner firefighters who were present also enjoyed and learned from the experience as well,” said Leslie.
Gallery: Firefighters from Garden Route District Municipality, with residents of the Lyttelton Frail Care Centre during the fire drill facilitated by the firefighting team.
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24 March 2023 Media Release: GRDM Municipal Manager and officials welcome interns to the organisation
Media Release: GRDM Municipal Manager and officials welcome interns to the organisation
For immediate release
24 March 2023
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, and officials (mentors) recently welcomed seventeen (17) interns from various training institutions to the Municipality’s offices in George.
Eleven (11) students studied at the South Cape College, three students are from Stenden University, two are from the Uconomy Platform and one student is from CHIETA Sponsored.
With each student now gaining practical experience at the organisation, they are exposed to various fields, such as Human Resources, Communication, Resorts, Record and Archives, Disaster Management, to name a few. The role of GRDM is to provide them with guidance in notable areas of shortcomings and coach/mentor these students in their field of study. They will be provided practical training on a rotational basis throughout the organisation during their period of their internship. The Public Management students will be placed at Registration, Archives and Auxiliary Services until their contracts expire.
The role of their mentors/supervisors is to ensure that the students keep a record of what tasks they have completed. This information will be contained in a Portfolio of Evidence (POE). The document must be signed off by their mentors/supervisors and final approval will be given by the Head of Department on completion of the experiential training. At the end of their tenure, each student will submit their approved document to their respective training institutions.
In total, R966 000 in stipends will be paid to the interns by the National Skills Fund, Bankseta, CHIETA or Uconomy Platforms over the 18-month period. From this amount, GRDM will partially cover the cost of almost R85 000 for students from Stenden University. These students study in the field of Disaster Management and are placed at the municipality’s district Disaster Management Centre in George.
Garden Route District Municipality is committed to contributing to the success of each student who is part of the programme and who shows dedication for the entire eighteen (18) month period. Providing students with workplace experience will ultimately prepare them to be ready for the job market.
Caption: Interns (with mentors) currently undergoing experiential training at Garden Route District Municipality.
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23 March 2023 Impact Based Warning – Level 2 for Damaging Winds
Impact Based Warning – Level 2 for Damaging Winds
Please find included the Impact Based Warning for the Western Cape and Namaqua Region of Northern Cape.
Areas impacted from Thursday, 23 March until Friday, 24 March 2023 along the Garden Route district, include:
Bitou, George, Hessequa, Knysna and Mossel Bay.
Report any weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at 044 805 5071.
Legal notice:
“This warning from SA Weather Service must be communicated as received and may not be altered under any circumstance.
It must be forwarded or communicated in its entirety and no portion hereof may be replicated or copied and distributed.”
SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE
Cape Town Weather Office
2nd Floor: Oval Office Park
Cape Town Int airport
Freight Road
Matroosfontein
Cape Town
E-Mail: factfc@weathersa.co.za
Tel: 021 935 5700
23 March 2023 Media Release: We Can Beat It
WE CAN BEAT IT!
A frail yet friendly Danwill Stefaan (29) shares his journey with tuberculosis (TB). He is thin and needs assistance to walk. One of the first things he says after sitting down is: ‘You should have seen what I looked like when I came here.’ Photos of him a month ago shows a seriously ill man, unable to walk or talk.
‘There is always hope. I am living proof,’ he said. Danwill is from Borcherds in George and came to Harry Comay Hospital in a very bad state after contracting TB of the brain. He is one of 1 393 patients on TB treatment in the Garden Route district.
“I was tired all the time and coughed for about three weeks. The ambulance came to pick me up and I was referred to Harry Comay Hospital,” he said. He takes his medication every day as prescribed and says he is lucky not to have too many side-effects from the medication.
Another story of bravery and determination is that of Linzay de Vos (31) who is from Hillside in Beaufort West. She has also been at Harry Comay Hospital for little over a month. “It has been a difficult journey, being away from my three children, but I do this for them and myself. I want to get better and return to them as a healthy mother,” she said.
Her symptoms included fatigue, sweating at night and coughing. “I thought it was TB and went to my local clinic. After tests we found it was multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and I was referred here.”
Linzay is very thin but says she has picked up 3 kg since starting her treatment. She is also part of a group that walks and does exercise in the fresh air.
We talk about her treatment plan, and the topic of pills always come up as treatment might include a lot of pills, some that might have side-effects.
“It is your responsibility and your health – even if you struggle with the pills, there is a way to manage that,” she said.
These are two of many successes of patients that have successfully completed their TB treatment. Although not always easy, it is possible. We are proud of you!
“TB is treatable, and we can stop it if everyone tests early and starts and completes treatment”, said Dr Lindè Marais from Harry Comay Hospital.
As we commemorate World TB Day on 24 March we salute those who are currently fighting for recovery, those that protect others by opening windows and covering their coughs and sneezes and those who want better health for themselves and their communities by going for TB testing.
REMEMBER:
- Anyone can get TB.
- You can get free TB testing at your nearest clinic.
- TB treatment is free from clinics.
- Take your TB treatment as prescribed by your health worker.
- Protect others by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, open windows and let sunlight come through your house.
- Soon after you start your treatment you are not an infectious risk to your family and friends.
https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/tb-what-you-need-know
Feature Image: Linzay de Vos
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22 March 2023 Save the Date: Notice of Council Meeting, 28 March 2023 at 10:00
Save the Date: Notice of Council Meeting, 28 March 2023 at 10:00
