VACCINATION AWARENESS SESSION WITH DR ZILLA NORTH
Remember to join this session tomorrow at 12:00 on Facebook Live – https://www.facebook.com/events/1217031225461989?ref=newsfeed
by logging into our webinar here: https://gardenroute.zoom.us/j/95366871479
For Immediate Release
13 September 2021
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa to move the country to Alert Level 2. This will further allow the Garden Route economy to open.
“We know that for our region to bounce back from the pandemic and thrive, Garden Routers need to use the best method to fight COVID-19, and that’s vaccines,” said Ald. Memory Booysen. The vaccine roll-out and large-scale vaccinations remain essential as it is evident in the statistics that those who have been vaccinated stand a great chance of surviving the dreaded COVID-19 virus.
“I continue to encourage everyone who is 18 years and older to get their COVID-19 vaccinations. I, like other Mayors in the region, have already received both my Phizer jabs,” said Booysen.
There are currently nearly 50 vaccination sites throughout the Garden Route, forming part of the country’s approximately 300 vaccination sites. To date, South Africa has administered approximately 14 670 161 doses of vaccines. According to the Western Cape Health Department, 157 558 Garden Routers received their first dose and 68 025 received their second dose of Pfizer.
GRDM urges all members of the public to adhere to the regulations under Alert level 2:
ENDS
For Immediate Release
10 September 2021
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Employee Assistant Programme (EAP) unit approached Dr Zilla North from the Western Cape Department of Health to conduct ‘Questions and Answers’ sessions with GRDM employees. These weekly virtual or contact sessions are held to address any concerns raised by employees regarding the Covid-19 vaccines.
So far, three (3) sessions took place; the first session took place on 13 August 2021 at the Conville clinic, where approximately thirty-one (31) Roads employees were in attendance. On 20 August, nearly fifty (50) participants logged into the virtual session; and on 27 August again, approximately fifty (50) employees participated.
The EAP unit furthermore facilitates the employee vaccination activities of the municipality. Apart from the question and answer sessions with Dr North, the Unit also sent out weekly vaccination information to the employees and they created “Toolbox” talks with staff members employed at the various depots, in collaboration with the Occupational Health and Safety Unit. The team distributed vaccination posters at all satellite offices of the municipality and organised a vaccination site for its employees at the AFM Church situated in Pacaltsdorp. Additionally, a vaccination webinar with Dr Nellis van Zyl-Smit was scheduled on 8 September 2021 to continue creating awareness and educating the employees about the importance of taking the Covid-19 Vaccine.
HR Practitioner: Employee Assistance Programme, Shandre Abrahams said: “The GRDM (EAP unit) is dedicated to continuously keeping and educating its employees about safety precautions to prevent getting infected by the virus and the spread thereof”. Abrahams added: “Employees get screened, and their hands get sanitised on their arrival at the office every morning. Sanitising stations are also placed at every corner within the various buildings for their easy access and they are continuously advised to wear their face masks at all times.
The Communication Unit conducted interviews with some of the staff members to determine their take on the vaccine. Ms Nontokozo Dladla responded by saying, “I have always been pro-vaccination, but I haven’t gone for my jab yet, as I recently contracted Covid-19 and must wait for 30 days till I can get it. As for encouraging other people, getting vaccinated is a sensitive subject – not everyone is for it. At this moment, I keep my opinion to myself. I do not want it to seem like I am imposing my opinion on other people”. Mr Johannes Jafta responded: “After being vaccinated, I would encourage anyone else to go and get their jab. We need to be responsible communities and to act responsibly. Taking the jab is for their own safety, and it is the right thing to do”.
Employees are encouraged to contact the EAP officer, Ms Shandre Abrahams, for more information about the programme at 044 801 1307/082 428 1984.
ENDS
| Hazard | Affected Municipalities | Valid From (SAST) | Valid To (SAST) |
| Veld Fire Conditions | Beaufort West, Hantam, Kannaland, Karoo Hoogland, Khâi-Ma, Laingsburg, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert | 10/09/21 08h00 | 11/09/21 18h00 |
Discussion: The warm temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds could result in the development of runaway and veld/bush fires.
Impact: Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions, fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life.
Instruction: Fireteams, labour and equipment are to be placed on stand-by. A first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time.
SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE
Cape Town Weather Office
2nd Floor: Oval Office Park
Cape Town Int airport
Freight Road
Matroosfontein
Cape Town
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.”
Report any weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at: 044 805 5071.
| Hazard | Affected Municipalities | Valid From (SAST) | Valid To (SAST) |
| Veld Fire Conditions | Beaufort West, Bergrivier, Cederberg, Hantam, Kamiesberg, Kannaland, Karoo Hoogland, Khâi-Ma, Laingsburg, Matzikama, Nama Khoi, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert | 09/09/21 12h00 | 10/09/21 18h00 |
| Discussion: The warm temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds could result in the development of runaway and veld/bush fires. |
| Impact: Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions, fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life. |
| Instruction: Fire teams, labour and equipment are to be placed on stand-by. At the first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time. |
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
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.”
Report any weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at: 044 805 5071.
For Immediate Release
8 September 2021
The Garden Route Skills Mecca (GRSM) team, under the stewardship of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), spearheads progressive engagements with stakeholders to ensure that information about skills development in the Garden Route is accessible, understood and embraced. One recent intervention was to draw the Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority, a Sector Education and Training Authorities (CATHSSETA) closer to ‘home’. This was done by discussing matters pertaining to funding, registration, accreditation and how COVID-19 has impacted their systems and processes, amongst others.
“The session included a wide array of stakeholders, in particular those who deal with CATHSSETA (hotels, B&Bs, AirBNBs, resorts, etc.) and Local Economic Development (LED) representatives from all seven (7) local municipalities (Bitou, Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Greater Oudtshoorn, Kannaland and Hessequa) in the Garden Route,” said Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM. “My Council has also taken note of the GRSM’s quarterly forum and its progressive implementation methodology, which involves frequent stakeholder collaboration,” said Booysen.
CATHSSETA attended the last forum held on 20 August and decided to approach the GRSM Skills Coordinator, Dr Florus Prinsloo, about a future collaboration with the GRSM. Dr Prinsloo then acted swiftly by arranging a platform where stakeholders could iron out matters concerning the Sector.
The presentation by Martha Collett, who is responsible for looking after the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape on behalf of CATHSSETA, was done concisely and to the point. She provided comprehensive details to local District Stakeholders about developments in the Sector. At the start of her presentation, she said: “The Fourth Industrial Revolution has been accelerated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. E-learning is now becoming the norm, and we have to all think differently about the mode in which we deliver education”.
One of the critical questions she posed was: “Are we preparing learners for the workplace of the future?”
She further elaborated about the type of sub-sectors included in CATHSSETA by saying that if a person unpacks the representation of each Sector in our SETA, the representation looks as follows:
Stakeholders, especially employers, were encouraged to keep an eye out for the next ‘Discretionary Funding’ window that will open in November 2021. Already, the Hospitality Sector in the District can start planning to take on learners into their business as the economy hopefully re-opens and Tourism picks up as South Africa moves through Spring into Summer.
Similar engagements with other SETAs are also planned by the GRDM Skills Mecca Team to keep the region up to date with all possible opportunities for learning and development.
Download the CATHSSETA Presentation.
In case you missed it, watch the video here.
ENDS
Organisations and/or bodies who qualify for financial assistance, in terms of the criteria and prescriptions contained in Garden Route District Municipality’s Grant-in-Aid Policy and Section 67 of the Municipal Finance Management Act 2003, are hereby invited to submit proposals for programs they endeavour to undertake during the 2021/2022 calendar year.
Applications submitted on the prescribed application form and accompanied by all the required information, documentation, financial statements, cover letter, etc. and received by the Office of the Executive Mayor on/or before 23 September 2021 at 12h00 midday shall be considered. Alternatively, e-mail scanned copies or original copies of the relevant forms to Nkosiyabo@gardenroute.gov.za
Find the list of drop-off points below:
NB: Kannaland to use Oudtshoorn and or Riversdale offices.
Please direct all queries to Mr Nkosiyabo Lose at telephone number: 044 803 1300
Garden Route District Municipality reserves the right not to make any award and may disqualify organisations that have received funds in the previous book year, and who have not submitted a final report on its previous expenditure.
MG Stratu
Municipal Manager
54 York Street
George
6530
Closing Date: 23 September 2021 at 16h00.
Notice Number: 89/2021
Documents for your attention: Application form & Official Grant-In-Aid Advertisement
The Garden Route District Municipality Skills Mecca (GRSM) in collaboration with the Culture, Art, Tourism, Hospitality, and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority (CATHSSETA), will engage on 8 September 2021 from 10:00 until 13:00.
The purpose of this engagement is to update stakeholders of the CATHSSETA Sector on the GRSM and the latest developments at CATHSSETA. Relevant members of the public are invited to attend this.
Here is how you can join the proceedings:
Zoom: https://cutt.ly/GWxERxq | Meeting ID: 912 3990 4456 | Pass: 983169
Or via Youtube.
For Immediate Release
6 September 2021
After Cabinet approved its first District Development Model (DDM) framework, the Western Cape Government adopted the Joint District & Metro Approach (JDMA) in response to the President’s call. Local Government Councils across the country embraced it with open arms because they see the value such an approach holds for solving many of the service delivery and developmental issues facing the government in South Africa. Therefore, in layman’s terms, the JDMA seeks to bring all three spheres of government, which includes national, provincial and local spheres together, in order to drive performance and accountability for more efficient service delivery and meaningful developmental programmes.
The JDMA for GRDM was endorsed by the GRDM Council on 24 August 2021. According to Monde Stratu, GRDM Municipal Manager, “we are proud to submit this item to Council, as it will be submitted to the Department of Local Government and Department Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs”.
“Local Municipalities also played a pivotal role in the compilation of this document and their inputs were included.”
According to Executive Mayor Ald. Memory Booysen, the JDMA/DDM is further unpacked as an approach that introduces a more robust effort towards Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) planning, budgeting and implementation for long-term sustainable outcomes. “Government projects and programmes within each district’s jurisdiction are essential to stimulate new thinking, new socio-economic approaches and solutions,” said Booysen. This approach seeks to fundamentally change the conditions in which people work, play and live. For this reason, the GRDM developed, in partnership with the business community and key organisations, a Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) spanning to 2040. The GRDM Council has already adopted the GDS at the end of its third fiscal quarter in March 2021.
The strategic priorities as per the GRDM were used as the basis to identify the projects that must be included in the JDMA Implementation Plan, therefore it is important to read the JDMA Implementation plan in conjunction with the Growth and Development Strategy (GDS) of the GRDM. These include a Garden Route that boasts a water-secure future, circular economy, resilient agriculture, sustainable tourism, supports its people’s well-being and resilience, connected economy (transport and ICT), and sustainable local energy transition.
The Local Government elections are expected to take place in October 2021 and will usher in the next generation (5-year) IDPs. It is therefore critical that the 5-year IDPs are aligned to the JDMA Implementation/One Plans for each district and metro space as this will ensure that the JDMA Implementation/One Plans are implemented.
The current municipal councils are expected to endorse the JDMA Implementation Plan/One Plans as the Long-Term Strategic Framework for a district or metro space. The incoming council following the elections will then note the endorsement of the JDMA Implementation Plan/ One Plan. Furthermore, it is fundamental that the implementation commitments and projects of sector departments that are in the 30-year JDMA Implementation Plan/One Plans are also reflected in the 5 year IDPs.
ENDS