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Author: Herman Pieters

28 April 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech – GRDM Council Meeting

28 April 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech at the GRDM Council Meeting 

Mr Speaker

I greet those online, at home and the significant listenership on Eden FM – I welcome you. 

Once again, we are known and prone to disasters, no matter the size of it. We are in the season when we see many fires, like the Cape Town wildfire recently. Mr Speaker, the Garden Route were not recently spared when a wildfire spread through parts of the Greater Oudtshoorn area. Fortunately, no lives were lost. I want to convey our gratitude to our firefighters, our Garden Route team, George and Mossel Bay Municipalities, and all the other role players who helped us contain this wildfire. We appreciate you. 

Let us remain vigilant about fire emergencies and continue to share notices and warnings as and when required. 

Also, Mr Speaker gives me great pleasure to share that we recently visited the Cater Care facility where nineteen (19) students are currently being upskilled. We noted that they are excited about their experience, and we are looking forward to them completing this training. Of equal importance is the event we recently hosted, whereby we officially donated external bursaries and grant-in-aid assistance. These are all signs that we practice what we preach.

In the same vein, curbing Gender-Based Violence remains one of our critical commitments as Council. We will continue to try to curb GBV. Last week we hosted another summit with the relevant stakeholders and role players. My call is for everyone to step up again and fight GBV daily.

To our colleagues, this is going to be a very busy week as Garden Route District Municipality. The Honourable Deputy President David Mabuza will be in our region on 30 April 2021 to hand over land to the residents of Covie. In addition, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde will also be in the area and accompanied by his entourage. It is indeed an indication that all eyes are on the Garden Route – we paved a path for ourselves and the Garden Routers we have been elected to serve. We want to see that people are given what is rightfully theirs and their dignity to be restored.

As the Garden Route, we will be hosting those dignitaries and being our best behaviour; we do not play politics during these events. 

Thank you.

2021 04 22 Media Release: Garden Route DM helps Non-Profit Organisations and students with funding support

Garden Route DM helps Non-Profit Organisations and students with funding support

For Immediate Release
22 April 2021

An annual highlight for the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) is when the institution is able to finalise and officially hand over its committed funding support to students and Non-Profit Organisations (NPO). This year, the GRDM supported fourteen (14) NPOs, as well as twenty-two (22) students who are studying towards accredited NQF qualifications; some are studying degrees such as Chemical Engineering, Tourism, Computer Science or LLB Law.

During his keynote address, Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM, said: “We supported NPOs with R210 000.00, even though we all face tough budget cuts because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also provided funding support to the tone of R510 000.00 to students, which was partly funded by the Western Cape Provincial Treasury.”

He also alluded to the fact that “we are the poorest of all eight (8) municipalities in the Garden Route, and we have been told that we often punch about our weight”. However, he stated that the GRDM would continue to try its best to help communities as far as possible.”

Ald. Booysen pleaded for external bursary recipients to never forget where they are coming from, particularly for what their parents fought for. “Do not forget your grannies, fathers, uncles and aunts, amongst others; some of them had to drop out from school to make money and support their family members who had dreams of studying further.

Ald. Booysen asked: “What does the future hold for South Africans?” He then answered: “I do not have answers to where our country will be in the near future, but the GRDM is trying its best to play a small part in the solution.” 

When referring to students, he said: “I am optimistic about your futures and that you will not drop out – that you will shine and make a success of this opportunity”.

The Human Resources Manager at GRDM, Ms Nontobeko Klaas, highlighted that the municipality places an advertisement in newspapers, social media (Facebook and Twitter) around the beginning of October annually. This call-to-action is intended to invite students and families who require assistance with funding their studies to apply for such support. Cllr Rowan Spies, who was the programme director of the handover ceremony, also boasted about the GRDM Education, Training and Development Committee he serves on. He said: “Mayor, without undermining the efforts of other committees I serve on; this specific committee gives us the most gratification because of the impact it has on communities”.

During the address by Mr Siphiwe Dladla, GRDM Chief of Staff, he provided a brief background of the Grant-in-Aid support offered by the Mayor’s office. He said: “We advertise during November or December, but the COVID-19 pandemic shifted our deadlines to January 2021”. He further added: “We received forty (40) applications and had to utilise internal policy directives to guide our selection process. Currently, we focus on NPOs who work with causes such as HIV/AIDS, Senior Citizens, Disabled, Youth and Substance Abuse.” 

WORDS OF APPRECIATION 

One of the recipients of an external bursary for BCom Accounting through the University of the Western Cape, Mr Lizalise Gamane, said: “This financial contribution towards me and others is a gesture of confidence in us as the youth of the Garden Route – it provides a great deal of hope for families who are here. Children from marginalised families now also have the opportunity to study and eventually support their families when landing jobs in their respective career fields”. 

Ms Elmarie Maxim delivered a word of appreciation on behalf of the NPOs by saying that beneficiaries are honoured and happy for the gesture by the GRDM to support them.

“We are all trying to recover from the adverse financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. NPOs need to constantly look for funding, at the same time, it remains difficult for us to find such support, especially after the public offered so much support since 2020 ,” she said.

NPO Recipients (in no particular order).

List of NPOs who received funding support:

  1. Golden Movement Service Centre – Knysna/ Karatara 
  2. Epic Sports Project – Kleinbrak River 
  3. The Plett Aid Foundation – Plett 
  4. Outeniqua Dawn – George 
  5. Paul M.Draay soup drive – Mossel Bay 
  6. The Living cornerstone alzeimers res – Sedgefield 
  7. Smiling ducks Educare – Albertinia 
  8. J-Square empowerment – Riversdale 
  9. Knysna Association for Persons with Disabilities – Knysna 
  10. Vermont Old Age Home – Knysna 
  11. Hephziba Solutions – Sedgefield 
  12. Youth for Change – Plett 
  13. Linos – Calitzzdorp
  14. Tinkerland Nursery School – Knysna 

External Bursary Recipients (in no particular order):

Please note that some of the recipients were represented at the handover ceremony by their parents.

  1. Jose Rossouw
  2. Zukhanye Marikeni
  3. Lizalise Gamana
  4. Zanda Ncedani
  5. Leighton Cherry
  6. Teddy Thomo
  7. Johannes Van Wyngaard
  8. Lynne Erasmus
  9. Jaylin Opperman
  10. Luciano Cobrim Trantraal
  11. Sanelisiwe MgQobhozi
  12. Sandre Adams
  13. Anjahlay Julene
  14. Cajtlin Samatha
  15. Robert Swart
  16. Alutha Althea
  17. Shurenay Magan Jacobs
  18. Heimne Giselle Elizabeth Esau
  19. Ngamela Matiwane
  20. Ernest Lamprecht
  21. Wayiene Windwaai
  22. Annie Muller
    List of Grant In Aid Applications for year 2021:

    1 Golden Movement Service Centre Sandalina Afrika
    6 Hospice Plett Cecily van Heerden
    10 Epic Sports Project Nicolaas Bezuidenhot
    12 Outeniqua Dawn Xoliswa Bomvana
    13 Paul M.Draay Soup Drive William Sam
    14 The Living Cornestone Alzeimers Res Gilda Scammell
    15 Smiling Ducks Educare Arita Terblanche
    16 J-Square Empowerment Justin van Rensburg
    17 Knysna Association for Persons with disabilities Veronique Fortune
    19 Vermont Old Age Home Magdallena Hillary Brouwers
    29 Hephziba Solutions Cleone Vanstone
    37 Youth For Change Sithenkosi Innocent Bobani
    38 Linos Coffee Christolino Pêrel
    39 Tinkerland Nursery School Elmarie Maxim

View the video recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PceyEOjKE1E 

ENDS

15 April 2021 Media Release:Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) hosts Khoisan-Kleinkrantz Project Engagement

Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) hosts Khoisan-Kleinkrantz Project Engagement

For Immediate Release
15 April 2021

Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), on 12 April 2021, hosted a meeting regarding the Khoisan-Kleinkrantz Project with the Khoi -San traditional leaders of Kleinkrantz.

Mr Monde Stratu, Municipal Manager of GRDM, chaired the meeting, accompanied by the Executive Manager for Planning and Economic Development at GRDM, Mr Lusanda Menze, and other officials. Senior Chief from Gona – Hess !Kwe Royal Kingdom, Mr Lionel Prins, was accompanied by Headman Jeemon Adams, Chief John Nankoe, Assisting Senior Chief Neville Olyn, Chief Dullin Appels, Senior Chief William Sukers, Paramount Chief Vernon Andries, Senior Paramount Chief and King Cornelius Botha fifth.

The narrative of the engagement was around processes relating to Khoi and San representation in the Garden Route District Council, in light of the development of Kleinkrantz being an important aspect for the King of the Khoisan and the community of Kleinkrantz. Mr Stratu explained that the “GRDM Council is ready to implement the Traditional and Khoisan Leadership Act 3 of 2019 as per the direction of the Western Cape MEC”. For the improvement and growth of relations between the municipality and the Traditional Leaders, this engagement was a step in the right direction for Kleinkrantz. Stratu highlighted the fact that both teams share a mutual understanding of how traditional leaders integrate into municipal structures.

During his concluding remarks, King GQona extended a word of thanks to the Stratu and his team by stating: “I am satisfied to hear the optimism from the municipality’s side to work with us. It is not just about Kleinkrantz, but our heritage too”.

Editor’s note:

The Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act 3 of 2019 aims to:

  • provide for the recognition of traditional and Khoi-San communities, leadership positions and for the withdrawal of such recognition;
  • provide for the functions and roles of traditional and Khoi-San leaders;
  • provide for the recognition, establishment, functions, roles and administration of kingship or queenship councils, principal traditional councils, traditional councils, Khoi-San councils and traditional sub-councils, as well as the support to such councils;
  • provide for the establishment, composition and functioning of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders;
  • provide for the establishment of provincial houses of traditional and Khoi-San leaders;
  • provide for the establishment and composition of local houses of traditional and Khoi-San leaders;
  • provide for the establishment and operation of the Commission on Khoi-San Matters;
  • provide for a code of conduct for members of the National House, provincial houses, local houses and all traditional and Khoi-San councils;
  • provide for regulatory powers of the Minister and Premiers;
  • provide for transitional arrangements;
  • amend certain Acts;
  • provide for the repeal of legislation; and
  • provide for matters connected therewith.

Download the Act here: Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act 3 of 2019

ENDS

7 April 2021 Media Release: Bitou Municipality initiates Kranshoek Pilot Project on Covid-19 Awareness

Media Release: Bitou Municipality initiates Kranshoek Pilot Project on Covid-19 Awareness

For Immediate Release
7 April 2020

Kranshoek Neighbourhood Watch team on their door-to-door awareness and education of Covid-19 virus.

The Multi-Disciplinary Team in the Bitou Local Municipal area, recently arranged a Pilot Project for the Kranshoek community. The Project aims to raise Covid-19 awareness by utilising the structures in place to reach residents within the local community and considers all Covid-19 Alert Level 1 Regulations, adjusted from 1 March 2021.

Disaster Management Officer at Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), Lee-Ann Joubert, in conjunction with Sergeant Jansen from Kwano-South African Police Services (SAPS), steers this Pilot Project. The Plettenberg Bay, Kranshoek Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) teams represent the teams on the ground who will ensure that the intended audiences are informed. Kranshoek NHW team members were provided with training on the awareness of Covid-19. Following this, they were tasked to do door-to-door awareness, educating the community on the virus and how to stay safe. This project was put in place to stretch over a period of 31 days, with ongoing monitoring and weekly feedback from the NHW. After completion of the 31 days, the success of the project will be evaluated through another multi-disciplinary awareness campaign in the area. The statistics of the new Covid-19 cases within the community, from the beginning to the end of the project, will also be collated and compared to assist with determining its impacts.

All door-to-door visits will highlight the importance of sanitising hands, wearing face masks, reporting any symptoms to a clinic, what to do when someone tests positive for Covid-19, and the contact details of information centres, as well as all relevant stakeholders.

Role players including representatives from the SAPS, Garden Route District Disaster Management, Bitou Communications, the Western Cape Department of Health, Kranshoek NHW, Community in Blue, Plett-Hospice, the Ward Councillor and Ward Committee, Law Enforcement and Environmental Health Practitioners, all play an important role in the success of the project.

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30 March 2021 Media Release: Garden Route DM supports the Klein Karoo Export Agri Hub to create a unique rural economy

Media Release: Garden Route DM supports the Klein Karoo Export Agri Hub to create a unique rural economy

For Immediate Release
30 March 2021

This partnership seeks to develop the Klein Karoo economy, to create a sustainable environment and jobs – some of the important focus areas for the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), which wants to form part of efforts to turn around the high unemployment rate of Kannaland communities. A recent partnership came into fruition when the GRDM Council gave the go-ahead for the GRDM Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on behalf of the GRDM Council with the Calitzdorp Export Agri Hub. This landmark agreement will see that high impact pomegranate farms in the Klein Karoo get off the ground.

The immediate need for the Calitzdorp Export Agri Hub was for a R600 000.00 injection to carry out a water study for the area. This phase, which was eventually funded by GRDM, includes a water study that involves the drilling of boreholes. Subsequently, two desalination plants for reverse osmosis, capable of cleaning 60 000ℓ of water per hour, were donated by the Calitzdorp Export Agri Hub to GRDM. These plants have an original purchase value of R2.5 million.

SAFE SUSTAINABLE YIELD OF BOREHOLES

According to Dirk Rudolph, the contracted Geohydrologist, boreholes are currently being drilled in accordance to a geophysical survey that indicated that the most viable option would be to drill formations north-west of the pomegranate farm. This area includes the Baviaanskloof, Skurweberg, Goudini and Cedarberg formations.

At the moment, each borehole is analysed at regular intervals by using a V-notch weir during drilling. This will help the Geohydrologist to get an estimate of the blow yield of each borehole. According to Rudolph, this will be followed by each borehole being subjected to a 72-hour constant pumping test.

POMEGRANATES IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

Research indicates that pomegranates require 6000 m³ water per hectare. This is 2.5 times less than almonds and about 2.8 times less than Lucerne, which makes it this the crop with the highest return per litre of water. Although this type of farming is still quite a young industry in South Africa and the Southern hemisphere, studies indicate that Kannaland and Oudtshoorn offer the best micro-climate for pomegranates in the Southern part of Africa.

The project, coined the ‘Klein Karoo Export Hub’, wants to see the 1% pomegranate export market held by South Africa expanded. According to Monde Stratu, GRDM Municipal Manager: The plan is to meet the demand for pomegranates during off-seasons to other parts of the world and the Klein Karoo Export Hub aims to export at least 50% of all pomegranate from this hub to other parts of the world. The GRDM’s partnership with the Klein Karoo Export Hub was carefully considered, subsequent to available research about pomegranate exports from South Africa. “The demand and supply factors relating to the industry, local soil analysis, climatic and environmental studies are some of the many factors we had to get insights about,” he said.

SPIN-OFFS FOR LOCALS

The GRDM Council supports the drive to promote economic growth through a co-ordinated regional approach and partnership in agriculture and Agro-processing that is focused on employment creation and exporting. “If all goes according to plan, a 1000 hectares (10 million square metres) of land will be acquired, of which 10% will be reserved for ten (10) Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) farmers,” said Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM. “According to our calculations, each of these farmers will receive 1%, or otherwise calculated as 100 000 square meters or 10 rugby fields of land to produce pomegranates and to form part of the pomegranate crop value chain,” he explained. “We therefore fully support the Klein Karoo Export Hub project because we will also be able to create a unique model for rural development in the region that can be duplicated elsewhere. This is also in line with our efforts to implement the Joint District Metro Approach (JDMA).”

The project would see the establishment of an Agri-village, housing approximately 600 farm workers who will own their own properties. “We anticipate that the project will create 1800 permanent jobs and 2000 seasonal jobs, pomegranate orchards and attract Agri Tourism,” said Booysen. Project Klein Karoo Export Hub has already secured 30Ha for the development of the Agri Village.

It is planned to grow Wonderful Pomegranates in the Calitzdorp area. The area is already known for exporting apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, and apricots elsewhere. The Klein Karoo Export Hub, known as Celebratio, already has a packhouse for fresh fruit and will also build juicing, oil pressing and process facilities to enhance its business model.

The GRDM Planning Department implements the project through its Project Management Unit. According to PMU Manager, Mr Passmore Dongi, “the idea is to create sustainable rural economies that can withstand the shocks and test of time”. It is imperative that as a District we have a paradigm shift in terms of sustainable development and begin the process of looking at development in a holistic manner. In order to deal with unemployment, poverty and other issues we need to be visionaries and begin to use locally available resources to address local challenges and to capitalise on comparative advantage as it pertains to our region. This project is aimed to bring a new dimension and perspective to the concept of rural development as this is aimed to demonstrate what honest PPPs arrangements can yield – if the engagements are transparent and with the objectives of addressing the needs of society at heart.  This project will create an oasis of wealth in an area deemed to be of no significant value because of the climatic conditions. The project will also have significant green energy projects to power most of the activities in the hub. “We will create a smart clean rural Agri hub that responds to the UN Sustainable development goals,” said Dongi.

Feature image: Alderman Memory Booysen, GRDM Executive Mayor (middle), with two of the ladies working at the Celebratio packhouse, Lewonia April (left) and Andrew-leen Jacobs (right).

ENDS