Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Author: Marillia Veldkornet

Garden Route District Municipality launches the “World No Tobacco Day Campaign”

Councillors, management and staff of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), in collaboration with other stakeholders, on Friday 31 May 2019, launched a World No Tobacco Day campaign in front of the GRDM head-office in George.

GRDM Executive Manager for Community Services, Mr Clive Africa, Portfolio Councillor for Community Services, Cllr Khayalethu Lose and Municipal Manager, Mr Monde Stratu, displaying educational messages at the start of the launch.

The launch took place in support of this worldwide initiative of which, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), focuses on “tobacco and lung health.” According to the WHO, the world-wide campaign increases awareness on the negative impact that tobacco has on the lung health of people, from cancer to chronic respiratory diseases and the fundamental role lungs play for the health, as well as overall well-being of all people. The campaign also serves as a call-to-action; the advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption; and to engage stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for a tobacco free world.

Environmental Health Practitioners (initiators of the event) from GRDM during the campaign at the Head-Office.

During his keynote address at the launch, Portfolio Councillor for Community Services, Cllr Khayalethu Lose, gave a brief history of the campaign and added that if indeed, 44 000 South Africans die annually from tobacco consumption, this is more reason why this day must be well commemorated, especially because it brings with it knowledge of harmful effects of tobacco use.  In pledging his support on behalf of the GRDM, he highlighted:  “Let us make this World No Tobacco Day more meaningful”.

The demonstration by the GRDM firefighters was short, but all staff and stakeholders were stunned by the idea of how rapidly a fire can start due to smoking inside a vehicle.

As part of the well-being of representatives, stakeholders such as the Cancer Association of South Africa and the Western Cape Department of Health exhibited health-related services in front of the head office between from 10:00 to 12:00, for staff to do health-related screening tests. While the activities were in progress, a burning minibus arrived at the venue, which caught fire due to smoking activities inside the vehicle. This caught the attention of the audience, when the GRDM firefighters had to contain the fire inside the vehicle.  Although this was merely an example of the dangers of fires inside a vehicle, it was indeed a much-needed demonstration to all staff present.

Nearly 100 staff members and stakeholders marched through the town of George to show their support for the World No Tobacco Day Campaign that is commemorated annually on May, the 31st.

Soon after the activities of the launch, GRDM Environmental Health Practitioners (initiators of the event) and stakeholders started with a “silent march” from York Street, through the town of George to display messages to educate the public about the health effects of tobacco consumption. One such message is:  “Quit before your time runs out”.

If all members of the community are willing to stay abreast of these short and powerful educational messages in their daily lives, then, according to Cllr Lose and all councillors, management and staff who attended the launch “together we can live in a tobacco-free world”.

Garden Route District Municipality Roads Department makes history

“The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) has the biggest Roads function in the Western Cape”.  This was confirmed by GRDM Executive Manager for Roads Services, Mr John G Daniels at their main office in George on Tuesday, 28 May 2019.

According to Mr Daniels, there are many projects in store for the Roads Department over the current and next financial years. Since the Roads Department is an agency function of the Western Cape Government (WCG), its financial year stretches from the beginning of April to the end of March the following year. The current financial year, therefore, already started in April 2019.

Roads Services officials ready to work and excel.

The Roads Services budget

Mr Daniels confirmed his statement about the magnitude of the Department, when he said that the budget of the Roads Department amounts to over half a billion rand.  “This budget is inclusive of the Department’s yellow fleet that amounts to R386 million, which makes us the biggest Roads Department in the Western Cape,” Mr Daniels boasted. The WCG increased the roads services budget from R145 million, last year, to R160 million for this year.  The increase of R15 million could only have materialised due to the Department’s good record of expenditure and stable staff complement. “All these characteristics personify the Roads Services function and with everything necessary in place, we plan to spend R200 million again,” Mr Daniels said.

Projects in progress and to be implemented

One such project planned for the current and next financial years will be a R21 million project to be implemented in Slangrivier (Hessequa), which is foreseen to commence in August/September this year. Two other projects include the re-gravel and resealing of roads in the entire Garden Route district. The resealing will amount to R23 million and R17 million is budgeted for the re-gravelling project.  The road building project in Friemersheim near Mossel Bay, is envisaged to be completed by September 2019.  The R39 million project in Gwaiing (George) where the road is upgraded from gravel to tar, will be completed in the next financial year and will stretch over a period of 18 months.

Uplifting communities and making an impact

All these projects are labour intensive and with that in mind, Mr Daniels reiterated the importance of labour and the transfer of skills, when he said:  “These are our main priorities for our communities before we complete and leave the area.  Through our projects, we want to leave behind a skilled community and we plan to do the same for all our other projects”.

In explaining his statement, Mr Daniels added:  “When GRDM Roads Services complete our work at a site (roads and infrastructure), we also leave behind a community that is uplifted and skilled, due to the monitory value invested in that community for a period of two years”. He further added:  “We are not here only to deliver services, but we are also here to uplift the community from their social struggles, even if we only change 20 to 30% of their circumstances”. Adding to this, Mr Daniels clarified his statement by sketching the following scenario:  “If a little boy attends school and his dad is unemployed, the teacher might ask him what his dad does for a living and the boy might shy away. After GRDM Roads appoints the dad on a two year contract and the teacher asks the boy again what his dad does for a living, only then will the boy confidently and proudly raise from his chair, wearing new shoes and clothes and answer:  ‘My dad is a road builder!’. What this means, is that these new shoes and clothes were afforded by his dad who acquired a job at GRDM Roads – GRDM Roads indirectly supplied the boy with the new clothing. This will not only stay behind in the mind of the boy, but in the minds of the children of the community, and this is what we do – to uplift,” Mr Daniels highlighted.

Mr Daniels extended a word of appreciation to all the Roads staff by saying: “I thank each and every one of you for your commitment, endurance and work ethic. We made history by spending R200 million for the year!”

Weather Alert – Heavy Rain

A Severe Weather Alert was issued by the Cape Town Weather Office as follows:

Hazard: Heavy Rain

Alert Level: Watch
Valid From (SAST): 27/05/2019 – 16h00
Valid To (SAST): 27/05/2019 – 23h00

Area: Expected over the eastern mountainous regions of the Garden Route late afternoon today into the evening (Monday).

Description: Flooding / Heavy Rain

Flooding occurs when water overflows its normal channels such as streams and storm water drains. It can occur with prolonged period of rain, with continuous heavy falls or in the form of flash floods which are usually associated with severe thunderstorms. Heavy rain may also result in river flooding causing damage downstream to areas that may receive no rainfall at all during the flooding event.

Precautions: Flooding / Heavy Rain

  • If possible stay indoors and off the roads, avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water is above your ankles.
  • If trapped in flooding in a vehicle, abandon it and climb to higher ground. In buildings, move valuables to a safe place above the expected flood level.
  • Switch off electricity at the supply point to the building.
  • In rural areas protect/relocate animals to a safe place on higher ground. Abandon your home immediately if evacuation is recommended, before access is cut off by flood water.
  • NEVER drive on a road covered by water. You do not know how deep it is or if the road has been washed away. If the vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.
  • Be especially cautious at night when it’s harder to recognize flood dangers.
  • Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers.

Report any incidents to the Garden Route DM Disaster Management Centre at: 044-805 5071

 

SUPPLIER OPEN DAY – HESSEQUA

NOTICE OF SUPPLIER OPEN DAY TO BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY 22 MAY 2019 AT THE THUSONG CENTRE IN RIVERSDALE

The Hessequa Municipality in collaboration with the Provincial Treasury and the Garden Route District Municipality is hosting a SUPPLIER OPEN DAY at Hessequa Municipality.

The aim of the Supplier Open Day is to invite prospective providers of goods and services to apply for listing as accredited prospective providers and to provide information on procurement opportunities. The aim is to provide information to emerging local suppliers through the District Municipality, Provincial Treasury and other role players such as SEDA and SARS. Local suppliers are hereby invited to attend the Open Day to promote and equip their business more successfully.

In-depth sessions will take place with the following commodities:
• Catering and Security Awareness
• Central Supplier Database / Western

Cape Supplier database registrations Supplier Open Day takes place on:
DATE: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
LOCATION: Thusong Centre, Van den Berg Street Riversdale
TIME: 08:00 -16: 00

Interested Service Providers within the Hessequa Region should contact the Hessequa Municipality Supply Chain Management Unit for any queries contact:

HESSEQUA MUNICIPALITY
Supply Chain Management
Contact Person: Ellouise Prins
Phone number: 028-7137986
Email: ellouise@hessequa.gov.za

Click here to download the Notice.

Garden Route DM celebrates nurses day

Speaker of Garden Route District Municipality, Cllr Eleanore Bouw-Spies, recently donated R5 000.00 to the South Cape / Karoo Nursing College in celebration of International Nurses’ Day – 12 May 2019. The funds will be used for a recreational area for Nurses and Students.

Speaker Bouw-Spies sharing a moment with to first to forth year nursing students at the South Cape/Karoo Nursing school in commemoration of International Nurses Day.

“From the bottom of my heart, we thank you for your dedication and hard work, we thank you for looking after others’ health with care, we thank you for your tenderness and care when dealing with your patients,” said Cllr Bouw-Spies.

Management, lecturers and students during the event, after Speaker Bouw-Spies extended a word of gratitude to them for their continuous hard work and commitment.

Speaker also thanked Nurses for “keeping Florence Nightingale’s legacy alive and for always remembering the Nurses Pledge of Service”.

Garden Route District Municipality wins the IFFD Challenge

It was once again a glorious occasion for the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Fire Fighters, when they walked away in victory after winning the International Fire Fighters Day (IFFD) Challenge the past weekend. Overstrand Municipality ended up in the second place and Overberg District Municipality third.

Municipal Manager of Garden Route District Municipality, Mr Monde Stratu, shared a special moment with the team to congratulate them personally. FLTR: Mr Emile Conrad (left), Mr Hein Leslie (2nd left), Mr Armien Bailey (2nd right) and Mr Edwin Lottering (right). Mr Bennie van Vuuren could not be present during the photograph session.

The competition took place in Stellenbosch from 3 to 5 May 2019 and was hosted by the Stellenbosch Municipality at “Die Braak.  This main purpose of the event was to acknowledge the significance of firefighters in the Western Cape Province and it also placed emphasis on the remembrance of fire fighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.

After the Communication Unit of GRDM spoke to the firefighters about their preparation for the competition, it became evident that no competition-focused practice sessions took place prior to the event, as all firefighters have to be fit at all time, to effectively perform their duties on a daily basis.

Mr Emile Conrad, captain of the crew (left), Municipal Manager of Garden Route District Municipality, Mr Monde Stratu (middle), and Mr Hein Leslie, Leader of the Garden Route District Municipality team (right).

A team member who participates in competitions of this standard must show outstanding skills such as endurance, determination, to be focused and to have consistent strength.  Participants resembled all these characteristics throughout the six challenges. The format of the event also included a parade through the streets, a ceremony to honor the lives of the fire fighters who passed away in their line of duty and squad drilling to depict the importance of the firefighters in society. Approximately 1500 people attended the event.

Senior Fire fighter, Mr Emile Conrad, is well-known for being the South African Toughest Fire fighter Alive and for his top performance at the all related competitions. For Senior Fire fighter, Mr Edwin Lottering, it was his nineth year of participation in competitions of this nature and therefore his skills and previous experience contributed greatly to their success. For Mr Hein Leslie (team leader), it was a third experience, for Mr Bennie van Vuuren’s, a third and for Mr Armien Bailey a second.  The skill and knowledge of these participants, as well as their level of commitment and strength complemented each other to be able to achieve the outcome of their participation.

When sharing their overall experience of the competition, Mr Conrad said that he drew inspiration from how all firefighters came together to unite for one purpose, but also from seeing how firefighters which are already known to one another due to past competition participation, encouraged and motivated each other.  On the other hand, Mr Bailey highlighted:  “Seeing that I grew up in Stellenbosch, it was a privilege for me to notice that the residents from my home town saw the progress in me as firefighter, as all challenges were firefighting-related – it was indeed encouraging and it kept me going”.

The Garden District Municipality council, management and staff extended messages to the participants before, throughout and after the competition, to share their support with the team members.  Congratulations once again to Heinrich Leslie as team leader, Emile Conrad (crew captain), Edwin Lottering, Armien Bailey and Bennie van Vuuren for making the entire Garden Route district proud!

The South African Toughest Fire Fighter Alive competition is expected to take place in Cape Town from 20 to 21 September 2019 and the GRDM team, if considered, is ready to participate in the competition.