The Western Cape Premier’s Coordinating Forum (PCF) with the theme “Maximising Citizen Impact” is currently underway at the George Civic Hall in George. The Western Cape Premier, Mr Alan Winde, Provincial Ministers of the Western Cape, Executive Mayors, as well as Municipal Managers are in attendance. This platform is the first PCF meeting to take place under the leadership of Premier Winde.
A full house of representatives attend the Premier’s Coordinating Forum in George.FLTR: Premier Alan Winde, Mr Harry Malila, Acting Director-General of the Western Cape, Western Cape Minister of Transport and Public Works, Mr Bonginkosi Madikizela and Cllr Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor of the Garden Route District Municipality, at the PCF that is currently underway in George.
The overall objective of the PCF is for political and administrative leadership to engage of matters of interest to the communities of the Western Cape:
To promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations between the province and local governments in the Western Cape;
To engage with the Premier on the vision and strategic priorities for the Province; and
To discuss how the Provincial and Local Government and municipalities can work together to achieve a common vision and shared priorities to maximise citizen impact.
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”.
“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!”
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
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:
