Notice is hereby given that a SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING of the Garden Route District Municipality will be held at the CA Robertson Council Chambers, and via Zoom, 54 York Street, George, on 27 May 2025 at 11:00.
16 May 2025
It is with great pleasure that the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) is announcing that it will partner with the Firefighters for Excellence NPO and the Garden Route Mall to host the 10th annual Toughest Firefighter Alive South Africa (TFA-SA) competition in George. The date is set – Thursday, 9 October to Saturday, 11 October 2025. The announcement was made by GRDM Executive Mayor, Andrew Stroebel on 16 May at the Garden Route Mall.
The Garden Route Mall is the heart of retail in the region. It is the largest shopping centre along the Garden Route. Set strategically next to the N2 and close to other attractions in George, spectators and competitors will enjoy a safe space with the Outeniqua Mountains in the backdrop.
Activities during the announcement launch of the upcoming Toughest Firefighter Alive Competition. Attendees included GRDM Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel, GRDM Fire Chief Deon Stoffels, Emile Conrad (Senior Firefighter and defending champion), Rion Olivier (General Manager of Garden Route Mall), Tumi Masango (Marketing Manager), Sonja Anderson (Sales & Event Coordinator), as well as media representatives Peter Jaftha from Heartbeat FM and Alida de Beer from the George Herald.
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥’𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
Among those set to compete again this year are two of the previous category winners: Baigum Abrahams and Emile Conrad. Baigum has won the TFA female category three times, while Emile has the men’s overall category eight times. Emile is also a Senior Firefighter for the GRDM.
“The TFA-SA is a platform where the physical endurance and professional skill of firefighters are tested and where the public can see these firefighters in action,” said the Executive Mayor of the GRDM, Andrew Stroebel.
Beyond the main competition, a Mini Toughest Firefighter Challenge will also be hosted to ensure that youngsters are able to also feel the rush and excitement of the TFA competition. Members of the public are encouraged to watch for announcements regarding registrations and spectator opportunities on the Toughest Firefighter Alive South Africa Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/104703576298608
“Hosting this competition is also an opportunity to reflect on our region’s resilience in the face of disaster; from the 2017 Knysna wildfires to the 2024 George Building Collapse.”
The GRDM requests the public to mark your calendars and join us as the country’s bravest and fittest converge in George for an unforgettable display of endurance, agility, and courage.
ORIGINS OF THE TFA-SA
In 2024, the event exceeded expectations with a record 400 individual competitors attending it. This October, all eyes are on the goal – to raise the bar even higher to get closer to 500.
According to Mark Smith, the Chairperson and founder of TFA-SA, “the event has been primarily hosted in Cape Town, then in George in 2016 and with Mossel Bay hosting the event from 2022 until 2024. The 9th Edition of the event held in Mossel Bay 2024 attracted a 240 individuals and 58 relay teams making the South African TFA one of the biggest events of its kind in the world”.
The TFA-SA is linked to the World Firefighter Games, which was launched in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1990. It has since become the flagship competition for firefighters globally, with South Africa hosting its first TFA event in 2011 at the Good Hope centre in Cape Town. Nowadays, the competition draws competitors from municipalities, private companies, volunteer organisations, airport fire and rescue services and the military, as well as international firefighters.
To compete, information will be available on the official website: https://www.frimedia.org/tfa.html
Contact the GRDM Fire Department if interested in volunteering – deon@gardenroute.gov.za
Companies interested in sponsoring/exhibiting may contact the official media partner, Fire and Rescue International’s Lee Raath-Brownie at lee@fireandrescue.co or mobile 082 371 0190.
14 May 2025
Local Personal Trainer, Michela Perdichizzi offered training to assist GRDM’s Firefighters recently. Fitness is one of the most important parts of being a firefighter, above and beyond skills to fight fires and making life-saving decision.
Carrying equipment, rescuing victims, and navigating hazardous and challenging environments – especially wildfires, can be quite a challenge for firefighters. Additional to the intensity and conditions of fires, the challenging topography of the district, including mountainous, and most often tricky sandy coastal terrain, firefighters need to remain calm during incidents. Dedication to fitness and conditioning are vital components that help firefighters to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively, leading to quicker reaction times, situational awareness, and better outcomes.
Exercise has natural positive effects on mental health, reduces stress, improves mood, and improves resilience, which are important to face challenging situations and emotional stressors. A good fitness level is also linked to the ability to work safely and effectively in high-stress and quick decision-making environments. Importantly, maintaining good fitness levels helps firefighters stay in shape and prevent injuries, thus allowing them a prolonged career.
“After being introduced to the firefighting world of the GRDM firefighters, and learning the background, Michela did not think twice to offer assistance to our firefighters, introducing a variety and somewhat unconventional mixture of exercises,” said GRDM fire chief, Deon Stoffels.
These included:
Stoffels added: “Interestingly, most of the exercises introduced excluded weight training, and focused on testing the body’s own strength, power, and flexibility ”.
GRDMs firefighters who took part in the sessions up to now are unanimous in their views that Michela is certainly challenging them mentally and physically. They certainly loved the challenge and look forward to more sweat and tears.
Catch Michela Perdichizzi here: https://www.facebook.com/michela.alcarazgonzalez
Related Article: https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_3315222-up-expert-opinion-global-employee-health-and-fitness-month-wellness-should-move-from-the-periphery-to-the-core-of-workplace-strategy-up-exercise-scientist
-END-
13 May 2025
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Firefighters were visited by learners from the Holy Cross Primary School in George on Wednesday, 9 May 2025. The event, described as an enjoyable experience where both learners and teachers were made aware and educate on very important basic fire safety dos and don’ts.
Firefighters enjoyed educating and entertaining the youngsters, who showed a keen interest in the field of firefighting. Presentations were made about essential fire safety elements around the home, at school, as well as what to do when spotting a fire elsewhere. In a fun-filled and interactive way, learners were also taught the relevant emergency contact numbers of the emergency services.
“The learners enjoyed interacting with real firefighters and trying on the protective gear,” said Elana Basson-Coetzer, Platoon Commander.
“The ‘little ones certainly enjoyed their visit at the GRDM fire station.”
The young learners enjoyed their time with the firefighters.
The most exciting part of the visit to the fire station was when water was sprayed from the high-pressure hose, allowing the children to experience how flames are extinguished. They were also fascinated seeing how foam is generated, which is used to remove oxygen from certain fire types.
The visit was facilitator by Elana Basson-Coetzer and learner firefighter Corne Fourie. Both indicated that they equally enjoyed empowering the youth of Garden Route, and the leaders of tomorrow.
Please contact Devonia Cupido, Acting Station Officer: Fire Safety & Training, at Devonia@gardenroute.gov.za if you would like our firefighters to visit your location.
-END-
12 May 2025
The Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Training Section received a visit from the National Skills Fund (NSF) Executive Committee from 8 to 9 May 2025. The visit formed part of their annual performance monitoring and oversight visits to beneficiaries. This follows the approval last year by the Director-General of the Department of Higher Education and Training, allocating R36 378 000 to the GRDM to benefit 400 beneficiaries over a period 31 month period.
During a brief ‘meet-and-greet’ session on Thursday with the NSF Executive Committee, the Municipal Manager of GRDM Monde Stratu, welcomed the team and highlighted the good working relationship that has been established since 2017. Stratu expressed his appreciation for the strong partnership between GRDM and NSF and thanked them for their continued financial contribution and support, towards skills development in the region. Following this, the NSF leadership continued to reflect and assess the progress of NSF projects in the region.
GRDM and NSF delegations during the Day 1 meet-and-greet session.
On Friday morning, the visit by the NSF continued as the GRDM Training Unit briefed the delegates on the performance of the NSF funded projects. Ald. Ndayi (Portfolio Councillor of the Corporates Services) thanked the NSF for the project and the positive impact of the program on the life of the beneficiaries. She motivated the learners on the program and encouraged them to remain positive and dedicated to complete it. During the same session, the NSF representatives also met with some of the Professional Cookery Learnership and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) students, who had the opportunity to share their experiences, skills gained and overall appreciation.
Following this, NSF leadership visited the African Skills Centre in Thembalethu, where they met and engaged with beneficiaries trained as professional cooks. The final stop was at Fancourt, where they interacted with beneficiaries working and training in the hospitality industry.
Activities underway during Day 2
-END-
9 May 2025
Local skills development providers from the Garden Route District recently gathered for the George/Garden Route Skills Uniondale Pre-Indaba, hosted by the George Municipality in conjunction with Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM). This engagement provided a platform for local representatives from the business chambers, TVET colleges, and various departments involved in skills development.
The well-attended event took place in Uniondale and was chaired by Luvo Bomvana, the Local Economic Development (LED) Manager of George Municipality. Bomvana stated that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the Skills Mecca Programme and how it fits in to the town of Uniondale. There were also engagements with community leaders and the local business community about the skills development potential of Uniondale and key initiatives.
George Municipality’s Councillor Jarques Esau who officially opened the event, also extended his special appreciation to the George Municipality’s LED Unit and the Garden Route District Municipality’s Skills Mecca for bringing skills development opportunities to Uniondale. He reiterated that youth unemployment is very high in the area. Uniondale currently faces various skills shortages, particularly in the fields of Occupational Qualifications and urgently needs Read Seal Artisans in bricklaying, welding, furniture making, motor mechanics, and many more.
This was followed by a presentation from Reginald Salmons, the GRDM Coordinator of Skills Development, who provided an informative overview of the Garden Route Skills Mecca journey and the various opportunities available. Following the presentation, stakeholders provided valuable input.
It was agreed that a two-day Summit and Career Festival would be organised in June 2025, with various stakeholders and SETAs in attendance to inform and uplift the youth of Uniondale and Haarlem. Also that the LED Manager of George Municipality will communicate the date to all role players and stakeholder and will work closely with the Garde Route Skills Mecca Team to coordinate the Summit and Carrer Festival.
The successful event will pave the way for the official Skills Indaba for Uniondale and Haarlem, bringing together a broad spectrum of key role players.
Featured image and images above: Stakeholders participating in the Pre-Indaba discussion session in Uniondale.
-END-