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Author: Marlene Nqumse

15 March 2021 Weather Alert: Impact-based warning: Rain which could lead to localised flooding- Western Cape Province

Weather Alert: Impact-based warning: Rain which could lead to localised flooding- Western Cape Province

In light of this severe weather alert as produced by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and other centers, the following advisory guidelines are suggested. It is emphasized that these advisories are broad guidelines and should be interpreted considering the local aspects of the region such as soil types, cultural preferences and farming systems. Depending on the particular region, the prioritization of the guidelines will differ. The basic strategy to follow would be to minimize and diversify risk. The province should further simplify, downscale and package the information according to their language preference and if possible use local radio stations and farmers’ days in disseminating the information.

Impact-based warning issued by SAWS valid: 15 March 2021

Yellow (level 1) warning for rain could lead to localized flooding of roads and settlements over the coastal areas of the Overberg and Garden Route Districts in the Western Cape.

Heavy rainfall raises the water level. When the water level is higher than the river banks or the dams, water flows out from the river and flooding occurs.

Preventive measures:

  • Construction of proper drainage systems – Drains must be cleaned constantly as they ensure proper water irrigation.
  • Mechanical land treatment of slopes such as contour ploughing or terracing to reduce the runoff coefficient.
  • Construction of small water and sediment holding areas.
  • Construction of floodways (man-made channels to divert floodwater).
  • Terracing hillsides to slow flow downhill.

What to do when flooding is forecasted:

Avoid-

  • Cutting grass in the rainy season (nutrient depletion).
  • Applying fungicides and pesticide (plants and animals).
  • Applying N fertilizer (burning of plants) (Nitrogen loss is higher during heavy rain), immediately follows a surface application of fertilizer, especially on sloped areas.
  • Dumping fertilizer in one spot can cause the roots below the fertilizer to be burned and die.
  • Irrigation (waterlogging can occur, nutrient depletion).

–  Cover Urea licks to prevent them from becoming toxic.

–  Provide shelter for animals (young ones die easily).

–  Leave cultivated areas coarse.

–  Relocate/ move animals to a safe place.

The following are a number of concerns and recommendations:

  • Be extra cautious for pest and diseases after the rain has fallen, as high moisture content and high temperatures may trigger these.
  • Assume that floodwater contains sewage and might be harmful for human and livestock consumption.
  • Before leading livestock across a river, check whether the water level is rising. This is especially necessary if it is already raining, but remembers that there could be a storm further upstream and floodwaters could be on the way

A comprehensive list of strategies can be found in the monthly NAC Advisory. It can be accessed from the following websites: www.dalrrd.gov.za. For more information contact:-

Directorate: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

Private Bag X93

Pretoria 0001

Tel: 012 319 6775

Email: MittaA@Dalrrd.gov.za

Weather Warning information as received from the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development.

15 March 2021 Weather Alert: Weather forecast 15 – 22 March 2021

Weather Alert: Weather forecast 15 – 22 March 2021

Garden Route District Municipality disseminates the information below on behalf of the South African Weather Service.

An upper cut-off low-pressure system is dominating the atmospheric circulation resulting in cloudy and rainy conditions over most parts of the province, with rain abating in the West Coast District and Cape Metropole as well as the Northern parts of Cape Winelands during the afternoon. The continuous onshore flow along the Overberg and Garden Route coastal areas will result in localised flooding in these areas as well as disruptions on the roads.

(A warning detailing these impacts has been issued already on 14/03/2021 and it is still on track).

Tomorrow Tuesday, rain will be confined to the Southern parts of the province, especially the coastal areas, persisting into the evening.

Further, into the week, a coastal low pressure will bring foggy conditions along the West and Southwest coastlines on Thursday morning. Cloudy and rainy conditions are expected along the Overberg and Garden Route coast from late Thursday night, persisting into Saturday afternoon, with no risk of impacts at this stage.

Coastal Wind– A strong South Easterly wind of 45 to 55km/h can be expected along the coast today and tomorrow, and again on Friday.

Most recent Spring Tide date: 14 March 2021 at 01:54 SAST

Sea State– 2.5 to 3.0m wave heights with a Southerly swell today into Wednesday and again on Friday into the weekend.

Weather conditions will be monitored during the week and any further developments will be communicated if needs be.

Issued by the South African Weather Service.

Report any severe weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at telephone number 044 805 5071.

12 March 2021 Public Notice: Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting on 23 March 2021 at 10:00 am

Public Notice: Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting on 23 March 2021 at 10:00 am

Notice is hereby given in terms of the MFMA Circular  No 32  of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that the Garden Route District Municipality’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee, responsible for the Review and Analysis of the 2019/20 Annual Report, will be taking place on 23 March 2021.

Date: 23 March 2021

Time: 10h00-12h00

Place: Virtual Link here

Questions will be posed to Management to get clarity on the contents of the Annual Financial Statements and the Annual Report.  The draft oversight report will be written after this meeting.

For any further enquiries regarding this MPAC meeting kindly contact Mr Thembani Loliwe at 044 803 1430

MG STRATU

MUNICIPAL MANAGER

12 March 2021 Media Release: Garden Route Health Platform Update

Media Release: Garden Route Health Platform Update on 12 March 2021

The Garden Route district has to date vaccinated 680 healthcare workers since the district’s roll-out of the vaccination plan on 3 March 2021 at George Hospital.

“We are happy to report that our first two weeks of vaccinations went without major hiccups and we have used 100% of the allocated vaccines. We also thank the staff who have received the vaccination, who despite experiencing mild side-effects, still showed up for work in order to provide a health service to our clients. It took effort and teamwork to set up the vaccination site at George Hospital. I would like to thank everyone involved, directly and indirectly for your contribution”, said District Director for Garden Route and Central Karoo districts, Mr Zee Brickles.

The overall intent of the vaccination roll-out is to prevent severe illness and death and to protect the health system. During Phase 1, healthcare workers are being targeted first, to ensure that we are able to vaccinate the most at risk healthcare workers first to ensure our readiness for a third wave. 

To date, the Western Cape received 25 960 vaccines in two tranches as part of the J&J/Sisonke implementation study: Tranche One (13 160) and Tranche Two (12 800).   

George Hospital remains the only vaccination site in the Garden Route as part of the Sisonke programme.

Planning for Phases 2 & 3

Phases 2 and 3 will cover larger numbers of residents and will include other frontline services, people in congregate settings, essential workers, those at risk due to age or comorbidity, and finally, in phase 3, the general adult population. We are working hard to put all the systems in place to roll out these phases as soon as approved vaccines arrive.   The current planning is for quarter 2, likely from May onwards.  

Register for vaccine 

During phase 1, only healthcare workers who wish to take up vaccination can register on the national Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS): https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za. Once registered they will be issued with a voucher indicating the vaccination site and date to go for the vaccination. Registered healthcare workers are asked to liaise with the relevant person at their workplace to book their appointment after they have received their voucher.  

Currently, we request non-healthcare staff not to register on the system. We will inform the public when they can start registering on the system.

Importance of vigilance 

We cannot become complacent. We want to remind the public of the need for continued COVID-19 vigilance in order to prevent a third wave.  Avoid crowded places, close-contact settings and confined and enclosed spaces. Always wear a mask when in public, wash your hands, don’t touch your face, keep 1.5m apart, cover your cough and stay home when sick– this is the best way to prevent a third wave.

Garden Route Stats

Sub-district

Total

Active

Recovered

Died

Hessequa

1 936

18

1 818

100

Mossel Bay

7 266

18

7 039

209

George

11 736

148

11 165

423

Knysna

4 779

25

4 594

160

Bitou

2 717

4

2 606

107

Kannaland

865

13

812

40

Oudtshoorn

3 914

97

3 565

252

TOTAL

33 213

323

31 599

1 291

 

 END

Nadia Ferreira

Principal Communications Officer

Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts

Western Cape Government Health

Town Clinic, Plettenberg Bay

Tel: 076 379 5423

Email: Nadia.Ferreira@westerncape.gov.za

Website: www.westerncape.gov.za

9 March 2021 Media Release: Thembalethu Bridge upgrade will boost Southern Cape economy

MEDIA RELEASE: Thembalethu Bridge upgrade will boost Southern Cape economy
Issued on behalf of SANRAL and George Municipality, Tuesday 9 March 2021

Western Cape, 9 March 2021 – With road infrastructure being prioritised in South Africa’s economic recovery plan in a post-COVID environment, the upgrade of the Thembalethu Bridge in George, bodes well for the Southern Cape economy. This project is a collaborative venture between SANRAL and the George Local Municipality, with the Department Transport having provided R82,127 million towards the funding of the project. SANRAL is the Implementing Agent working closely with the George Municipality.

The total construction period is between 24 and 30 months, which should create project participation opportunities for SMMEs as well as both direct and indirect jobs for the local community.

The scope of works involves the widening of the Thembalethu Bridge across the N2 from a single carriageway to accommodate two lanes in each direction, with additional turning lanes as well as extra space for pedestrians and cyclists.

“A new bridge will be constructed on the Western side. Once completed, the existing bridge will be raised and stitched to the new bridge, to ensure that the upgraded structure complies with the minimum bridge clearance of 5.2 metres,” explained Petronella Theron, SANRAL Project Manager.

Detailed design works are currently being finalised and the tender for a contractor will be out by June 2021. Taking the procurement processes into account, the contractor should be appointed by November 2021.

All SANRAL projects are guided by a 14-point plan that sets the tone for project liaison, sub-contracting and labour sourcing, as well as a commitment to its transformation policy that seeks to prioritise economic empowerment of black businesses in South Africa.

“With 30% of the project value being committed to targeted enterprises for subcontracting, there are huge opportunities for start-ups and emerging SMMEs to benefit from project participation,” said Thembinkosi Mosobela, SANRAL Stakeholder Coordinator in the Western Region.

A process of engagement with relevant stakeholders is already underway and SANRAL, together with the George Local Municipality will explore opportunities to provide training and development of SMMEs in the road construction sector, to ensure that they are equipped, capacitated and ready to tender for work packages that become available on this project.

“These information-sharing and training sessions are of cardinal importance to ensure we broaden the scope of economic opportunities to businesses in the surrounding communities. Our transformation objectives are particularly aligned to facilitate the participation of persons with disabilities, women-owned business as well as youth-owned operations,” continued Mosobela.

– Ends –

Issued on behalf of SANRAL by FTI Consulting. For assistance please contact Melany Kühn on 078 8877 004. For editorial content or additional information contact: pressoffice@nra.co.za

Regards

Chantèl Edwards-Klose

Manager: Communications & IGR

Office of the Municipal Manager

Office:044 801 9160

Cell:082 350 2420

Email: cedwardsklose@george.gov.za

8 March 2021 Weather Alert: Weather forecast: 8 March – 14 March 2021

Weather Alert: Weather forecast: 8 March – 14 March 2021

Garden Route District Municipality disseminates the information below on behalf of the South African Weather Service.

Today will be predominantly cloudy over the province with rain expected along the Eastern parts of the South-coast during the morning. Cloudy conditions are expected from tomorrow until Thursday with the approaching cold front. This will result in strong North-Westerly winds ahead of the front for Tuesday and Wednesday, particularly over the central and Eastern interior as well as over the South-Western coastal areas. The system will result in the rain over the Western parts from Tuesday evening and will spread along the South coast from Wednesday afternoon, clearing during the afternoon of Thursday. 

 The bulk of the rain is expected over the Western parts (20-40mm, 50mm over the mountains). Severe weather warnings will be sent by SAWS later today. The rest of the week will remain sunny to partly cloudy. On Saturday afternoon another cold front will reach the country resulting in cloudy conditions and there is a chance of rain over the South-Western parts from Saturday afternoon that will spread along the south coast during Sunday. The rain will start to clear in the West from Sunday afternoon. Temperatures in the mid to high twenties are expected during the week.

Along the coast the winds are expected to be moderate to fresh South-Westerly today, becoming North-Westerly tomorrow and will remain like that for the rest of the week except on Thursday and Sunday when it will be South-Easterly. Strong winds are expected from tomorrow afternoon until Wednesday night reaching gale force along the South-West coast on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

 Coupled with the strong winds, 4.0 to 6.0m South-Westerly swell is expected along the South coast from tomorrow afternoon until Wednesday afternoon, which will result in very rough and choppy seas. We expect warnings from SAWS later today. Apart from Tuesday and Wednesday, 3.0 to 4.0m South-Westerly swell is expected.

Issued by the South African Weather Service.

Report any severe weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at telephone number 044 805 5071.

15 February 2021 Media Release: Community Economic Recovery Project injects R3 million into the informal economy; provides food relief in Covid-19 hotspots

 

MEDIA RELEASE BY DAVID MAYNIER

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

15 February 2021
For Immediate Release

Community Economic Recovery Project injects R3 million into the informal economy; provides food relief in Covid-19 hotspots

Today Premier Alan Winde and Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, visited Lingelethu Cash Store and Mpumi’s Kitchen, a spaza shop and community kitchen in Khayelitsha that are participants in the Community Economic Recovery Project.

Launched in September 2020, the Community Economic Recovery Project has provided 225 community kitchens in Covid-19 hotspots with digital vouchers every two weeks that are then spent at nearby participating spaza shops. To date over 135 spaza shops have participated in the project.

As a public-private partnership between the Western Cape Government, the DG Murray Trust and the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (EDP), the project supports vulnerable communities during the Covid-19 pandemic by injecting R3 million into the local economy between community kitchens and spaza shops.

Funding for the project has been jointly provided by the Western Cape Government who contributed R2 million and the DG Murray Trust who contributed R1 million, of which 100% will be distributed to the beneficiaries by the end of the project.

After meeting with those who have benefitted from the Community Economic Recovery Project, Premier Alan Winde said: “This project is an innovative way to support local businesses and ensure that we are responding to the humanitarian need in communities at the same time. Throughout the pandemic, the Western Cape Government has always balanced saving lives, with saving livelihoods, and this is just one of a number of ways we have helped to support businesses to continue to operate. This project encompasses two of our key priorities – supporting jobs and dignity and wellbeing.  In my SOPA address on Wednesday, I will be outlining more steps that this government will be taking in response to Covid-19, and to support businesses and grow the economy, and to promote dignity and wellbeing.”

In addition to benefiting communities in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, this initiative has also been implemented in other areas of Cape Town such as Atlantis, Elsies River and Mitchells Plain, and in other municipalities across the Western Cape including Breede Valley, Langeberg, Witzenberg, Drakenstein, Overberg, George and Mossel Bay.

Minister David Maynier thanked all the partners involved in the Community Economic Recovery Project, “This project is a great example of how the public and private sector, together with civil society, can partner quickly, effectively and innovatively in a time of crisis. I look forward to our continued efforts to work together to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy so that we can save businesses and save jobs in the Western Cape.”

Andrew Boraine, CEO of the EDP, said: “By focusing on an urgent social need, this programme has not only supported the retention of jobs in spaza shops by injecting cash into some of the neighbourhoods hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has also provided food relief to vulnerable communities.  Working in collaboration with community kitchens and spaza shops has led to the creation of a dynamic network of entrepreneurs and civil society, from whom we have been able to learn valuable lessons about what is possible for future township economy programmes.”

Media Queries:

Francine Higham

Spokesperson for the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities

(Responsible for the Provincial Treasury and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism)

Cell: 071 087 5150

Email: francine.higham@westerncape.gov.za

Click here and download the Fact Sheet_Community Economic Recovery Project_210214

9 February 2021 Weather Alert: Impact Based Warning for the Western Cape and Namaqua region

Weather Alert: Impact Based Warning for the Western Cape and Namaqua region

LEVEL 1 for Damaging Waves

Warning valid from Wednesday 10 February 00:00 – until Thursday 11 February 00:00

Affected DM / LM / Metro area:  Bergrivier, Bitou, Cape Agulhas, Cederberg, City of Cape Town, George, Hessequa, Kamiesberg, Knysna, Matzikama, Mossel Bay, Overstrand, Saldanha Bay, Swartland and Table Bay.

Short Message:  Coastal areas between Hondeldip Bay and Plettenberg Bay tomorrow morning until Thursday morning (10-11/02/2021).

Discussion:  A tight pressure gradient over the western parts of the country is expected to result in strong (50-Gokh) southerly to south-easterly winds along the west and south-western coastline in conjunction with significant wave heights of 4.0-4.5m with short periods of 6-s are expected between Hondeklip Bay and Betty’s Bay from Wednesday morning, resulting in choppy rough seas which poses risk of minor impacts at sea

Impacts Small vessels, as well as personal watercraft such as kayaks and surfboards, are expected to experience difficulty in navigation in choppy waves and be at risk of taking on water and capsizing in totality Impacts such as disruption to beach activities and risk to rock anglers (big waves crashing on the coastline) are expected particularly between Cape Point and Plettenberg Bay including False Bay region as well.

Instruction:  Be aware of large unpredictable waves along the coast Small vessels are advised to seek shelter in harbours, bays or inlets.

Report any severe weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at telephone number 044 805 5071.

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.”