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Author: Marlene Nqumse

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.”

1 February 2021 Media Release: Procurement Disclosure Report reveals R1.85 billion spent on Covid-19

MEDIA RELEASE BY DAVID MAYNIER

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

Date: 01 February 2021

Release: immediately

 Procurement Disclosure Report reveals R1.85 billion spent on Covid-19  

We are pleased to publish the seventh edition of the Procurement Disclosure Report by Provincial Treasury which affirms our commitment to transparency and clean government in the Western Cape. This edition of the Procurement Disclosure Report confirms that to date R1.854 billion has been committed towards Covid-19 related expenditure across departments and public entities in the 2020/21 financial year in the Western Cape.

For the period 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2020, provincial departments’ total Covid-19 expenditure was R1.851 billion, while provincial public entities’ spent R2.980 million.

A total of R869.660 million, or 46.89%, of all Covid-19 expenditure by provincial departments and public entities was spent with small, medium and micro-enterprises (SMMEs), which exceeds the national target of 30%.

Total Covid-19 procurement expenditure for December 2020 amounted to R78,119 million, of which R78,055 million was spent by provincial departments and R64 332,61 by public entities.

Monthly reporting on all Covid-19 procurement expenditure transactions is available via the National Treasury Covid-19 dashboard with a summary report provided by the Provincial Treasury in the Procurement Disclosure Report.

To access the dashboard and the Procurement Disclosure Report, visit: www.westerncape.gov.za/provincial-treasury/procurement-disclosure-report.

For more information and to submit feedback or suggestion on improvements to the Public Disclosure Report please email to our Supplier Helpdesk.

 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

If you do not want to receive future media releases from Minister David Maynier then please reply directly to this email requesting to be removed from our mailing list.

21 February 2021 Weather Alert: Weather Advisory: Western Cape and Namaqua

Weather Alert: Weather Advisory: Western Cape and Namaqua – 21 February 2021

The South African Weather Service has issued the following weather advisory for the Western Cape and Namaquland region:

Alert Level: Advisory

Affected Municipalities: Beaufort West, Bergrivier, Breede Valley, Cederberg, Kamiesberg, Kannaland, Laingsburg, Langeberg, Matzikama, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert and Witzenberg.

Valid From (SAST): 02/02/21 – 08h00

Valid To (SAST): 03/02/21 – 20h00

Discussion: Hot and humid weather will result in extremely uncomfortable conditions. When the temperature and the humidity are high at the same time or when the temperature exceeds a certain threshold, human’s ability to cool their bodies through sweating is reduced.

Impact: When the temperature is extremely high, the human’s ability to cool their bodies through sweating is reduced. This can be a real threat that leads to hyperthermia. People and animals can get heat exhaustion, heatstroke, faintness, dry skin and dehydration.

Instruction: Avoid prolonged direct exposure to the sun as far as possible and drink plenty of water. Make sure your animals have access to enough water. Limit physical activities. Seek medical attention if needed.

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

27 January 2021 is National Police Day

National Police Day – 27 January 2021

Annually, 27 January marks National Police Day in South Africa and on this day, South Africans and others residing in our country remembers the sacrifices that the men and women in blue have made and continue to make as they provide safety for all who live in South Africa.

As the Garden Route District Municipality, we would like to salute all members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and express our gratitude for their continuous loyalty and efforts towards making our district and country, a safer and more secure place to live.  We understand that much of the work that SAPS has been tasked to do over the past few months have been highly controversial, but we recognise the efforts by SAPS in risking their lives to fight crime, curb gender-based violence and domestic violence in our district.

We also honour the memories of the fallen heroes and heroines that have served our land with integrity and loyalty.

Keep up the good work – we are proud of you!

25 January 2021 Media Release: Recent storms in the Klein Karoo caused severe damage to rural roads

Media Release: Recent storms in the Klein Karoo caused severe damage to rural roads

For Immediate Release
25 January 2021

Isolated thunderstorms were experienced in the Klein Karoo region during the first two weeks of January 2021. This caused severe damage to rural roads, stretching from Ladismith / Van Wyksdorp in the Kannaland municipal area to Uniondale in the interior of the George municipal area.

Temporary repair work is underway to ensure safe use and access to the roads and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2021. Work is done by the maintenance teams of Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Roads Services.

All ‘damaged roads’ in the Ladismith and Van Wyksdorp areas are already accessible for users.  Repair work is still in progress in the Vlakteplaas area, East of De Rust and at the De Hoop – Kouga and Toorwater areas in Uniondale.  All road users in the affected areas have access to the outside world by making use of detours; however, the department’s is currently trying to limit detours.

Road users who are making use of rural roads are encouraged to obey traffic signs and to drive patiently and carefully at all times.

25 January 2021 Media Release: Ambient Air Quality Monitoring conducted in Louis Fourie Road Mossel Bay 

Media Release: Ambient Air Quality Monitoring conducted in Louis Fourie Road Mossel Bay 

For immediate release
25 January 2021

The stretch of the Louis Fourie Road between Hartenbos and Mossel Bay was identified as an Air Quality hotspot in the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) 3rd Generation Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP),  as a result of mobile emissions. This declaration was made based on estimate emissions, making use of traffic counts and international-based emission factors from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

According to Dr Schoeman, GRDM Manager: Air Quality: “Based on the traffic counts obtained from the South African National Roads Agency Ltd (SANRAL), the highest traffic density in the Garden Route district is most probably experienced along the R102 provincial road between Hartenbos and Mossel Bay through the Voorbaai area. A total number of 9.5 million vehicles were counted during 2018”.

It is recommended in the AQMP that ambient air quality monitoring be undertaken to verify the estimated emissions and compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

From 5 January 2021 to 11 January 2021, the GRDM District Air Quality Unit commissioned its Zephyr mobile Air Quality monitoring station on Louis Fourie Road in Mossel Bay to verify the estimated emissions in the AQMP. Monitoring work was also intended to determine whether the stretch of road is indeed a hotspot.

“The results indicated periods of exceedances of the 24-hour average concentrations for both Sulphur dioxide (SO2) as well as Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), 24-hour average concentrations as specified in the National Ambient Air Quality Standards,” said Dr Schoeman.  According to Dr Schoeman, the Zephyr monitoring station does not make use of reference methods for sampling, hence it is calibrated, and the results are highly accurate and therefore the perfect tool for screening purposes. The Zephyr was imported from the UK, who is using it extensively for more than five years to determine the impact of vehicle emissions in the greater Londen.

The exercise helps in creating awareness and to demonstrate that non-industrial activities also have an impact on ambient air quality.  The results will be discussed with Mossel Bay local municipality, which can be used as supplementary motivation to improve traffic flow along Louis Fourie road with the Provincial Roads directorate.