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29 September 2021 Speech by Executive Mayor at the 2016/2017 -2021/2022 final Garden Route District Municipality Council Meeting

Speech by Executive Mayor at the 2016/2017 – 2021/2022 final Garden Route District Municipality Council Meeting

Thank you Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, we, as believers, we believe that there is a time for everything. And the sad part about this is that some of these occasions are very emotional. There is a time to laugh, a time to come, and a time to go and also a time to celebrate. And you know, Mr Speaker, as we just announced, whilst people are celebrating, other people are grieving. We just heard the sad news about Alderman Gericke’s family; our prayers are with him and his family.

Mr Speaker, the main thing is that we’ve come a very long way and so did I. I know we all started in 2016, ‘our first term’, and along the way we’ve lost some of our fellow councillors. We have lost officials and some of us here have lost loved ones…the list goes on and on. So we are not a full team anymore, the team we started with in 2016 is no more; I will always carry great memories with me Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, what a lot of people don’t know, is sometimes we have to say these things.

On the other side of the house of the Council Chambers – the side of the African National Congress, there are two specific councillors; I have never said it to them and probably this is the best time to say it now. It is Aldermen Van der Hoven and De Vries. Politically I grew up with them being my leaders (political leaders) many years ago. I recall this being in the 90’s, in the early 2000’s. De Vries, at the time, was our Regional Chairperson and Alderman Van der Hoven, the party he still represents used to utilise him to come and check up on all the branches. Whenever there was something happening at branches (we did not understand our own party’s Constitution back at the time), they used to send Alderman Van der Hoven. At that time I was always wearing shorts, but now I wear a suit. Thank you very much to all the Councillors. You know, but one learns, a person learns good things – tricks of the trade to help you with your duties. So I took the best from what I’ve learned from them and I now blend it with what I have learned under the new blue machine. This approach has made me to become very versatile – so I want to thank them for the role they played in my career development.

Mr Speaker, the other thing on top of that, which is not something one would necessarily want to say out loudly, is that some of us are not coming back after the elections. For some of us it is deliberate, while for others it is because of misfortunes. But what I do want to say is that, I don’t care who says what. Whether I go to any other province; whether I would go to our federal offices; whether I go to Cape Town; wherever I go – I regard myself as the Mayor who is standing on a solid foundation. I am standing on a solid foundation because of each and every one of you here. I have learned something from all of you. Whether you are a Councillor or an official, it doesn’t matter. I have always learned something from somebody here. The others are not here today; they are online. The others are probably still at home and part of the meeting, but I have learned a lot from everybody. Even the people who serve tea and coffee at work. In the morning I greet them. In the morning they say something to me before we start our day; I’ve learned something out of that. And that is – what I’m applying as a parent, because I regard them as parents.

So, colleagues, it will never be the same again after this meeting Mr Speaker – it will never be the same again. I will say it in Afrikaans. Ek weet nie of van die Afrikaans-sprekendes dit weet nie. Hulle sê, die oumense sê: “Jou voete kan nie ruik nie”. Wat dit beteken is “jou voete lei jou waar jy nie weet waar jy môre gaan wees nie, maar jou voete lei jou iewers heen”. So, as jou voete kon ruik, dan sou dit vir jou gesê het: “I am not going into that direction”. You never know where God is leading you to. So, to everyone here, the full complement of this team, after the first of November we will be friends again and after the 1st of November we will all still be Garden Routers, regardless of what happens after 1 November. Fortunately for me, God willing, I will come back. I might not come back as the Executive Mayor, but I will come back as a Councillor. So, still be nice to me, because I will come back. Remember the reason why I am saying this. I had a discussion with Alderman De Vries at one stage many years back, because I know tonight we are going to have our own makietie as well. So we are going to meet up here again. The reason, why I am saying that we should still be nice to each other tonight, is because we don’t know what is going to happen after the 1st of November. We had a discussion with Alderman De Vries in Knysna at an occasion, the one politician kicked the Municipal Manager back then, so we do not want that to happen tonight, certainly not to me, but these things happen. Alderman Van der Hoven might also have received that report many years ago about somebody who kicked the Municipal Manager.

Colleagues, I will miss those who are not coming back, those of you who are going into retirement. What I also learned is that what we need to do, is certainly something that I always press the button on, is that those with more experience than myself and those who have been there, done that, please keep your phones on. I will still call you.

I thank you very much.

22 June 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech a the GRDM Council Meeting

Executive Mayor’s Speech – GRDM Council Meeting on 22 June 2021

Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to all Councillors, colleagues and those listening to me via our Zoom platform.

May I please propose that we first start with the issuing of the long service award and afterwards continue with the business of the day? Today, we are very fortunate to hand over this award. I don’t know how our staff manages to do this. However, today, our colleague, Mr Nicolas Oosthuizen, has finished 40 years of service at this municipality. This is indeed a lifetime, and I think I might have still been in my diapers when Mr Oosthuizen started working here.

Mr Speaker, this handover is making us proud because there’s a belief that the longer staff remains within an institution, it is a sign that they are enjoying what they’re doing. It also indicates that Management is good. Of course, we know that the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) is not the perfect institution, but this is indeed an institution of knowledge with staff like Mr Oosthuizen.

Mr Speaker and colleagues, today is also another milestone for Council, as this is our last meeting for the financial year, and we’ve reached this point under very prying and challenging circumstances.  However, today, I can proudly announce that this municipality is in a good financial state, and administratively and politically in good hands in terms of cooperation and how we do things jointly, regardless of our different political parties – we have worked as a unit.

As you all know that every year during the month of June, we commemorate the devastating Knysna/Plettenberg Bay fires and all other fires that follow that.  We do not want to go back in terms of all the bad memories, the lives we’ve lost, property damaged, and everything that went with that historic fire, but we do have to reflect and had the commemoration event a couple of weeks ago.

Currently, our firefighters are out there, fighting wildfires, which could be similar or even worse than these fires. However, we want to acknowledge all efforts by the different municipalities and firefighters dealing with these matters.

We also want to recognise the communities for playing a crucial part in donating whatever assistance to the firefighters.  There has been an announcement on Eden FM this morning regarding drop-off points for donations such as energy bars, drinks, etc. A special word of gratitude to the community members with the necessary fire training, who volunteer and thus assisting our firefighters in fighting fires. We want to call for people to be vigilant and careful with anything that can course a fire.

When speaking about lives that changed forever, we as the Garden Route District Municipality have recently joined efforts to contribute to the Walk-A-Child to School campaign in partnership with Eden FM, Vodacom and the George Museum, a project of donating school shoes to vulnerable kids in our region.  We have almost reached the due date, and I would like to urge and remind those who have forgotten about this or who have budged to buy some shoes to please do so before the end of this month.   As we lead by example, I want to thank the Garden Route District Municipality’s professional staff who has already donated shoes to this cause.   We are all looking forward to seeing more donations come in as salaries are paid at the end of this week. May God bless those who because the Word of God says that “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and that is exactly what I want to speak over the lives of those who are part of this project.

A few months ago, I announced in Council that we are busy upgrading our resorts, particularly the Calitzdorp Spa.  We are now in the final part of phase one, whereby the roofs of the bigger buildings at our Resort are being replaced. I am as excited as I see some pictures of the turnaround and the new facelift of the Resort.  Today, I want to give a particular word of thanks to the Municipal Manager and his officials who are playing a special role in these upgrades. I am impressed with what I’m seeing, and I plan to visit the Resort tomorrow to feel it.  What I see is indeed a remarkable turnaround. Hopefully, it will go with a higher occupancy in the future. These kinds of things attract people. The more beautiful and comfortable a resort is, the more people it will attract.

As I keep on referring back to what we said in the past, this is an indication that we do not just talk, but we walk the talk as the Garden Route District Municipality. A couple of months ago, I announced that 19 students were enrolled as part of the Cater Care Hospitality project. It has come to my attention that on 10 June 2021, Alderlady Wolmarans and GRDM Officials witnessed these students graduation. I was also informed that the hospitality industry, hotel schools, and restaurants have already shown an interest in many students. Once again, Speaker, this is a small part of the puzzle of us wanting to become a Skills Mecca.  We are building all these skills required to make this happen, so Skills Mecca is definitely on its way. Yes, it will take some time, but we see the signs of starting small steps that will finish this marathon.  I want to congratulate all the students.

We are in the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic to the people of the Garden Route District.  We must guide ourselves against covid-19 fatigue and still need to adhere to all the protocols at hand by being constantly careful to curb the spread of the virus.  I am proud to say that again, as a District Municipality, we are leading by example by still using our zoom platforms for meetings and keeping our social distances in the Council Chambers.

Lastly, Mr Speaker, people might not understand this, but it is incumbent upon us as leaders, whether political or religious, being in an election year to encourage people, especially our youth, to go and register. Our youth is not registered, and this is a plea to the youth to go and register, so that you can go and raise your voice, represent your interest and become part of tomorrow’s decisions.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

25 May 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech at the GRDM Council Meeting

Executive Mayor’s Speech – GRDM Council Meeting on 25 May 2021

Thank you, Speaker

As always, I remain a very competitive person, so I do not like to be outdone by the opposition party. The opposition party has welcomed a new member of their team. Still, at the same time, I am taking this opportunity to introduce and welcome my newly appointed Mayoral Committee member, Cllr Bernardus Van Wyk. Please take note that he replaces one of my previous Mayco members, Cllr Joslyn Johnson. Cllr Van Wyk is a competent member of my party, and I know that we will hit the ground running.

In terms of those listening to us on Youtube and Facebook, I am also proudly announcing and challenging everybody who forms part of the Garden Route District Municipality to be reminded of a campaign we are running in collaboration with Eden FM Vodacom and George Museum. The drive we are collaboratively working on is coined as the “Walk a Child to School” campaign. Through this campaign, we’ve identified schools where the most vulnerable and most impoverished kids are schooled. We mainly focus on learners at farm schools and low fee schools, etc. Those participating in this campaign can donate shoes to these schools by dropping off shoes to these kids at all our Garden Route District Municipality offices in the region, Eden FM, Vodacom or George Museum offices. We need kid-sizes of 10 to 7 for this specific campaign. Please come on board because we would like to have this campaign finalised before the end of June 2021. 

It also gives me pleasure to announce here that last Friday, I visited a small business with Councillors in Oudtshoorn, specifically De Hoek Mountain Resort, where the Western Cape Honeybush Co-operative is currently stationed. There is massive potential for the demand for Honeybush tea, especially on an international level. They plan to broaden their scope by expanding their business model to a tourism attraction near the Cango Caves. They have big plans, and this will have spin-offs for De Hoek Mountain Resort. People must watch this space.

In the same vein, we also visited the Calitzdorp Spa because we were in that area. I would like to extend a word of gratitude to the Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu and officials. They are involved in these type of projects. As it stands, we are currently upgrading Calitzdorp Spa with our funding, and the first phase is to replace the thatch roofs. The second phase would be to upgrade the interior of the resort. We need to explore more ways to up the standards of the resort.

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge what our officials are doing, particularly the Human Settlements Unit. We are aware that we signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements in terms of us getting into the human settlements space. I know that there are still some unanswered questions or clarity about what role we will play in terms of that. I want to say thank you to Joel and Shehaam for going from municipality to municipality to outline this draft integrated human settlements plan. The Municipal Manager and I remain on standby if we are required to outline our role if we are required to do so. We do not want any miscommunications or misunderstandings in this regard. I want to emphasise again – we are not trying to take over the Breaking New Ground projects from local municipalities; we are here to fill the gap and enhance what they are doing.

Two weeks ago, I congratulated and encouraged participants who formed part of the peace officer and learner and drivers license programmes. During this event, which took place at the Rosemoor Stadium in George, I also recognised the achievements of the youth. We also committed that that would not be the end of those projects, especially not in the Garden Route. The skills funding we funded filled the gaps for many of the job requirements currently in the market. We are clear that we will continue with those kinds of projects.

Ald. Groenewald, because of the massive unemployment in South Africa and the Garden Route, we will continue to get the youth on board and skilled to become employable. I want to see more entrepreneurs, partners in terms of what our vision is for the region. Based on that Alderman Groenewald, we have approached the National Skills Fund. They paid us a due diligence visit to verify the training organisations and clarify contractual issues for when funding is approved. This will be a significant injection to youth development skills in our region. This will be of benefit to women and differently-abled Garden Routers too. 

Mr Speaker, we will remember that we’ve had two skills summits, and we are also well on our way to becoming a skills mecca. There is also a new skills summit envisaged for the near future. At that skills summit, it will be a list of dreams that we want to achieve and an overview of what has been achieved from the other skills summits. We will be dealing with concrete numbers during the next meeting.

We are also due for a State of the District Address; what were the achievements since we took office in 2016 to date. The SODA is set for 17 June 2021. The identified hosting municipality is Bitou Local Municipality’s Piesang Valley Hall. Logistics will be communicated in due time – the whens and hows. I also want to call all councillors in terms of their attendance; please indicate as soon as possible who will be attending. We will also ensure that Councillors will be able to invite their partners to the SODA.

The approach following the SODA will offer opposition parties to pose questions, raise their concerns and provide inputs on 18 June 2021 during a Special Council meeting. Ald. Groenewald, I would still like your inputs about this before we set it in stone. The idea will then be at the next Ordinary Council meeting to respond to all the questions posed by Councillors. Ald. Booysen, we will take your guidance on how exactly to approach this going forward.

Lastly, Ald. Groenewald, we are concerned about the 3rd wave of Coronavirus. We know the Western Cape is still on high alert, and we are monitoring what is happening in terms of it in our area. We cannot take anything for granted and remain on high alert – in particular, because of the fact that we are planning a SODA. I would like to reiterate that we are monitoring what is happening in terms of COVID-19. We remain flexible on how we will deal with the SODA if positive cases increase.

Thank you.

28 April 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech – GRDM Council Meeting

28 April 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech at the GRDM Council Meeting 

Mr Speaker

I greet those online, at home and the significant listenership on Eden FM – I welcome you. 

Once again, we are known and prone to disasters, no matter the size of it. We are in the season when we see many fires, like the Cape Town wildfire recently. Mr Speaker, the Garden Route were not recently spared when a wildfire spread through parts of the Greater Oudtshoorn area. Fortunately, no lives were lost. I want to convey our gratitude to our firefighters, our Garden Route team, George and Mossel Bay Municipalities, and all the other role players who helped us contain this wildfire. We appreciate you. 

Let us remain vigilant about fire emergencies and continue to share notices and warnings as and when required. 

Also, Mr Speaker gives me great pleasure to share that we recently visited the Cater Care facility where nineteen (19) students are currently being upskilled. We noted that they are excited about their experience, and we are looking forward to them completing this training. Of equal importance is the event we recently hosted, whereby we officially donated external bursaries and grant-in-aid assistance. These are all signs that we practice what we preach.

In the same vein, curbing Gender-Based Violence remains one of our critical commitments as Council. We will continue to try to curb GBV. Last week we hosted another summit with the relevant stakeholders and role players. My call is for everyone to step up again and fight GBV daily.

To our colleagues, this is going to be a very busy week as Garden Route District Municipality. The Honourable Deputy President David Mabuza will be in our region on 30 April 2021 to hand over land to the residents of Covie. In addition, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde will also be in the area and accompanied by his entourage. It is indeed an indication that all eyes are on the Garden Route – we paved a path for ourselves and the Garden Routers we have been elected to serve. We want to see that people are given what is rightfully theirs and their dignity to be restored.

As the Garden Route, we will be hosting those dignitaries and being our best behaviour; we do not play politics during these events. 

Thank you.