Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Intergovernmental Relations

3 July 2023 Media Release: Garden Route Skills Summit and Careers Festival to be hosted in Knysna

Media Release: Garden Route Skills Summit and Careers Festival to be hosted in Knysna

For immediate release
3 July 2023

Skills Summit 13 July 2023 – Knysna High School

The Garden Route Skills Mecca (GRSM), a product of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), together with stakeholders, will on 13 July 2023 host a Garden Route Skills Summit at the Knysna High School in Knysna. The event will host Provincial and National Government Departments, the various Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) and the Private Sector to deliberate and discuss progress made in relation to the implementation of the Skills Mecca. This is a by-invitation-only event.

The Summit further promises an opportunity for a few innovative proposals to be presented by stakeholders working with local municipalities on employment-based skills development projects, and give stakeholders the opportunity to debate on how they can take the Garden Route Skills Mecca to the next level of development.

Focus will also be given to the emerging Western Cape Provincial Growth for Jobs Strategy, Primary Focus area 7 – Improved Access to Economic Opportunities and Employability and how the Skills Mecca process can integrate the implementation of the strategy with the work already being done by the Skills Mecca. This will allow for the implementation of skills development projects that is aligned to the Garden Route Growth and Development Strategy.

The deliberations at the Summit will also feed into discussions that will be take place the next day at the Premier Council on Skills at the same venue, the Knysna High School.

Careers Festival 13 – 14 July 2023 – Knysna High School Sports Ground

Hosted by the Western Cape Community Education and Training College (WCCETC), the festival aims to give over 2000 unemployed individuals and school-going youth the opportunity to engage with SETAs, as well as public and private training providers.

With many local schools in Knysna and surrounds bringing their learners, the WCCETC expects to attract 32 exhibitors that have various training and personal development programmes available to eligible applicants.

This initiative by the Garden Route District Municipality and its Garden Route Skills Mecca is funded by Services SETA and is an open-to-the-public-event taking place at the Knysna High School.

“Garden Route District Municipality, Your route to prosperity”

ENDS

29 March 2023 Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality supports Western Cape Government’s Water Awareness Campaign in Kannaland

Garden Route District Municipality supports Western Cape Government’s Water Awareness Campaign in Kannaland

For immediate release
29 March 2023

The Western Cape Department of Local Government on 27 March 2023, embarked on a door-to-door awareness campaign in Ladismith (Kannaland) to encourage citizens to use water responsibly. In the roll-out of the campaign, the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Disaster Management officials joined the Community Development Workers on 28 March 2023 to further enhance the initiative with the aim of reaching more residents of the area.

Garden Route District Municipality’s Disaster Management officials during the Responsible Water Awareness Campaign in Kannaland.

The Responsible Water Awareness Campaign runs in the Garden Route district until 31 March 2023. With this initiative messages of the importance of water and how to use it sparingly are shared.  An outside radio broadcast and activation at the Spar in Ladismith has already taken place.

The campaign was rolled out in response to the recent decline in dam water levels. The message has been clear –  reinforcing the need to save water, especially with the upcoming winter season.  The need to conserve water is a long-term behavioural change, and constant reminders are required to make the message stick, especially with the increased levels of loadshedding having a further impact on the provision of water.

This campaign will also be extended to provincial radio and social media pages.

By: GRDM Communication Intern, Jacqueline Thomson

ENDS

23 March 2023 Media Release: We Can Beat It

WE CAN BEAT IT!

A frail yet friendly Danwill Stefaan (29) shares his journey with tuberculosis (TB). He is thin and needs assistance to walk. One of the first things he says after sitting down is: ‘You should have seen what I looked like when I came here.’ Photos of him a month ago shows a seriously ill man, unable to walk or talk.

Danwill Stefaan

‘There is always hope. I am living proof,’ he said. Danwill is from Borcherds in George and came to Harry Comay Hospital in a very bad state after contracting TB of the brain. He is one of 1 393 patients on TB treatment in the Garden Route district.

“I was tired all the time and coughed for about three weeks. The ambulance came to pick me up and I was referred to Harry Comay Hospital,” he said. He takes his medication every day as prescribed and says he is lucky not to have too many side-effects from the medication.

Another story of bravery and determination is that of Linzay de Vos (31) who is from Hillside in Beaufort West. She has also been at Harry Comay Hospital for little over a month. “It has been a difficult journey, being away from my three children, but I do this for them and myself. I want to get better and return to them as a healthy mother,” she said.

Her symptoms included fatigue, sweating at night and coughing. “I thought it was TB and went to my local clinic. After tests we found it was multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and I was referred here.”

Linzay is very thin but says she has picked up 3 kg since starting her treatment. She is also part of a group that walks and does exercise in the fresh air.

We talk about her treatment plan, and the topic of pills always come up as treatment might include a lot of pills, some that might have side-effects.

“It is your responsibility and your health – even if you struggle with the pills, there is a way to manage that,” she said.

These are two of many successes of patients that have successfully completed their TB treatment. Although not always easy, it is possible. We are proud of you!

“TB is treatable, and we can stop it if everyone tests early and starts and completes treatment”, said Dr Lindè Marais from Harry Comay Hospital.

As we commemorate World TB Day on 24 March we salute those who are currently fighting for recovery, those that protect others by opening windows and covering their coughs and sneezes and those who want better health for themselves and their communities by going for TB testing.

REMEMBER:

  • Anyone can get TB.
  • You can get free TB testing at your nearest clinic.
  • TB treatment is free from clinics.
  • Take your TB treatment as prescribed by your health worker.
  • Protect others by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, open windows and let sunlight come through your house.
  • Soon after you start your treatment you are not an infectious risk to your family and friends.

https://www.westerncape.gov.za/general-publication/tb-what-you-need-know

Feature Image: Linzay de Vos

ENDS

14 March 2023 Media Release: Establishment of a Community Safety Forum for the Greater Oudtshoorn

Media Release: Establishment of a Community Safety Forum for the Greater Oudtshoorn

For immediate release
14 March 2023

Oudtshoorn Municipality in collaboration with Garden Route District Municipality recently hosted the launch of the Community Safety Forum as well as the Municipal Safety Plan Review workshop, where role players and stakeholders formed a partnership to establish a platform for the coordination, integration and implementation of multi-sectoral prevention and community safety initiatives.

The workshop aimed to establish a forum with key role players that are a community-based initiative which aims to reduce crime, build awareness, and develop communities into safer places to live and work. Key role players included the Western Cape Government Department of Community Safety, Department of Social Development and South African Police Service (SAPS), as well as different sectors of Government Departments, Non-Governmental Organisation and many more.

Stakeholders and Councillors recently attended and participated in the launch of the Community Safety Forum held in Greater Oudtshoorn. Photo: Tania Steffens (Oudtshoorn Municipality)

The purpose of the launch of the Community Safety Forum and the Review of the Safety Plan was to clearly outline the Municipality’s role as well as the role of the other stakeholders in relation to Community Safety and to identify key priority areas and strategic actions to undertake.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996 states “that a municipality must ensure a safe and healthy environment for its community within its financial capacity” and within the discussions by various speakers, Brigadier Crafford who represented SAPS stated that safety is not the sole responsibility of SAPS, but a collective effort. Community safety is about more than just the level of crime that exists but also about the community’s perceived level of safety. Crafford mentioned a few practical examples of offences that takes place within the community ranging from murders to gender-based violence and challenges that SAPS are dealing with on a day to day basis.

During the two-day session, different sectors offered valuable contributions through presentations on how the different sectors are linked together when it comes to the safety of the community and affirmations and collective commitments to make the established Community Safety Forum a success by identifying strategies for the forum, including functional infrastructure, supporting growing service delivery demand, the increased ability to create value for customers, streamlining processes, the human capacity to deliver and functional leadership team.

Mr Luyanda Fatuse, acting director of Community Services said “We must be mutually committed to serving and supporting the community to sustain a safe living environment that ensures safety, peace and justice through our working in partnerships with all other stakeholders to enhance a safe living and working environment through commitment.

Fatuse added that strategies for community safety include an integrated approach towards combating crime, the responsibility of community safety is not only the responsibility of the police and municipal law enforcement but that of organised businesses, other government institutions and non-governmental organisations. “We must work together with community partners within all wards across the municipal area to effectively modify the model of this collective initiative to best suit our various sector, ward needs and resources”.

Mr Mzwandile Hewu, Chief Director of the Department of Social Development from the Western Cape Government, said during his presentation that the reason that all stakeholders must collaborate is “to deliver quality government services to all South Africans, to have uniform standards in the delivery of services; and to deliver services informed by the respective professional codes of ethics”. Hewu further stated that the vision of the Western Cape Government is to continually improve the lives of the people of South Africa through a transformed public service, which is representative, coherent, transparent, efficient, effective, accountable and responsive to the needs of all.

The attendees of the Community Safety Summit split into groups on the final day to brainstorm on the importance of law enforcement, social cohesion, open spaces and urban design when it comes to community safety.  After the review of the Community Safety Plan, measures are being put in place now to finalize it to make the plan well-drafted and consultative. A well-executed safety plan is crucial as it put mechanisms in place for proactive planning and response.

As a collective, the attendees agreed that there is too much vandalism, too many deaths, and too much substance abuse for these sectors not to take a stand and show the community that they are serious with this task at hand, with the help of the community.

Part of the task of the Community Safety Forum is to make sure that law enforcement, police and traffic are visible.  If people see that traffic is all around town, there would be less driving under the influence, and if police and law enforcement are regularly visible, people would find it very hard to steal and assault. The community therefore would be more cautious and you will find less crime will be committed.

The motto of the Community Safety Forum is Prevention, Protection, Preparedness. And Partnership. The slogan is “Partnering with our Community to prevent the predictable, protect where vulnerable and prepare for the unpredictable with our other partners”.

Issued by Oudtshoorn Municipality

16 January 2023 Media Release: A Catalyst for Positive Change in Senior Management – ILGM to play a central role

Media Release: A Catalyst for Positive Change in Senior Management – ILGM to play a central role 

For immediate release
16 January 2023

On Thursday, 12 January 2023, senior managers from the local municipalities in the Garden Route convened to discuss the resolutions taken at the Institute of Local Government Management (ILGM) Annual Conference in December last year.

Garden Route District Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, chaired the ILGM meeting hosted at the Council Chambers of Garden Route District Municipality.

In attendance were senior managers from the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), led (chaired) by the Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, as well as senior managers from the local municipalities in the Garden Route and several middle managers.

The IGLM is a voluntary institution that was initially established for senior managers that was over the years organised by the LG sector, although the body has not been active to its optimum for the last few years,” Stratu said. The ILGM is an Institute that is focused on the needs of the Senior Managers as they are excluded from the Bargaining Council that on a regular basis determine benefits of employees.

The purpose of the meeting was to introduce senior managers from the respective municipalities to all in attendance, as well as to discuss the way forward to revive the operations of the district structure in relation to the ILGM.  Stratu furthermore explained that the meeting emanates from a meeting that was held for municipal managers of the province that took place in Cape Town during December last year.  At the meeting it was agreed that Municipal Managers must go back to their respective organisations and encourage managers to join the ILGM to become members of the institute and to organise the district chapters of the institute, with the district Municipal Manager tasked to champion the process.

Additionally, Stratu said that at the National Conference of the ILGM in Bloemfontein last year, a key resolution was approved to establish a union for senior managers. He said that the process is now at an advanced stage.  The union will specifically focus on the interests and benefits of the managers, as they are not represented at any other structure. He encouraged all municipal managers and senior managers that were present to encourage managers at their respective municipalities to join the institute so that “we can start coordinating various activities in the district and province”.

Local municipalities are now tasked to make submissions of a representatives to serve on the Union to GRDM, before Monday, 16 January 2023 (today).

Did you know?

Members of the Institute are represented by Municipal Managers and Senior Managers that are employed within Local Government. Members are given a platform for the pursuit of mutual professional interests. The principal object of the Institute is therefore to promote the common interest of its members holding managerial positions in local government by enhancing their managerial skills. A national meeting is held once per annum, but regional meetings are held as often as local leaderships may deem it necessary.

The institute runs a variety of programmes aimed at achieving its strategic objectives. These programmes range from Workshops, Seminars and Conferences to International Manager Exchange Programs. Some of the programs are run in collaboration and co-operation with companies from the Private Sector as well as with the national Department of Provincial and Local Government.

ENDS

28 November 2022 Media Release: GRDM and stakeholders launch 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based-Violence in Thembalethu

Media Release: GRDM and stakeholders launch 16 Days of Activism Campaign against gender-based-violence in Thembalethu

For immediate release
28 November 2022

Representatives from Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and local municipalities in the district, as well as Sector departments and Civil Society on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, launched a joint campaign to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence (GBV). Approximately 150 stakeholders and members of the community attended the event.

The objectives of the programme were to encourage the community to speak out on abuse and violence, as well as to promote a safer and more caring society. With various challenges experienced in society, awareness of the negative effects of abuse on women, children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups will be created through the programme’s initiatives. The programme ultimately encourages a society that is free of violence and abuse.

The program’s stakeholders continuously create strategic intervention mechanisms to achieve this ideal of a violence-free society. Some of those interventions include:

  • initiatives that are in line with the programme such as sport events with specific focus on women and children as victims of GBV;
  • women gala events in collaboration with other stakeholders;
  • radio youth dialogues to discuss the topic of GBV;
  • health screening drives;
  • murals that will be painted on sport fields depicting essential telephone numbers to report GBV;
  • night vigils, marches for violence against GBV;
  • information sessions at churches;
  • health screening for women and men and educational talks with men in an effort to change their behaviour;
  • radio broadcasts about the topic of GBV and community safety programmes for men, to name a few.

At the event, stakeholders were furthermore required to mainstream the campaign within other programmes targeting, especially, vulnerable groups. Through these programmes support will be provided to victims of abuse and violence; substance abuse with more focus on youth, will be denounced; and women, men, youth and older people in the discourse will be actively engaged in combating violence at work, at home and in communities. Most importantly, perpetrators of abuse and violence will be challenged to change their behaviours.

In his address, Nkosiyabo Lose, Project Coordinator at GRDM said: “With the national 16 Days of Activism Campaign that will commence on 25th of November, as Garden Route District Municipality, we will endorse all programmes that the local municipalities will roll out in support of the campaign”. Lose further added and said: “It is very sad to see what is happening to our sisters, mothers, and daughters. And, as a district municipality, we want to make sure that one day we will win this battle. We fought against the injustices in the country and therefore we will win this battle of GBV against women and children. Let us soldier on, let us commit and let us make sure that we fight and succeed in the battle against GBV”.

Municipal representatives from Mossel Bay (top, left) George (top, right) and Bitou (bottom, left) provided information on their initiatives in line with the campaign and Councillor of George Municipality and former Portfolio Chairperson of Community Services at GRDM, Cllr Khayalethu Lose (bottom, right), delivered the vote of thanks.

Social Worker at the Department of Correctional, Ms Witness Sefala, during her address, explained their Departments’ Victim Offender-Dialogue program. She explained that the purpose of the programme is to provide a platform for dialogue, for victims to voice their trauma and to restore their dignity. The program is voluntary and “we encourage offenders to take responsibility for their offences as well as admit they have committed the crime”. Added to this she said: “As Correctional Services, we have all the resources and capacity, but with corrections being a societal responsibility, we still need the community to work with us”.

Vuyokazi Gcelushe, Social Worker at Ithemba Lobomi, stated: “All of us need to run this race. It is not an individual fight; it is a fight for us all”. Furthermore, she added, “Let us move away from normalising domestic violence, whether it is violence against a child or violence against a parent. Let’s not keep it to ourselves, let’s be a society that is curious, and stop saying, “It’s not my problem, it’s my neighbor’s”. We are therefore committing ourselves to supporting this programme,” she said.

Stakeholder representatives addressing the audience in support of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign launch.

A Professional Nurse at the Department of Health, Sr Pauline Ewerts, during her message of support, urged all present by saying that “when people talk to you about their issues, listen to them and support them”. Due to her past experiences with GBV, she said, “I also know what it is like to be in that vulnerable position, but because I told my story to somebody, I was helped, I could continue my studies, and today I have a heart for people”. She encouraged stakeholders present to encourage their audiences to speak out and accept help.

Stakeholder representatives and attendance during the candle light ceremony in support of the fight against GBV.

Apostle Jackson Moyikwa from the Word of Faith Church, who handled the candle ceremony and facilitated the signing of the pledge, raised a few issues relating to GBV. He said: “There are many women that are in abusive relationships, and they come to church and look pretty, but they are being abused. However, ‘due to religion, they do not open up,’ he said. “It is time that you open up and talk about the issue”. In addition, Jackson mentioned the issue of the young girls that he often saw in front of taverns in the evening. He asked: “Why are these young girls outside at night, and more so in front of taverns?”

All stakeholders at the event, such as the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Agency (Thuthuzela Care Centre situated at the George Hospital), the Department of Education and the Non-Governmental Organisations, as well as the municipalities present also signed the pledge of their support towards the campaign and in the fight against GBV.

Stakeholders signing the pledge against GBV during the event.

The event was closed with Councillor of George Municipality and former Portfolio Chairperson of Community Services at GRDM, Cllr Khayalethu Lose, as he shared words of appreciation to all stakeholders who participated in the program and to all attendees for their time as they listened to these critical issues that relate to this human rights violation, GBV in society.

The programme was coordinated by GRDM’s Nkosiyabo Lose (left) and the event was directed by Doc Skosana, a representative from the Department of Correctional Services (right).

ENDS

 

11 November 2022 Public Notice: IDP/BUDGET AND PMS REPRESENTATIVE FORUM MEETING

NOTICE NO 125/2022

IDP/BUDGET AND PMS REPRESENTATIVE FORUM MEETING

In terms of section 16 (1) (a) (i) and 17 (1) (a) – (e) of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act No 32 of 2000, a notice is hereby given that Garden Route District Municipality will hold its IDP/Budget and Performance Representative Forum meeting in order to encourage and create conditions for the local community to participate in the affairs of the municipality.

The meeting is scheduled as follows:
Date:   24 November 2022
Time:  9:00

The session will be broadcasted live on Eden FM and the Garden Route District’s Facebook page.

The Garden Route Communities, Councilors, Ward Committees, Community Development Workers, Faith Based Organisations, Community Based Organisations, Intergovernmental Forums, Farmers associations, Business Communities and Rate Payers Associations who wish to take part in the IDP/Budget and PMS Representative Forum meeting are welcome to attend.

RSVP’s to be forwarded to Nontokozo@gardenroute.gov.za.

For further enquiries, please contact:  Ms M James (IDP Unit), Tel no: 044 803 1431.

Click on the link to download the full advert Notice: IDP & Budget & PMS Rep Forum

MG STRATU

MUNICIPAL MANAGER

GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

21 September 2022 Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality celebrates Public Service Month through Service Delivery presentations

Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality celebrates Public Service Month through Service Delivery presentations

For Immediate Release
21 September 2022

In line with the country’s Public Service Month campaign, the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) Corporate Services Department in collaboration with internal departments, are rolling out various activities to promote service delivery standards to the municipality’s external and internal audiences.

Recently, the municipality launched its e-recruitment systems and last week, on 16 September 2022, the GRDM Disaster Management and Fire Services representatives presented their operations to staff through a virtual platform hosted from the municipality’s Council Chambers.

Disaster Management Services

Gerhard Otto, GRDM Manager for Disaster Management, during his presentation explained that Disaster Management is a continuous and integrated multiple-sectorial, multi-disciplinary process of planning and implementation of measures aimed at:

  • preventing or reducing the risk of disasters;
  • mitigating the severity of consequences of disasters;
  • emergency preparedness;
  • rapid and effective response to disasters and they are also responsible for post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation of such disasters.

Disaster Management (DM) is a legislative mandate, Act 57 of 2002 as amended by Act 16 of 2015. In line with legislation, the function thus has to provide for an integrated and co-ordinated disaster management policy that focuses on:

  • preventing or reducing the risk of disasters
  • mitigating the severity of disasters
  • emergency preparedness; and
  • post disaster recovery and rehabilitation.

The Act furthermore provides for the establishment and functioning of national, provincial and municipal disaster management centres.

DM: Emergency Call Centre

Explaining the Garden Route’s Risk profile, Otto listed the following risks which the Garden Route district is prone to, namely veldt fires, various types of drought, flood disasters, landslides; epidemics, spills, to name a few. To ensure that all these disasters are properly coordinated, proper lines of communication have to be in place.

The Garden Route Emergency Call Centre with a staff component of seven, is the first line of communication for incidents that need to be reported to the District Disaster Management Centre.  Otto also boasted the capacity and competence of the centre as a fully operational Disaster Management Centre receiving ± 20 000 EMS calls and approximately 5 000 fire and municipal calls per month.

DM: Assistance provided to local municipalities

Otto furthermore explained how the Disaster Management team also assisted local municipality’s Disaster Management Units with the development of their ward based risk assessments as well as local disaster management plans and in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, the team assisted local municipalities to declare disasters in their respective areas.

In 2017 they played a significant role in the coordination of all activities required due to the Knysna fires, as well as the fires that broke out in George in the following year.  Lastly, the team spear headed the District Covid-19 Command platform established after the national declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022. The team coordinated the Covid-19 operations from the Municipal Joint Operation Centre that is located in the Garden Route municipal building in York Street George.

“Part of mitigating the effects of the disasters, Otto explained that Early Warning Systems have been put in place in order to communicate any severe weather early warnings to the public.  These include the municipality’s social media networks and e-mails to all Local Municipalities and response agencies/ role-players as well as ward councillors.

DM: Projects rolled out since 2017

Otto further explained that the Unit rolled out various projects since 2017, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the format of some of the projects changed to virtual engagements. These projects include the GRDM Volunteers Corps establishment, Rural Settlement Database, the Greenbook implementation, as well as CityRap implementation. He further explained that quite a number of accomplishments were made. “We have completed the mapping of priority wetlands and river ecosystems, we have established a District Food Pantry and reviewed and updated the Garden Route Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for 2022.  Adding to this Otto said that the team is currently busy with the revision and the updating of the Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme 2021. “We started with the clearing of invasive Alien Vegetation and we have reviewed and updated the Garden Route Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2022, to name a few. Much more are planned to be rolled out and implemented for the current Council term”, he said.

However, Otto admitted that there a still several challenges that still needs to be addressed, such as climate change, strategic water management planning, structured and integrated invasive plant and predator animal eradication, delivery equitable service to all populations groups, address poverty through job creation, etc.

In closing off his presentation Otto said that GRDM Disaster Management plans to: “Build the capacity at local authority level to pro-actively plan and implement mitigation as well as adaptation strategies and disaster risk reduction actions. This will limit the exposure to and the possible impact of future disastrous events”. Further to this he highlighted that the Centre envisages to build on the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) momentum, created with the Flanders funded project to attract further DRR funding from other possible sources i.e. Nedbank, SANTAM, etc.

GRDM Fire Services

Before introducing Deon Stoffels to all present, Trix Holtzhausen, GRDM Executive Manager for Corporate Services, congratulated him as the newly and permanently appointed Chief Fire Officer of the GRDM.

When starting his presentation, Stoffels clarified the role of the GRDM Fire Services and said that the District Municipality is responsible for veld, mountain chemical fires, which include hazardous materials spills and leakages. He further explained that there are certain components of the Disaster Management Strategy that is integrated and therefore in many instances implementable by the Fire Services Unit.

Stoffels said: “The GRDM Fire Services is a designated Fire Brigade Service that is established in terms of the Fire Brigade Services Act (99 and 1987 as amended).  The Service primarily focus on preventing the outbreak or spread of fires; fighting and extinguishing fires; the protection of life or property against a fire or other threatening danger; rescuing of life or property from a fire or other danger and any other function connected with these,” he said.

Their vision and mission, ultimately is to provide an efficient, cost effective, unprejudiced and equitable Fire Services to all citizens and visitors within the Garden Route District” he highlighted.

Together with this, Stoffels also emphasised the importance of creating awareness and educating the communities about the dangers of fire. He said: “GRDM Fire Service creates awareness of the dangers associated with fire in all communities and we furthermore educate Garden Routers, visitors and personnel alike to reduce the threats of fire”.

“We pride ourselves for informing, educating and creating awareness to rural, remote and particularly young children, as they naturally take the message home.’’ Adding to these, Stoffels said: “Developing and training personnel, ensuring that our assets and resources are managed and maintained, and our response time to attend to incidents are kept at the shortest possible time”.  The team furthermore record and document all emergencies and incidents that they attend to in an attempt to do further research and learn from it.

GRDM Fire Services has a staff component of forty-one (41) staff members/officers which are stationed at the main Fire base in George, as well as the Hessequa station based in Riversdale and the Kannaland station based in Ladismith.

Apart from fighting the usual fires, another new phenomenon was added to the team’s list of firefighting in 2020, when they had to fight a peat/underground fire for the first time in the Bergfontein, Albertinia area, for six weeks. He explained: “This is a phenomenon that is happening all over the world, but not often in South-Africa. When wetlands are compromised, it develops into a peatland,” he said. And, although it was a new experience for their team, Stoffels said that they all learnt immensely about the aspects relating to this type of fire as well as to how crucial a wetland and / or peatland are within the ecosystem. “In the past we would deem a fire to be halted at this particular point, but we now know that at all cost to prevent fires from burning here,” he said.

By continuing to deliver this service to the best of their ability, it cannot not be done in isolation. He said: “We are grateful to have good working relations with all our local municipalities, the South Cape Fire Protection Association, the Department of Forestry’s Fisheries & the Environment, the South African National Parks, Cape Nature, MTO Forestry, PG Bison Forestry, the Provincial Department: Directorate Fire Services and Working of Fire and we look forward to future collaborative fire services efforts to protect the people, properties and assets of the Garden Route district”.

The event was coordinated by the Corporate Services Executive Manager, Trix Holtzhausen in collaboration with the Community Services Department, under leadership of the Executive Manager, Clive Africa, who also attended the event. The next Public Service Month activity is planned to take place on Friday, 23 September 2022.

Did you know?

  • September marks Public Service Month in South Africa. Public Service Month (PSM) is an integrated strategic national event in the calendar of the Department of Public Service and Administration. The Public Service Month serves as a reminder of what it means to serve communities and to also look at the impact the government has, especially around issues of service delivery.
  • That GRDM Disaster Management Services continuously conduct First Aid training to members of the public as part of their annual awareness programme and is aimed at capacitating employed and unemployed Garden Routers to be able to save lives in any kind of emergency. The municipality has been providing First Aid Level 3 training since 2008 and to this point has trained more than 1700 community members. Each session takes place over a period of a week once per month and is facilitated by the GRDM Disaster Management officials at the municipality’s Head Office in George.
  • That the GRDM Fire Services, on a regular basis educate the communities about fire safety. These continuous initiatives form part of the GRDM Fire Services’ Fire Prevention and Fire Safety functions. Whilst the focus is placed on rural communities, businesses and schools within the residential areas are also assisted upon request.

1 September 2022 Media Release: GRDM celebrates Public Service, Heritage and Tourism months – All in one

Media Release: GRDM celebrates Public Service, Heritage and Tourism months – All in one

Heritage Month

In celebration of Heritage Month, the Garden Route District Municipality (GDRDM) Councillors and employees will tomorrow celebrate its significance on the South African (SA) calendar by dressing up in South African colours including any South African attire, SA Sports gear, even local sports gear, national flag colours, to name a few.

The institution will be posting few images of how the staff embraced the celebration leading up to the Heritage Day that will be celebrated on 24 September 2022.

Public Service Month

Did you know? September marks Public Service Month in South Africa. Public Service Month (PSM) is an integrated strategic national event in the calendar of the Department of Public Service and Administration.

September marks Public Service Month (PSM) in our country. The integrated government wide programme will encompass:

  • Public Service Month
  • Heritage Day
  • Tourism Month
  • Police – Commemoration Day

The Public Service Month serves as a reminder of what it means to serve communities and to also look at the impact the government has, especially around issues of service delivery. As part of the Public Service Month, public servants are expected to:

  • Roll up their sleeves and spring-clean their service delivery points;

  • Visit schools, hospitals, police stations and courts, talk to citizens, mediate the delivery of services and getting things done;

  • Unblock the bottlenecks and red-tape in the delivery of services;

  • Ensure the systems and infrastructure are working and use public resources efficiently to the benefit of the citizens; and

  • Recommit themselves to belong, to care and to serve the people.

Enjoy and let’s recommit to serving our communities.

Tourism Month

Tourism Month is celebrated annually in September, and provides a heightened month-long focus on the importance of the sector to the South African economy. It features themed activities that are aligned to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) World Tourism Day celebrations.

This global observance day by The United Nations World Tourism Organisation aims to foster awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Tourism Sector Recovery Plan encourages South Africans to travel domestically to sustain jobs and boost tourism.

The Department Tourism developed the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan with the tourism sector and it contains a set of interventions to protect and rejuvenate supply, reignite demand and strengthen enabling capability to support the sector’s recovery.

And, did you know that the Garden Route & Klein Karoo is one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring stretches of land in South Africa, if not the world?

For more information about these sceneries, events and activities that our area has to offer, go to:
http://www.visitgardenrouteandkleinkaroo.com/

Visit/like our Facebook page and view all activities of this month.

Source: South African Government

ENDS

24 August 2022 Notice: Public Participation for the Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme – Date for comments extendeds

NOTICE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION FOR THE GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT COASTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

The Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme was reviewed and updated, in terms of Section 48 of the Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) Act (Act No 24 of 2008). As per the provisions of the ICM Act, any amendments that are made to the existing Coastal Management Programme must be subject to the public participation requirements in accordance with Chapter 4 of the Municipal Systems Act, prior to being Gazetted.

Notice is hereby given that the Draft Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme will be available for review and comment from 20 June 2022 to 23 September 2022. The draft Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme will be available for viewing at the following Places:

1) Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George;
2) Mossel Bay Public Library, 99 Marsh Street, Mossel Bay;
3) Hessequa Public Library (Gouritsmond Library), 9 Kerk Street, Gouritz;
4) Albertinia Public Library, 2 Horne Street, Albertinia;
5) Still Bay Public Library, Main Road, Still Bay West;
6) Riversdale Public Library, Van Den Berg Street, Riversdale;
7) Hessequa Municipal Office, Mitchell Street, Riversdale;
8) Plettenberg Bay Public Library; Saringa Way, New Horizons, Plettenberg Bay;
9) Knysna Public Library, Memorial Square, 2 Main Street, Knysna;
10) George Public Library, Corner Caledon and Courtenay Streets, Camphersdrift, George, and;
11) Garden Route District Municipality website: www.gardenroute.gov.za/documents/

The District Municipality hereby invites comments from interested and affected parties on the draft reviewed Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme. Any comments and inputs submitted will be considered during the finalisation of the draft document for final approval and Gazetting.

Written submissions may be directed to the Municipal Manager using the following address:
Garden Route District Municipality, Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, 54 York Street, George or Private Bag 12, George, 6530 or via email to info@gardenroute.gov.za on or before 23 September 2022.
Any person who is unable to write can submit their input verbally to the Council’s offices where they will be assisted by a staff member to put their comments in writing. Enquiries can be directed to Dr Nina Viljoen at 044 803 1318 or e-mail nina@gardenroute.gov.za.

M Stratu
MUNICIPAL MANAGER
GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Click here to download the Draft Garden Route District Coastal Management Programme.
Click here to download the official Notice.