Public Notice: Second Adjustment Budget, 2020/2021 – Open for Comment and Public Inspection
Notice 87/2020
Notice is hereby given that the Garden Route District Municipal Council’s Second Adjustment Budget for the period 2020/2021-2022/2023, was compiled in accordance with the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act 2003 (Act 56 of 2003).
This document was approved by the Garden Route District Municipality at a District Council meeting held on Thursday, 26 November 2020 and is available for public inspection and comments on the GRDM municipal website www.gardenroute.gov.za from 26 November 2020.
Members of the public is invited to submit written comments or representations to the municipality in respect of this document. Click here to view the official notice.
All comments and inputs must be directed to:
The Municipal Manager Garden Route District Municipality
54 York Street
George
6530
Please contact the Budget Manager (Ms Louise Hoek) at 044 803 1300 with any enquiries.
M G Stratu Municipal Manager Garden Route District Municipality
Over the past 7 days the Garden Route has seen a 117% increase in new COVID-19 cases and 96% increase in deaths over the last seven days and urge the residents to remain cautious and vigilant.
After recording 1 282 new cases and 25 new deaths over the past seven days, all areas in the Garden Route are of great concern. As we have seen during the first wave of infections, once community transmission is established within communities, especially in the Garden Route as a prime tourist destination, the situation can quickly deteriorate if not brought under control soon.
A closer look into the Garden Route subdistrict shows the areas where we have seen a significant increase in new cases over the past seven days:
New cases per subdistrict in the Garden Route:
Area
Active cases 14 days ago
Active cases seven days ago
Percentage increase
Bitou
142
278
96%
George
498
995
100%
Hessequa
28
58
107%
Kannaland
0
21
2100%
Knysna
206
489
137%
Mossel Bay
189
414
119%
Oudtshoorn
37
127
243%
Garden Route
1100
2382
117%
New deaths
Area
Active cases 14 days ago
Active cases seven days ago
Percentage increase
Bitou
6
6
0%
George
7
18
157%
Hessequa
0
4
400%
Kannaland
0
0
0
Knysna
2
3
50%
Mossel Bay
2
11
450%
Oudtshoorn
9
9
0%
Garden Route
26
51
96%
We call on the citizens of each of these sub-districts and as a collective to do their part so we can bring the situation under control again. We all have a role to play through our own actions.
Our behaviour will be influenced once we acknowledge and accept that the virus is not gone but will be with us over the holidays and beyond. Therefore, we need to remain safe and protect each other by:
Wearing a mask properly is of life-saving importance. You must wear your masks at all times when outside of your home. There can be no exceptions.
You must avoid crowded and confined spaces at all costs. This is where super-spreader events take place.
You must urgently reconsider hosting all non-essential gatherings of people this year, especially indoor gatherings with poor ventilation.
You must ensure there is good ventilation at all times whenever you’re in public. The virus droplets spread by air in confined spaces, and so fresher is better.
You must wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use sanitiser.
If you feel sick, you should not leave your home unless it is to get healthcare treatment. You must first call our hotline on 080 928 4102 for guidance on the next steps.
You should also not visit someone who is sick, and find other ways to provide support, like delivering a meal to a neighbour’s doorstep.
Every single resident should assume that Covid-19 is everywhere they go and take all the necessary precautions at every point along their journey.
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
This week will see large crowds of bargain-shoppers hitting the stores for Black Friday sales. The public must remember that this is a high-risk activity and it should be avoided if possible to prevent the spread of COVID -19.
If you must get your Black Friday deals, make sure all safety precautions are taken when entering crowds:
Wear your mask at all times and carry a spare mask just in case.
Avoid crowded and confined spaces. Time your shopping over Black Friday weekend to get into stores when crowds are not as large so you can keep a safe distance of 1.5m.
Try to shop online as much as possible – Black Friday deals online are just as good as in-store.
Sanitise! Sanitise! Sanitise! Carry your own hand sanitiser with you and use it when entering, in the store and leaving the store.
COVID-19-VEILIGEHID: SWARt VRYDAG EN VEILIGHEID IN SKARE
Vandeesweek gaan ’n groot menigte winskopiejagters die winkels vir Swart Vrydag-uitverkopings bestorm. Die publiek moet onthou dat hierdie ’n hoë-risiko-aktiwiteit is en dat mense dit indien moontlik moet vermy om die verspreiding van COVID -19 te voorkom.
Indien jy jou Swart Vrydag-aanbiedinge moet kry, moet jy seker maak dat alle veiligheidsmaatreëls getref word wanneer jy die skare betree:
Dra jou masker te alle tye en hou ’n ekstra masker byderhand vir ingeval.
Vermy vertrekke vol mense en ingeperkte ruimtes. Beplan om hierdie Swart Vrydag-naweek winkels toe te gaan wanneer daar minder skare is sodat jy ’n veilige afstand van 1.5 m kan handhaaf.
Probeer om soveel as moontlik aanlyn te koop – Swart Vrydag-aanbiedings wat jy aanlyn kry, is net so goed soos in die winkel.
Ontsmet! Ontsmet! Ontsmet! Neem jou eie ontsmettingsmiddel saam en gebruik dit wanneer jy by die winkel ingaan en weer wanneer jy dit verlaat.
Address by Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen at an Ordinary Council meeting of Garden Route DM
Speaker Alderman Groenewald
Greetings to those who are following us online – fellow Garden Routers and the media. Mr Speaker, as we are gathered here today, we are a very concerned municipality, but so is our provincial government. Our concerns and worries are based on an ever-increasing number of COVID-19 active cases. The Garden Route is one of the regions where COVID-19 positive cases are rising the fastest in the Western Cape. By the current trend, we might end up being the fastest rising in the country. Please, therefore, abide by the regulations and do what we can to stop the spike we are seeing. We also want to congratulate the Premier’s office for their efforts. Our local municipalities also made contact with us to ask how we can advance the education and awareness to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Today, as we’re gathered here, there are more than 150 Local Government workers across South Africa who have lost their lives. I would also like to honour all front-line staff. Alderman Groenewald, life does however go on, as we are seeing people have moved back to business as usual. In the same breath, we need to caution one another, we are on the brink of Black Friday. Thankfully we have already approached shopping malls, and warned the public of the potential of Black Friday turning into a super-spreader event. I urge the public to stay safe during this busy time ahead – sanitise, wear a mask and keep a social distance of 1.5 metres.
To our colleagues and everybody online, we currently also experiencing and are aware of many of our colleagues who are in hospital. We suspect that they are hospitalised because of comorbidities. Our prayers go out to all of them and members of the public.
I want to urge the public to:
travel as little as possible;
avoid events where there are a lot of people.
If we do not do this, we will continue to lose loved ones along the way.
Because of the state of COVID-19 active cases in our region, we decided to take some precautionary measures. We’ve cancelled all our events, even the launch of 16 Days of Activism and the activities relating to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) programmes. However, we are continuing via virtual platforms as far as we can. We urge each and every municipality to follow suite. Speaking on the issue of gender-based violence, it is another pandemic our country still faces. Every day on the news we hear of new murders, rapes, in particular the killing of women and children. We really need to work together with all the law enforcement operators of the State to curb the GBV pandemic. Furthermore, I know there will be another meeting just before the festive season where we we will update the whole of Council in terms of what we’ve achieved thus far in terms of safety measures in our region.
Media Release: Ailing 17-year old fleet vehicle replaced
For Immediate Release 25 November 2020
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) recently replaced its 2003 Mazda Etude, which has over 200 000 km on its clock, with a brand new Toyota Corolla Quest. This comes at a time when the upkeep and safety of the 17-year old Mazda posed a number of risks and unintended maintenance costs for the GRDM.
According to Trix Holtzhausen, Executive Manager for Corporate Services, the vehicle served the municipality well for 17 years. “We used the Mazda to its limits and had to replace it because of safety reasons and ongoing expenses to repair it,” said Holtzhausen. “We also uphold our fleet standards when we replace redundant assets,” she said.
An official handover ceremony took place at the Head Office of GRDM on 25 November in George in the presence of Mr Monde Stratu (Municipal Manager), Ms Trix Holtzhausen (Executive Manager: Corporate Services), Alderlady Iona Kritzinger (Portfolio Chairperson: Corporate Services), Ms Spasiena Brinkhuys (Manager: Records, Archives, Fleet & Auxiliary Services) and her support team.
The 2020 Toyota Corolla Quest wrapped in a giant red bow for the occasion.
Feature image caption: GRDM representatives, Mr Monde Stratu (Municipal Manager) hands over the Corolla’s key to Ms Trix Holtzhausen (GRDM Executive Manager: Corporate Services). Portfolio Chairperson for Corporate Services, Alderlady Iona Kritzinger is in the background (blue jacket) with employees from the Records, Archives, Fleet and Auxiliary Services Unit.
Media Release: Municipalities place skips in Thembalethu and Pacaltsdorp
For Immediate Release 24 November 2020
Illegal dumping sites remain a problem for all seven (7) local municipalities in the Garden Route. As part of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and George Municipality (GM) illegal dumping response, Thembalethu and Pacaltsdorp have been earmarked for additional assistance. As of now, nine (9) x 6m³ waste skips have been placed at illegal dumping hotspots. This includes seven (7) for Thembalethu and two (2) for Pacaltsdorp. These waste skips are being hired for the interim until George Municipality has concluded the procurement process of their own waste skips to be placed in and around illegal dumping hotspots in George.
Members of the public are urged to make proper use of the waste skips for disposing their household waste. The skips are meant to be used for refuse that cannot be stored until the weekly refuse removal days of GM.
According to Johan Compion, Manager: Municipal Health and Environmental Services for GRDM, “The placement and proper management of skips could also provide a solution to illegal dumping. We are hopeful that a notable change will be visible as this pilot project continues, in addition, we await survey data being collected at the moment to provide more insights into the issue.”
Skips are free for everyone to use, but at the same time the public has to keep in mind that once skips are removed from hotspot areas, it does not mean that illegal dumping is permitted. General assumptions by GRDM about illegal dumping is that it takes place more frequently in informal or poorer communities because people can’t afford the transport or removal of waste to waste transfer stations.
The process of ensuring that skips are frequently emptied involves skip contractors. These small business owners are responsible for transporting waste skips to the George Waste Transfer Station. After emptying each skip, the containers are returned to the hotspots where they were collected. The help of 30 EPWP workers is evermore important as they assist municipalities to clear areas inaccessible to machinery. These same EPWP workers also tasked to assist the public, especially the elderly and children, to dispose of waste into the skips.
Twelve (12) Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) participants are still on the ground working with the JCBs to clear illegal dump sites. Thirty six (36) educators are also doing door-to-door education and awareness as well as a survey to determine the causal factors of illegal dumping; and the community requirements; or possible solutions to prevent issues in future. Twenty four (24) educators are working in Thembalethu and 12 in Pacaltsdorp. Each person, who moves in a group of six (6), is easily identifiable by a high visibility vest and identification cards.
Garden Route District Municipality wants to remind the public that Illegal dumping is a danger to your health and that of your children and animals – let’s put an end to illegal dumping and report perpetrators to our local municipalities.
Caption: A skip used for dumping waste at a spot in Nelson Mandela Boulevard.
Impact Based Warning for the Western Cape and Namaqua Region of Northern Cape:
Hazard
Alert Level
Affected Municipalities
Valid From (SAST)
Valid To (SAST)
Veld Fire Conditions
Red(L10)
Beaufort West, Hantam, Kannaland, Karoo Hoogland, Khâi-Ma, Laingsburg, Oudtshoorn, Prince Albert
21/11/20 08h00
21/11/20 18h00
Discussion: Weather conditions which includes hot temperatures, fresh to strong winds and low humidity might result in the development of veld/bush fires.
Impact: Conditions are such that the FDI index is above 75. Under these conditions fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage to property and possible loss of human and/or animal life.
Instruction: All personnel and equipment should be removed from the field. Fire teams, labour and equipment are to be placed on full stand-by. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time.
Media Release:Garden Route unemployed youth commences 12-month telecommunication network operations training
19 November 2020 For Immediate Release
Garden Route youth between the ages of 18 and 25 yesterday, 16 November 2020, received induction training for a 12-month telecommunication network operations learnership which will officially start today. The programme is a strategic partnership between Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), Muja Media, Long Ships and MICTSeta. GRDM Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen; GRDM Portfolio Chairperson for Roads and Transport Planning Services, Cllr Rowan Spies; Training and Development Committee Chairperson, Cllr Stephen De Vries; and Acting GRDM Municipal Manager, Ms Trix Holtzhausen, were present at the engagement with all the relevant stakeholders, including the 25 beneficiaries.
Mojo Media offers television products, outside broadcasting, content creation, audio-post production branded content, channel management, graphics, video editing and facility rentals. The training will take place at Bethesda in Rose Moore where they will be attending classes under the supervision of their Facilitator Mr Limbani Maxwell.
GRDM Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen welcoming the learners.
The Facilitator, Mr Limbani Maxwell (seated) surrounded by the 25 learners displaying their learner guides.
The Garden Route youth are ready to embark on their new journey with Mojo media. During the induction session it was evident that the learners are passionate about the road ahead of them, i.e. learning about Telecommunication. When they were given opportunity to meet the Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen, their faces lit up with smiles of hope for a positive change to their careers.
During Mayor Booysen’s address he said, “If the chance comes your way grasp it. I encourage all of you to shine in your work and to become the best you can be”. In his speech he focused on his own background too and how he progressed in life and where he finds himself now.
Learners were given the opportunity to thank all the stakeholders who made it possible for the learnership to exist. Two learners were chosen to share a word of thanks, Riaan Van Schalk Wyk and Akhona Ncaphayi. Akhona Ncaphayi displayed confidence in her speech when saying, ”On behalf of other learners, I would like to thank service Seta partnering with Garden Route District Municipality for giving us this opportunity to be a part of this learnership; this will help us to learn new skills.
Ms Yonela Ncaphayi , one of the Moja learners sharing a word of thanks to the organisers of the learnership.
GRDM frequently rolls out learnerships and internships to assist the youth to enter the job market. Many youngsters struggle to get work because they lack experience, which is why such interventions are of great value. Visit www.gardenroute.gov.za/vacancies to see what jobs and opportunities are currently offered by the GRDM.
Media Release: Garden Route District Municipality EHPs receive pepper spray training
For Immediate Release 18 November 2020
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) and the Administrative Clerks received pepper spray training on 10 and 11 November 2020. The South African Police Services (SAPS) provided the training and placed a strong emphasis not only on self-defence methods but also about identifying risky situations to avoid assaults.
According to Mr Clive Africa, GRDM Executive Manager for Community Services, the training came at a time when crime statistics are on the rise and EHPs feel evermore unsafe while conducting inspections.
“The majority of our EHPs are women and they are particularly vulnerable, furthermore, in our country crimes committed against women and children remains a major concern for everyone,” said Africa.
Another reason for such training is, the GRDM’s intervention after an EHP was assaulted by a shop owner while conducting a compliance inspection. The EHP found that the foodstuffs at the business did not comply with the South African Regulations: Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs R146.
According to R146, labelling requirements include, but are not limited to:
Information in English and where possible one of the official languages
Product Name / descriptor
Address
Ingredients including compound ingredients
Indication of additives
Indication of ALL allergens
Country of origin
Batch ID
Date marking
Storage instructions
Weight declaration
Letter sizes for some items need to be in a designated font size and / or in a bold and / or uppercase font and positioned in a certain place.
The training also comes at a time when Government prepares for its 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which starts on the 25 November and ends on 10 December 2020. In addition, there have been numerous reports of ambulance crews in South Africa who have been victims of crimes, especially during the lockdown. The GRDM sees it as important to provide employees with the necessary tools to protect themselves. No one should feel threatened to do their work and everyone has the right to protect themselves from harm.
ENDS
Pictured: Bronwen Moolman, Environmental Health Practitioner for Garden Route District Municipality holding the pepperspray she now keeps by her when doing inspections.
