Public Notice: Join the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting on Monday, 29 March 2021
Notice is hereby given in terms of the MFMA Circular No 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that the Garden Route District Municipality’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), responsible for the Review and Analysis of the 2019/20 Annual Report, will be taking place on 29 March 2021.
Public Notice: Join the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting
Notice is hereby given in terms of the MFMA Circular No 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that the Garden Route District Municipality’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee, responsible for the Review and Analysis of the 2019/20 Annual Report, will be taking place on 25 March 2021
Questions will be posed to Management to get clarity on the contents of the Annual Financial Statements and the Annual Report. The draft oversight report will be written after this meeting.
For any further enquiries regarding this MPAC meeting kindly contact Mr Thembani Loliwe at 044 803 1430
Media Release: GRDM Executive Mayor and stakeholders unveil symbolic benches at Victoria Bay
For immediate release 20 March 2021
Thursday, 18 March 2021, marked a historic day for Victoria Bay situated in George, with the unveiling of two symbolised benches, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Executive Mayor of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), Alderman Memory Booysen, at the beach.
The song named “Victoriabaai” sang by Lucas Maree, the late well-known South African artist, inspired Andre Groenewald, a community member from George, to approach GRDM to allow symbolised benches at Victoria that would provide an opportunity for all people to fill their minds with hope. According to Groenewald, “Victoriabaai” is, as far is he knows, the only song singing the praises of Victoria Bay, hence, the funding made available by GRDM to unveil these benches. The area where the benches are placed is an ideal setting for members of the public, including tourists, to view the picturesque waves of the Victoria Bay beach. He said: “At Victoria Bay you see something positive in every negative thing. Even the horrific pandemic has positive consequences if you look at how people value each other again, how we value health workers again and how you no longer take even small things for granted,” he added.
The stainless steel plates placed on the benches were funded by GRDM and it showcase quotes of the late president of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, together with extracts of the song “Victoriabaai”. The benches were donated by community members Andre Groenewald and Neil Schalkwyk, with Hennie Weideman and René Janse van Vuuren (sister of the late Lucas Maree), who also contributed to a successful event.
Symbolic plates showcasing quotes of the late President of the RSA, Nelson Mandela, and extracts of the song “Victoriabaai”.
Mayor Memory Booysen (left) and sister of the late Lucas Maree, René Janse van Vuuren (right), on a bench soon after the ceremony.
During his keynote address, Mayor Memory Booysen said: “This is the beginning of the partnership and relationship with all relatives and families that are connected with what will be unveiling here today. This is the beginning of that partnership with the Garden Route District Municipality. And, as co-property owners of Victoria Bay this is the time that we should discuss the way forward of Victoria Bay. If we put our minds together we can enhance the beauty of what you created here”. Mayor Booysen furthermore emphasised that in the world we are in today, our aim is to bring hope to the people and to the needy. He highlighted: “The significance of today is to bring hope to the family who were left behind, because the memories are written on these benches. And, the memories of the individuals are the memories that will give us the power and strength, and for all the relatives and friends to move forward as one unit”.
Mr Passmore Dongi directed the activities of the ceremony.
Ald Rosina Ruiters, welcomed all present at the occasion.
Mr Andre Groewald gave an overview and background of the initiative.
Mayor Memory Booysen during his keynote address at the event.
Mr Passmore Dongi, Acting Manager for Properties Development and Planning, as well as programme director of the event, highlighted and said that he hopes these benches will define what a bench is in the Garden Route context. Adding to this he explained: “…before there were chairs, or even tables, there were benches, but the bench we are concerned with here is a very particular type of bench, ‘the public bench’. It is a sign of friendship and a sign of welcome, but also a place capable of welcome and generosity; and this is what this bench is going to do to Victoria Bay”.
Councillors and officials from GRDM, including Executive Deputy Mayor, Ald Rosina Ruiters who welcomed all present, Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, members of the public and family members of the late Lucas Maree, attended and participated in this historic occasion. The event van organised by the Properties Development and Planning Section of Garden Route District Municipality.
Feature photograph: Executive Mayor, Ald Memory Booysen cutting the ribbon during the ceremony with (fltr) Executive Deputy Mayor, Ald Rosina Ruiters and Community Members Neil Skalkwyk and Andre Groenewald.
Media Release: District food control measures remain key to ensuring safe food consumption
For Immediate Release 17 March 2021
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) is one of the 44 district municipalities and eight (8) metro municipalities in South Africa who has to monitor all food premises to ensure that food is produced, handled, stored, processed and distributed safely. It is therefore important for Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) to inspect food premises to assess that food products purchased by customers are safe for human consumption and are of exceptional quality.
An EHP ensuring that dairy products are kept according to the core temperature set out on Annexure E of Regulation 638 UNDER THE FOODSTUFFS COSMETICS AND DISINFACTS ACT. ACT 54 OF 1972.
EHPs ensure that labelling and advertising of foodstuffs are correct and labelled as per the regulation relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs (R146) UNDER THE FOODSTUFFS COSMETICS AND DISINFACTS ACT. ACT 54 OF 1972
An example of how a vegetable should not look when sold. Ensuring that products that could be a potential risk for rodent/pest infestation get disposed of in an appropriate manner
In order for GRDM to align itself to the provisions of health related legislation, regular inspections are conducted at all premises where food products are handled and/or stored. These businesses, be it formal or informal, are not limited to hotels, restaurants, spaza shops, dairy farms, butcheries school feeding schemes and retail outlets. While at a premises inspection, EHP check if food products are labelled correctly, hygiene standards are in place, storage is done according to generally accepted standards, food products are handled correctly and also ensure that preventative measures are in place to avoid pest control issues. These inspections are done in accordance with the Regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises and the Transport of food; Regulation 638 of 22 June 2018.
The following figures of work outputs for the period January 2017 up to December 2020 are of interest and provide an indication of the number of site visits, which were conducted by GRDM EHPs throughout the region.
Number of food premises inspections: 42 404
Number of water samples taken: 7 784
Food samples taken: 2036
Health surveillance conducted at premises: 92 436 (these include non-food premises)
The general public can be assured that measures are in place to ensure that safe and healthy food products are provided to all consumers. Furthermore, the public is urged to report any irregularities, complaints or non-compliance to their nearest GRDM Municipal Health office, or to lodge such issues via phone to 044 805 1550 or e-mail info@gardenroute.gov.za.
Weather Alert: Impact-based warning: Rain which could lead to localised flooding- Western Cape Province
In light of this severe weather alert as produced by the South African Weather Service (SAWS) and other centers, the following advisory guidelines are suggested. It is emphasized that these advisories are broad guidelines and should be interpreted considering the local aspects of the region such as soil types, cultural preferences and farming systems. Depending on the particular region, the prioritization of the guidelines will differ. The basic strategy to follow would be to minimize and diversify risk. The province should further simplify, downscale and package the information according to their language preference and if possible use local radio stations and farmers’ days in disseminating the information.
Impact-based warning issued by SAWS valid: 15 March 2021
Yellow (level 1) warning for rain could lead to localized flooding of roads and settlements over the coastal areas of the Overberg and Garden Route Districts in the Western Cape.
Heavy rainfall raises the water level. When the water level is higher than the river banks or the dams, water flows out from the river and flooding occurs.
Preventive measures:
Construction of proper drainage systems – Drains must be cleaned constantly as they ensure proper water irrigation.
Mechanical land treatment of slopes such as contour ploughing or terracing to reduce the runoff coefficient.
Construction of small water and sediment holding areas.
Construction of floodways (man-made channels to divert floodwater).
Cutting grass in the rainy season (nutrient depletion).
Applying fungicides and pesticide (plants and animals).
Applying N fertilizer (burning of plants) (Nitrogen loss is higher during heavy rain), immediately follows a surface application of fertilizer, especially on sloped areas.
Dumping fertilizer in one spot can cause the roots below the fertilizer to be burned and die.
Irrigation (waterlogging can occur, nutrient depletion).
– Cover Urea licks to prevent them from becoming toxic.
– Provide shelter for animals (young ones die easily).
– Leave cultivated areas coarse.
– Relocate/ move animals to a safe place.
The following are a number of concerns and recommendations:
Be extra cautious for pest and diseases after the rain has fallen, as high moisture content and high temperatures may trigger these.
Assume that floodwater contains sewage and might be harmful for human and livestock consumption.
Before leading livestock across a river, check whether the water level is rising. This is especially necessary if it is already raining, but remembers that there could be a storm further upstream and floodwaters could be on the way
A comprehensive list of strategies can be found in the monthly NAC Advisory. It can be accessed from the following websites: www.dalrrd.gov.za.For more information contact:-
Directorate: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction
Media Release: 90 People benefit from a Garden Route District Municipality Road Construction Learnership
For Immediate Release 15 March 2021
This month the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) officially launched the Supervision of Construction Process Learnership in Calitzdorp. GRDM first initiated the Road Construction NQF Level 2 program in 2016; a program that aims to equip all GRDM Road Construction officials with added competencies to ensure safer roads within the district. The outcome of the initial program was extremely successful with a pass rate of 97%. Later in 2017, a NQF Level 3 program was launched and targeted 60 officials to participate 100% of students passed this program.
The newly launched National Certificate in Supervision of Construction NQF Level 4 program includes 75 officials of the GRDM and 15 unemployed youth from the Garden Route. The one year program will be divided into 30% theory focused classes and 70% on the job training.
GRDM Portfolio Chairperson for the Roads Department, Councillor Rowan Spies, during the launch of the programme alluded to the fact that this is the first programme where 25 participants were attending theoretical training from various locations throughout the district. “Covid-19 has robbed us from having huge gatherings. However, at GRDM we have to adapt to a new approach to training,” said Cllr Spies. He wished all the learners on the program the best of luck and said that he was extremely excited and filled with pride that everyone would benefit from the program.
The Executive Manager of Roads Services, Mr John Daniels encouraged participants to grab the opportunity with both hands. He explained that his department follows the concept, “from sweeper to engineer”, where all staff members are presented with equal opportunities to be able to achieve the peak of their careers, regardless of where they started. Mr Daniels boasted that his Department invested a further substantial amount of funding towards bursaries. “This is all done to improve the department’s vision of providing quality services to the public,” he said.
Ms Nokuthula Dube, Chief Executive Officer of Nokuthula Dube and Associates, the service provider for the training, shared a broad overview of the programme. She explained to participants that the programme wasn’t easy as it includes a wide variety of supervisory skills and project planning. However, she wished the learners well and encouraged them to be committed to their studies and concluded that only hard work will pay off at the end of the day.
Two employees of GRDM who are also participants in the programme, Ms Valentyn and Mr Mona, thanked the GRDM Management on behalf of all participants for providing them the opportunity and investing in their future. The chairpersons from both trade unions IMATU and SAMWU pledged their support towards the programme and encouraged learners to make use of the opportunity presented to them with energy and optimism.
During his keynote address, the Executive Mayor of GRDM, Alderman Memory Booysen, motivated learners by sharing his own life story and challenges faced during his upbringing and career path. Alderman Booysen explained: “My goal while at school was to become a truck driver. My primary and tertiary school years were not all plain sailing and I started believing that I wasn’t going to pass matric. The only hope I had was to follow in my family’s footsteps to become a truck driver. To my surprise, I passed matric and at that time I did not have any plans to continue studying; I took a leap year and ended up being an “agter-ryer” – an assistant to a truck driver,” Booysen said.
Alderman Booysen promised participants that he will share with them how he managed to become the Executive Mayor of the GRDM, but only on the day they graduate. However, he encouraged learners to take the opportunity seriously and meet GRDM’s same intent – to take the development of everyone serious. To conclude, Alderman Booysen encouraged the GRDM Training and Development Section to make sure that no participant drops out of the program and to provide management with monthly reports to ensure that the participants stay in the program and complete the program.
During the closing remarks, Cllr Spies thanked the Executive Mayor for his leadership role, the Management Team for their commitment to Skills Development and all the participants for their courage to enrol for further studies. He also thanked the Program Director Ms Simile Mqoto (Manager Roads) for directing the program.
Weather Alert: Weather forecast 15 – 22 March 2021
Garden Route District Municipality disseminates the information below on behalf of the South African Weather Service.
An upper cut-off low-pressure system is dominating the atmospheric circulation resulting in cloudy and rainy conditions over most parts of the province, with rain abating in the West Coast District and Cape Metropole as well as the Northern parts of Cape Winelands during the afternoon. The continuous onshore flow along the Overberg and Garden Route coastal areas will result in localised flooding in these areas as well as disruptions on the roads.
(A warning detailing these impacts has been issued already on 14/03/2021 and it is still on track).
Tomorrow Tuesday, rain will be confined to the Southern parts of the province, especially the coastal areas, persisting into the evening.
Further, into the week, a coastal low pressure will bring foggy conditions along the West and Southwest coastlines on Thursday morning. Cloudy and rainy conditions are expected along the Overberg and Garden Route coast from late Thursday night, persisting into Saturday afternoon, with no risk of impacts at this stage.
Coastal Wind– A strong South Easterly wind of 45 to 55km/h can be expected along the coast today and tomorrow, and again on Friday.
Most recent Spring Tide date: 14 March 2021 at 01:54 SAST
Sea State– 2.5 to 3.0m wave heights with a Southerly swell today into Wednesday and again on Friday into the weekend.
Weather conditions will be monitored during the week and any further developments will be communicated if needs be.
Issued by the South African Weather Service.
Report any severe weather-related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at telephone number 044 805 5071.
Weather Alert: Severe weather alert: Impact Based Weather Warnings for Western Cape and Namaqua (14-15 March 2021)
Please find included the Impact Based Warning for the Western Cape and Namaqua Region of Northern Cape
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.”
Hazard
Alert Level
Affected Municipalities
Valid from (SAST)
Valid to (SAST)
Disruptive rain
Yellow (L2)
Bitou, Cape Agulhas, George, Hessequa, Knysna, Mossel Bay, Overstrand and Swellendam
14/03/2021 22H00
15/03/2021 09H00
Discussion: Significant rain is expected to affect the coastal areas of the Overberg and Garden Route Districts tonight into tomorrow morning.The accumulated rainfall is likely to reach between 40 to 50mm over the period due to the strong southerly to south-easterly winds aided by an intense upper air system.
Impact: Localised flooding can be expected in susceptible formal and informal settlements and roads. Increased travel times and motor vehicle accidents due to pooling of water may occur along with difficult driving conditions on dirt roads.
Instruction: If possible stay indoors and off the roads, avoid crossing rivers and swollen streams where water is above your ankles. If trapped in a vehicle during a flood, abandon it and climb to higher ground. In buildings, move valuables to a safe place above the expected flood level. Take caution driving on a roads covered by water. Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers.
>>>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.”
Report any weather related incidents to the Garden Route Disaster Management Centre at: 044 805 5071.
Public Notice: Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting on 23 March 2021 at 10:00 am
Notice is hereby given in terms of the MFMA Circular No 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that the Garden Route District Municipality’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee, responsible for the Review and Analysis of the 2019/20 Annual Report, will be taking place on 23 March 2021.
Questions will be posed to Management to get clarity on the contents of the Annual Financial Statements and the Annual Report. The draft oversight report will be written after this meeting.
For any further enquiries regarding this MPAC meeting kindly contact Mr Thembani Loliwe at 044 803 1430
