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Garden Route District Municipality and stakeholders celebrate Mandela Day

As the Mandela Day celebrations are still in progress throughout the world today, 18 July 2019, the respective departments of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) used their 67 minutes to celebrate the life of former and the late President of the Republic of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, throughout the entire Garden Route district.  The aim of this year’s initiatives was to put smiles on the faces of the most vulnerable, but more importantly – the faces of youngsters affected by tough living conditions.  Here are some of the special moments captured during these events today:

George Herald annual Sandwich Jam

The first initiative of the day started with the GRDM Mayoral Committee members and officials who participated in the eighth annual Sandwich Jam of the local media house, George Herald. For this year’s initiative, George Herald’s goal was to prepare 10 000 sandwiches in 67 minutes, however to their surprise, they reached their target in 53 minutes! During the event, all participants prepared sandwiches for identified areas and members of the community.  The event took place at the George Herald premises in Ring Road, George. “We hope that the beneficiaries who include: St Paul’s Primary School, Life Community Services, ACVV, Conville Clinic, George Hospital, Child Welfare, Badisa, Eden Lions, Seven Passes Initiative, Touwsranten, George Night Shelter, New Dawn Park Primary School, Pacaltsdorp Clinic and Mzoxolo Primary School enjoyed the sandwiches, prepared straight from our hearts,” Ms Shandré Abrahams, GRDM Wellness Officer said.

Ethembeni Day Care Centre for Disabled Children

Still, in George, the GRDM officials from the Human Resources Section visited a non-governmental organisation, Ethembeni Day Care Centre for Disabled Children, in Thembalethu.  Each official within the Section contributed funds and donated toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, facecloths and soap, as well as a snack bag for each child at the Centre. Leaving each child with a smile and a happy heart was purely what the team intended to achieve. A total of 17 children benefited from this initiative.

Karmenaadjie Crèche in Oudtshoorn

The GRDM Municipal Health Section in Oudtshoorn visited the Karmenaadjie Crèche in Buffelsdrift. On their arrival, they provided soup and bread rolls to each toddler.  Approximately 51 children and educators enjoyed the warm, tasty soup and bread rolls that were prepared specifically for them.  In closing the visit, the principal of the Crèche expressed her sincere appreciation towards the GRDM team for the gesture, but most of all for caring for the children and their educators, as well as the community. Members of the Buffelsdrift community and the educators also welcomed the initiative.

More initiatives to follow

More activities in celebration of Mandela Day are envisaged to take place, such as a collaborative school visit by the GRDM Municipal Health teams of Knysna and George to the Lancewood Primary School in Woodville is also expected to take place on Friday, 19 July 2019 and a visit to a school in Calitzdorp by the Disaster Management and Fire Services officials.

While all activities are coming to a close, us as residents of the Garden Route should always strive towards changing the living conditions of the community for the better by how we think, act and respond. “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same” – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Severe Weather Alert – High Seas

The Cape Town Weather Office has issued the following high sea alert:

HAZARD: High Seas – Wave heights between 6.0m to 7.0m
ALERT LEVEL: Warning
VALID FROM (SAST): 19/07/19 00h00 (tomorrow) 
VALID TO (SAST): 19/07/19 23h00 (tomorrow)
AREA: Between Cape Agulhas and Plettenberg Bay

DESCRIPTION: Storm surges / High Seas

Generally heavy seas or damaging waves are a result of strong winds blowing over a large area called a fetch combined with low pressure systems. Long period swells are often very dangerous to tankers as they may literally snap them in half. Dangerous waves or surges may also be caused by storm surges and tsunami’s resulting in widespread coastal damage and loss of life.
In oceanography, a sea state is the general condition of the free surface on a large body of water—with respect to wind waves and swell—at a certain location and moment. A sea state is characterized by statistics, including the wave height, period, and power spectrum. The sea state varies with time, as the wind conditions or swell conditions change.

PRECAUTIONS: Storm surges / High Seas

Ships should “idle” into the swell and wind so that the bow of the ship always faces the oncoming swell. If in a small sailing vessel reduce the sail area and steer into the oncoming swell. If along the shore-line stay well back from the highest high water mark as Secure all hatches, doors, windows and ports. Secure all loose items in the interior.
Pump the bilge’s dry and keep pumping them dry at regular intervals. Stow away all loose gear and lash down any large items that cannot be stowed. Break out your life preservers and inform your crew that everyone will be putting them on well in advance of their necessity.
Break out emergency gear like flares and first aid kit, sea anchor, safety harnesses, etc.
Check your position and update your course as plotted on your chart. Prepare alternative routes to more protected areas. If you think you will be in for relatively long haul prepare some hot soup, coffee or stew freak waves may run up beyond the normal high water mark.
If the sea recedes exposing rock and sea bed normally not exposed immediately seek higher ground at least 50m above your current position. Do not try swimming or fishing or other marine recreation during these events. Only extremely experienced surfers will temp their fate under these conditions.
Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers.

Report any related incidents to the Garden Route DM Disaster Management Centre at Tel: 044-805 5071.

Garden Route District Municipality’s Nina Viljoen now “Dr Nina Viljoen”

Nina Viljoen, Disaster Risk Reduction & Climate Change Adaptation Practitioner at the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), was on 12 July 2019, conferred a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) qualification at the University of Cape Town’s Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences.

Talking passionately to the Communication and Graphic Design Unit of GRDM regarding the progress of her education over the years, she said: “I progressed from having a Grade 7 (previous standard 5) school qualification at the age of 19, to achieving my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), with specialisation in Water Resources Management”.

Her thesis is titled: “Participative water demand management as an adaptive response within complex socio-institutional systems: A City of Cape Town case study, South Africa’.  However, she admitted that it could not have been done without will power, commitment and true dedication.

Referring back to her Master of Science (MSc) Degree, she explained: “I also focused on water resources management, more specifically alternative water resources, with my dissertation entitled: “The feasibility of rainwater and stormwater harvesting within a winter rainfall climate context: A Commercial Building Focus,” for which I received a Cum Laude recognition”.

Touching on how she persevered with so much at hand, she said:  “At times I had to isolate myself from family issues and had to work over weekends and on public holidays on my thesis. I also participated in Garden Route Environmental Management related initiatives, and attended forums and workshops that took my mind off the strict routine of the PhD studies”, she added. At times when she felt despondent and felt like giving up, these initiatives helped her to get re-energised and motivated again.

Sharing briefly about her childhood years, she said she grew up in a single-parent household.  “I attended 14 primary schools as my family was mostly homeless and moved around a lot. Sadly, due to the psychological and physical impacts of these hardships we faced, I lost my only sibling to suicide”.

Dr Viljoen is adamant that education saved her life and has given her independence. She would like to be a role model to the youth as an example of the importance of education in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and hardship. With regard to her immediate future plans, she concluded:  “With my expertise and experience gained through my PhD studies, I will continue to help the Garden Route district with water resource planning and drought awareness initiatives”.

Students overfilled with joy after completing 3-month Cater Care Course

“The day you were born you were given many gifts. One such gift is the gift of ‘free will’. What you do with opportunities presented to you, like for instance, being offered the opportunity to study here – depends on you. It is, therefore, without a doubt, a fact that the sky is the limit,” said Councillor Liza Stroebel.  In her concluding remarks, she emphasised the importance of decisions of students and that they need to take every opportunity presented to them, “or someone else will”.  Councillor Stroebel shared these wise words during the Cater Care Certificate handover ceremony which took place on 12 July 2019 in George.

The group of GRDM Councillors who witnessed the certificate handovers (seated, fltr): Rowan Spies (Portfolio Chairperson, Roads and Transport Planning Services), Jennifer Harnick, Joslyn Johnson (Portfolio Chairperson: Property Management & Development), Liza Stroebel, Khayalethu Lose (Portfolio Chairperson: Community Services), Erica Meyer (Portfolio Chairperson: Strategic Services) and Daniel Saayman. At the back (fltr), are: Cheri-Lynn Speelman (FFA, Senior Lecturer), Elizabeth Theron (FFA, Academic Manager), Denver Johnson (GR&KK Tourism Officer), Patricia Khumalo, Johannes Jafta (Economic Development Officer), Jessica Kalse, Jackson Lencoe, Sandiswa Booysen, Kyle Titus, David Griffith, Ronaldo Booysen, Markus Pretorius, Asanele Magama, Jabes Honne, Pheliswa Salman, Melanie Wilson (Manager: Tourism and Local Economic Development), Sindile Malobola, Denise Lindley (FFA Vice-Principal), Amagene Koeberg (GR&KK Tourism Coordinator), Asanele Magama, Natalie Raubenheimer (GR&KK Senior Local Development Officer) and Francois Ferreira (FFA Principal).

It was a chest-cramming task to single out 15 learners from a list of 37 hopeful applicants who applied for a three-month course Cater Care Course that started on 4 March and ended on 31 May 2019. Garden Route District Municipality fully funded the course of R300 000.00. Francois Ferreira Academy equipped the humble youth from the Garden Route with various hospitality and culinary skills.

Councillor Liza Stroebel delivering a keynote address to students where she highlighted that everyone is in control of their own destiny and that one should grab every opportunity in life that presents itself.

Selection Criteria for Cater Care Course

GRDM was responsible for the coordination and the mobilising of trainees through a formal recruitment and selection process. This has been the case for nearly 10 years.
Students are carefully selected by making use of the following criteria:
• Between the ages of 18 and 35;
• Be unemployed;
• Completed Grade 12;
• Showcase eagerness to make the hospitality industry a career; and
• Live in the Garden Route District.

Francois Ferreira’s Cater Care Course is underpinned by not only basic food preparation, but also life skills. These skills include, but are not limited to:

  • personal money management;
  • entrepreneurship,
  • conflict handling,
  • personal hygiene,
  • applying for a job,
  • teamwork; and
  • writing a curriculum vitae.

Additionally, the training course is the “first step” for aspiring chefs to a sustainable career in the hospitality and culinary industry.

Additional opportunities arranged for 30 learners

FFA subsequently applied and secured additional funding from a Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport Sector Education and Training Authority Discretionary Grant and for an “Assistant Chef Skills” programme. A total of 30 learners will benefit from this training, which will include the 15 learners who completed their Level 1 Skills in Basic Food Preparation and Basic Service Skills. Students have already started with the “Assistant Chef” course and will continue until the end of August 2019.

During his opening remarks at the Certificate Ceremony which was held on 12 July 2019, Chef Francois Ferreira, Francois Ferreira Academy Principal, said: “It was a joy to teach a group with such enthusiasm and willingness to absorb information.” He also commended students for their “collective positive attitude as a team” which set them apart from previous groups. “You set the bar for future cater care students – each and every one of you have excelled.”

Francois Ferreira Academy Principal during the Certificate Ceremony boasting about the students’ teamwork and dedication to the programme.

Editor’s note:
Youth development is an essential component of GRDM’s efforts to grow the economy. A consequence of saddening statistics that indicate that the Garden Route District has the highest levels of youth unemployment amongst districts within the Western Cape. Youth are under-represented among the employed segment of Garden Routers.

The Municipal Structures Act 117 of 2000, Section 84(1)(m) reads: “Division of functions and powers between the district and local municipalities:
(1) A district municipality has the following functions and powers:
(m) Promotion of local tourism for the area of the district municipality”. 

Municipal Managers and Mayors meet to discuss region’s public sector EPWP jobs and future projects

After Municipal Managers of the Garden Route engaged this morning, a follow-up session with Executive Mayors from the region subsequently took place. Currently, similar contents of the Municipal Manager’s Forum are discussed at the District Coordinating Forum (DCF). Executive Mayors of the region are present and topics on the table, include:

  • The National Department of Public Works – Presenting Protocol Agreement targets for the fourth phase;
  • Contextualised inputs for discussion at the Cabinet Bosberaad (Circular 21: District Strategic and Planning priorities as well as service delivery challenges); and
  • A Special Economic Zone District-Wide Approach.

During his opening remarks as the chairperson of the DCF, Cllr Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor of Garden Route District Municipality, said: “The major purpose of this meeting is for me to understand what you require at a local municipal level. If we don’t engage, I will not be able to understand what is happening at a b-municipal level.”

EPWP Jobs

“Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) targets will also be discussed today – how we are performing, where we can improve, etc. EPWP is an important component of putting food on the table and creating sustainable jobs. Gone are the days when we saw EPWP as a tick-box exercise. As a district, we want the jobs created to form part of our mainstream economy and the development of it. We will continue to punch above our weight to see that the people on the ground experience what we intended them to experience,” said Cllr Booysen.

Garden Route Municipal Managers engaging at high-level forum

A Special Garden Route District Municipal Managers Forum (MMF) is currently underway in George.

This platform provides an opportunity for Municipal Managers of the district and Local Municipalities (Bitou, Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Hessequa, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland), to contribute to the strengthening of the Local Government sector. Thus, members address common concerns and facilitate inter-municipal peer-learning. Furthermore, the Forum also provides opportunities to collectively engage with key stakeholders in addressing key issues affecting Local Government.

This joint district approach recognises that the Western Cape Local Government planning process commences with Premier Alan Winde at his Premier’s Coordinating Forum. This Forum is followed by two equally important engagements, namely:

–    MinMay Planning where District Mayors will present strategic and planning priorities as well as service delivery challenges in response to the Premier’s address; and

–    District coordinating Forum where District Mayors and Local Mayors will hold similar engagements at a district level. Here, district-specific strategic and planning priorities, as well as service delivery challenges will be dealt with.

Today’s agenda will deal with the following topics:

  • The National Department of Public Works – Presenting Protocol Agreement targets for the fourth phase;
  • Contextualised inputs for discussion at the Cabinet Bosberaad to be identified (Circular 21: District Strategic and Planning priorities as well as service delivery challenges); and
  • A Special Economic Zone District Wide Approach.

Food Scraps have a purpose Garden Route District Municipality

Food scraps have a purpose

There are various easy methods published online on how to reduce food waste in households. One such a method is to reduce potential waste of food before it ends up in kitchen bins or at the Garden Route District Municipality’s regional or at local municipal landfill sites.

Where to from here?

When planning to purchase food, create a list of what is needed before purchasing any items. This will ensure that people buy absolutely necessary groceries. Avoid clutter in your fridge, pantry or freezer by moving older products to the front as a reminder to consume them first. When preparing a meal, there are usually some leftovers – incorporate these into your daily/weekly routine by taking some to work. Remember to store these and other foodstuffs at the correct temperatures to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. Proposing waste minimisation actions at work can also be a step towards changing the habits of those around you. It is also a great gesture to donate food to food banks, and food scraps or spoilt food to pig farms. Altogether, fruits and vegetables are perfect for composting.

A community who changed their habits

According to one of GRDM’s Bitou-based Municipal Health Officials, Ms Maxwelline Fatuse, there is an informal settlement named Bossiesgif in Bitou, who manages their food waste in a different, but clever way. This community made a collective and positive routine-change to their daily habits. They use re-usable 10- litre waste bins or paint bins, hang it outside to fencing poles, which are then filled with food scraps from their kitchens. The waste bins are picked up twice a week and used to feed six pigs farms situated near the community.

A community member of Bossiesgif, Mr Mqalo said: “Our community initiative has been conscious of waste minimisation for years and this community drive helps us to reduce the municipal bins from filling up too quickly. It also helps feed the pigs of farmers and in turn, reduces the waste that would usually be dumped at landfill sites.”

Mr Mqalu explained that community members know to only discard food scraps like vegetable and potato peels, cabbage, (organic waste) etc. in the bins.

“There has not been a single report of pigs getting sick due to this approach of discarding household scrap food,” Mr Mqalu confirmed.

Surrounding areas that include New Horizon, Kwanokutula, Pinetrees and Xolweni, have also adopted this method of discarding food waste. This method, over time, shifts a mountain of waste into feed for pigs. This initiative proves that when communities work collectively to change societal habits for the better, it can move mountains – in this case, mountains of waste.

One might assume that vegetable or fruit scraps can only be used for composting, but there are more ways to “kill a fly”.

Writer’s note:
Food waste is a worldwide epidemic; one-third of food on a global scale is either wasted or spoiled food. Food waste lying at dumpsites also result in methane gas build-up, which has been reported by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation as “25 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.” In the not too distant future, this will result in an additional increase in the effects of climate change.

Media Release: Extension of SLA between AON (PTY) Ltd and Garden Route District Municipality for 12 months

Media Release: Extension of SLA between AON (PTY) Ltd and Garden Route District Municipality for 12 months

For Immediate Release
4 July 2019

The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Council has appointed AON (underwritten by Lion of Africa) during 2015/2016, following a competitive bidding process (Tender E/02/15-16). AON was then appointed for a 3-year period to provide insurance coverage to the Council. On 27 June 2019, the GRDM Council discussed and resolved the extension of a twelve month Service Level Agreement (from 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020) between AON (PTY) Ltd and GRDM. This took place with due regard to the requirements of Section 116 of the Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003.

AON is willing to continue to render the contracted insurance services to GRDM for the proposed 12-month extension period.

In terms of Section 116 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, Act 56 of 2003, a contract of agreement procured through the Supply Chain Management policy, may be amended by the parties, but only after the local community has been given reasonable notice of the intention to amend the contract or agreement.”

Henceforth, local community members are invited to provide comments, if any, in writing, to Mr Monde Stratu, Municipal Manager, Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George or via e-mail info@gardenroute.gov.za on or before 11 July 2019.

For any information about the above, contact the Manager: BTO/AFS/Assets Ms L Hoek at louise@gardenroute.gov.za or Senior Accountant:  Assets, Mr J Samery at john@gardenroute.gov.za, Telephone:  044 803 1325

Severe Weather Alert

The Cape Town Weather Office has issued the following severe weather alert:

HAZARD: Damaging Winds
Alert Level: Warning
Valid From (SAST): 01/07/2019 – 11h00
Valid To (SAST): 02/07/2019 – 21h00

Gale force westerly to south-westerly winds (65-70km/h) are expected along the coastal areas between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay this afternoon (Monday). Gale force north-westerly winds (65-75km/h) are expected along the coastal areas between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas from early tomorrow morning (Tuesday), moderating the evening.

Description: Strong damaging winds
Strong damaging winds often occur along coastal regions, but also often occur during thunderstorm activity. These winds are sudden and can cause much damage.

Precautions:  Strong damaging winds
Stay indoors where possible away from the windows that open towards the severe winds. Be aware of the following: – sudden cross winds if traveling especially between buildings, fallen trees or power lines and flying debris.
Small boats must stay away from the open sea and seek shelter of a harbour, river estuary or protected bay.
Parked aircraft should be pointed into the direction of the wind and secured. Listen to the radio or TV for warnings and obey the instructions from disaster management officers.

Report any incidents to the Garden Route District Municipality Disaster Management Centre at: 044-805 5071.