Author: Debra Sauer

Media Release: Community Development celebrates Transgender Awareness Week

Issued by George Municipality 23 November 2022 for immediate release

George Municipality Community Development Services in collaboration with the Social Health and Empowerment organisation, took the initiative of starting organic food gardens at two local Educare centres, Rosedale Educare centre and Golden Valley Creche in Blanco last week week to celebrate Transgender Awareness Week. Transgender Week runs from 13-19 November each year and is a one-week awareness and celebration event with the aim to advance advocacy around issues of prejudice, discrimination and violence that affect the transgender community.

Jonathan Fortuin (District Sector Leader LGBTQIA++ Garden Route District and municipal official) said, “We are not only starting the gardens but will look after them with the help of the community. We want to show the world that we take ownership and are active and responsible citizens. We will be starting food gardens for members of LGBTQIA++community at homes to give needy people and people who use chronic medication, access to healthy food.”

For any queries or information regarding LGBTQIA++ please contact George Community Development  at 044 802 2000.

Gardengroup: The group of the George Municipality the LGBTQIA++ helpdesk and the Social Health and Empowerment organisation with some of the toddlers from Rosedale creche with seeds for the garden.

 Gardengolden: The group of the George Municipality the LGBTQIA++ helpdesk and the Social Health and Empowerment organisation at Golden Valley creche.

 Garden 1,2,3: Some members of the group work the land at the creches to start the organic food gardens.

George Municipality Law Enforcement has visited more than 95 shops in George and surrounds in the past week to put up posters about the ban on fireworks in the George Municipal area and has already written out warnings and issues a number of fines to shop owners.

Law Enforcement officers, Roland Hardnick, Daniella Laws and Verona Botha have confiscated fireworks to the value of R1120 at different shops and have written out three fines in the amount of R4500 each.

We remind the public that due to the high fire risk, the setting off, and possession of fireworks, firecrackers, flares, paper lanterns and other such paraphernalia in the George municipal area is not allowed. The fireworks confiscated by our Law Enforcement officers will be handed over to the police for disposal. Confiscation notices are issued to the offending shops.

George has strict firework legislation and according to the Bylaw on Community Safety, Section 58 (13) No person may discharge fireworks outside of a designated Fire Works Area. No Fire Works area has been made available in George and should someone be caught discharging a firework, a flare, or lighting a Chinese lantern an immediate fine of R1000 is applicable as well as a potential charge of arson.

Setting off marine rocket flares for fun is hugely dangerous and irresponsible. NSRI is compelled to log and investigate every incident in case it is a real emergency which of course takes up their time and valuable resources and could detract from genuine flare sightings. It is also hugely dangerous for those setting off the flares, as they are quite costly, and sometimes also out of date.

Marine guidance notes explain that all old flares need to be disposed of correctly.
Rocket flares degrade with time and there have been cases where the rocket propellant separates from the parachute, and you are left with an uncontrolled flare which then comes back down and hits the person who has fired it off.

George Municipality will firmly enforce the applicable by-laws and additional Law Enforcement officers will be deployed at various areas and beaches over the festive season to attend to fireworks complaints. This will hopefully assist in reducing the noise levels and allow people (and their pets) to plan for “noisy” periods thus allowing for a quieter, safer environment for all concerned. For some pets, especially dogs and cats with particularly noise-sensitive ears, the sound of fireworks can cause intense fear responses. Some pets will go to extremes to hide, others get startled and run away, and general anxiety caused by unexpected loud sounds can have long-lasting effects on animals.

Please report the illegal setting off of fireworks to 044 801 6350 or after hours at 044 801 6300.
Please report the illegal trade in fireworks to 044 801 6350 or after hours at 044 801 6300.

FIRE EMERGENCIES: 044 801 6311

Caption: Roland Hardnick from Law Enforcement Services at George Municipality hands over a poster to Shakiel Mohammed from George Superette that warns about the ban on fireworks in the municipal area.

Get to know George – 11 NOVEMBER 2022

#gettoknowgeorge

 HIDDEN GEMS AND TOURISM NEWS

Tourism news and lesser-known gems to inspire you:

 1. New! Blue Flag Full Status for Dreamy Herolds Bay

 It’s a yay for Herolds Bay!  Our family-friendly cove has officially joined the ranks of our other full status Blue Flag beach, Wilderness.  This warm, Indian Ocean beach is situated at the bottom of a long and winding hill and features a tidal pool, lawn area and promenade, beach showers and ablutions, as well as ice cream and food vendors for a truly enjoyable day soaking up the rays.

 2. Hidden Gem Bucketlist – Microlight flight at Louvain

Did you know that the captivating Louvain Guest Farm offers exhiliarating microlight flights? Flights are enjoyed over the mountain to the Garden Route coastline or to the north over the Kammanassie Mountains and the Langkloof Valley or in the Klein Karoo, departing at sunrise.  Costs range from R500 to R1500.  We recently sent Travel Bug Rose on this experience; see her first-person experience Facebook video here.

3. New Art Gallery in Wilderness – Ninette Steyl

Enjoy a visit to the new gallery at the Palms Square Centre in Wilderness. Steyl’s work is an emotive portrayal of feelings experienced at a specific setting.

4. When’s the last time you visited Timberlake Village?

 Did you know that Timberlake Village is home to several small local businesses which feature mohair, gemstones, wine, fine art, leather, resin art, pottery and driftwood sculptures?  There’s a trendy bakery, proper coffee roastery, oyster bar and a German deli. And Acrobranch tree top adventures recently-ish added a giant zipline over the village where you can zip down and enjoy a fun ride.  Timberlake has play areas for children and a Faerie Garden walk where kids can meet strange and wonderful creatures.  Fur babies of the canine variety are also welcome.  The village is a member of the Paradise Ridge conservancy, which means that they capture rain water, recycle grey water, compost wet waste, use no harmful chemicals, plant trees (400+ to date) and clear alien Wattle annually.  Isn’t that awesome!  A skillfully crafted driftwood sculpture exhibition of South African wildlife is also on display; these pieces are sold to collectors all over the world. Timberlake is open 7 days a week.

UPCOMING EVENTS

 There’s a full line up of local events you can participate in and enjoy from now until the end of the year.

 MARKETS

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DECEMBER

Is your event not yet listed here?  Please let us know at info@visitgeorge.co.za

 JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

When exploring the destination, share your photos and experiences on social media with the hashtags:

#visitgeorge #exploregeorge

#visitwilderness #explorewilderness

#visituniondale #exploreuniondale

We’d love to see your adventures and experiences, and may even share them on our official social media pages (with your permission, of course!).

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRES

Find information about things to do, places to stay, upcoming events, eateries and gastronomic experiences as well as tourism transport at visitgeorge.co.za or pop in at our Visitor Information Centres where our friendly staff are ready to assist you.

•  GEORGE TOURISM

124 York Street, George Central, George, 6529 | +27 44 801 9295 | info@visitgeorge.co.za

facebook.com/tourismgeorge | instagram.com/georgetourism_official

• WILDERNESS TOURISM

198 George Road, Wilderness, 6560 | +27 44 877 0045 | info@visitwilderness.co.za

facebook.com/wildernesstourism | instagram.com/ wildernesstourism

• UNIONDALE TOURISM

Virtual assistance | +27 44 518 0030 | info@visituniondale.co.za

facebook.com/uniondaleinfo | instagram.com/uniondaletourism

George Municipality embraces World Food Day

George Municipality embraced the concept of World Food Day recently by providing 150 homeless persons with a meal.  Chronic hunger is a reality, especially among the homeless.

The Municipality that forms part of the People living on the Street (Plots)Forum wanted to do something special for the homeless because of hunger. World Food Day is celebrated across the world on 16 October.

According to Janine Edwards from Social Development at George Municipality, people living on the streets often go for days without food and when food is available, it is not always nutritious. To make the programme successful, the PLOTS Forum received donations of food items and wishes to thank all sponsors involved.

Programmes such as this one to reach out to the homeless, are  made possible by the public. George Municipality appeals to Georgians and visitors to become a part of the solution of People living on the Streets by rather giving donations to organisations such as the George Night Shelter or Kidstop, instead of giving money or handouts to adults or children begging at streets intersections, as this has increasingly become a concern.

According to Estelle Fredericks from the Municipality Social Development department, there has been an increase in new arrivals of People living on the streets following the Covid lockdown period and exacerbated by the current economic situation. She said that giving such persons money or handouts on the streets, will only encourage them to keep living on the streets and has negative long-term effects.

The PLOTS (People Living on The Streets) forum was established in 2018 by George Municipality to holistically address the many factors associated with homeless people. The forum includes representatives from George Municipal Social Development Services, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Kid Stop (focuses on children living on the Streets), People Against Substance Abuse (PASA), Smoking & Alcohol Harms Alleviation & Rehabilitation Association (SAHARA), Christian Rehabilitation Ministries to the Homeless of George (Cremhog)  and the National Departments of Social Development and Health.

The PLOTS Forum aims to eradicate the issue of homelessness. Night outreaches take place to quantify the number of persons currently living on the streets and these surveys also serve as a tool to identify the needs of the individuals, and to assess how they can be assisted going forward.

George Municipality continues to provide clothing and toiletries to persons living on the street. The toiletries include soap, facecloths, toothpaste, toothbrushes, roll-on and sanitary pads. The municipality maintains a clothing bank where residents of George donate clothing for this purpose. Many of the homeless ask for clothing or toiletries to be presentable and a register is kept for this purpose. It would really assist the Municipality if more residents could donate clothing and toiletries for this purpose as no funding is available for this purpose.

The Municipal Social Development division runs a job seekers programme where we motivate the homeless to seek jobs, even if it is in the informal market. The department assists with the drawing up of CV`s and registering of the homeless on the EPWP database for job opportunities. Through other stakeholders, reunification services are also planned for those individuals who indicate that they want to reunite with their families. The issue of homelessness is a vast challenge and assistance from all spheres is needed to address the issue properly.

Living on the streets is not a crime and therefore these people cannot be arrested or moved without their consent. Our Social Development and Law Enforcement department’s mandate is limited as the bulk of the functions to assist people living on the streets, falls under SAPS and the National Department of Social Development.

George Residents, Business Owners and organisations, who want to help the homeless and or submit innovative ideas on how to help the homeless are invited to join the PLOTS monthly meeting. You can contact Estelle Fredericks on 044 802 2000, ext 2015 during office hours for more information.

The public may also contact these organisations: Freddy Trout, PASA (People Against Substance Abuse) on 068 487 4848, Jonathan Gelderbloem, YFC Kidstop on 044 874 2624/044 875 1794, Department of Social Services on 044 814 1920 or Andre Olivier from Cremhog on andre.olivier1962@gmail.com

In the mayoral speech to Council on 27 October 2022, I reflected on the work being undertaken to improve lives of citizens across the whole of George. Examples of some of these projects are mentioned below.

During this year we are budgeting R5,6m of our own funds for the electrification of informal settlements, significantly higher than in previous years with R1m already spent in Thembalethu with a further R2,1m having been spent on streetlights, substations and other upgrades. The construction of the Thembalethu 66/11kV substation has started with R13m spent to date.

Spending on roads upgrades in Thembalethu have amounted to R43,5m while the R10m road upgrade in Dellville Park commences in February 2023. Similar upgrades, repairs to streets and a stormwater canal are being undertaken in Uniondale and Haarlem.

We are currently planning or implementing water and sanitation projects to the value of R168m in Thembalethu with R137m to be spent in Pacaltsdorp in the near future.

Through the Social Development section, we contribute R3,4m annually to 126 soup kitchens to feed almost 53 000 vulnerable and hungry residents while we also support over 500 food gardens in the community. We also assist our vulnerable members of society through a clothing bank and a youth summit on economic development.

Turning to sport, the long-awaited upgrade of the Rosemore tartan track is due to commence soon with netball courts in Rosemore and Pacaltsdorp to be upgraded ahead of the World Cup next year. A vlakkie cricket league has been successfully introduced providing another dimension to recreation.

As part of the increasing focus on improving safety and security for communities, equipment and containers have been bought for various Neighbourhood Watches. Additional CCTV cameras are being introduced in Pacaltsdorp, Eden Park, Blanco, Rosemore, Borchards, Parkdene, Thembalethu and the CBD.

Consultants are working on the planning for the Neighbourhood Development Planning Grant funded node in Thembalethu with similar work underway for the Pacaltsdorp SMME node and the Ossie Urban Industrial development.

The Feasibility Report for the Crocodile Farm Social Housing project of 400 housing units has been finalised and will shortly be tabled in Council.

Engagements have been hosted for informal trading, skills development and training opportunities, including: How to Pitch, Business Skills, Business Etiquette, How to submit tenders.

Work has been done on a funding proposal for a three-year incubator for SMME’s along with the roll out of various entrepreneurship programs, emerging developer and contractor training, with guidelines to be tabled shortly for the implementation of mobile businesses (e.g. food trucks).

Each of our wards will soon undertake small projects to the value of R1,4m.

These snapshots provide some insight into the many unheralded ongoing projects being undertaken in this financial year.

MEDIA RELEASE: Youth Stakeholders Forum Established

The Youth Development section of George Municipality held a Youth Summit recently with various stakeholders from within the George Municipal area to take the youth agenda forward and a Youth Stakeholder’s Forum has been established. In future, the forum will provide the necessary platform for networking, growth and stronger partnerships.

A Youth Directory has been developed and will remain a working document as details of more organisations will be added. Jonel Kerspuy, Coordinator of the Youth Development section at the Municipality invites more organisations, that are working with young people, to make contact with them at (044) 802 2000.

Discussions took place under the following Commissions: Education/ Training and Skills Development, Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, Health and well-being, Social Cohesion and National well-being, Sport and Recreation, Media and Arts and Government Services.

Various stakeholders were in attendance, with Councillors Melvin Roelfse, Thandiswa Qatana and Marais Kruger giving messages of support at the George Civic Centre where the summit was held. Dr Zille North from the Department of Health informed the plenary about the Planet Youth programme, with support provided by the Department of Social Development and Education. The Various stakeholders were able to share the valuable work that they are doing within the community of George. In the photo are some of the stakeholders attending the summit.

George Municipality in collaboration with other stakeholders held Youth Skills Transfer Workshops

The Youth Development section of George Municipality arranges Youth Skills Transfer Workshops to equip young people, with the skills and knowledge to become employable and or start their own businesses.

According to Jonel Kerspuy, Coordinator of the Youth Office section at George Municipality, these workshops are rolled out by the Youth Development office in collaboration with the Pacaltsdorp Community Business Association, Inkcubeko Youth and Science Centre with the assistance of the following facilitators Sylvia Ncazelo, Noxolile Tshandu and Pam Lesibanie. These partners provide venues and skills transfer sessions, which include beading, upcycling of recyclable goods, sewing, knitting and crocheting. A skills transfer programme is planned for Uniondale  next year and youngsters will be taught how to make goods out of leather.

Kerspuy says basic business training and mentoring have been provided to previous groups of youngsters, as well as a market to sell some of their products. The same training will be done with the current group. The sessions also provide a platform where valuable life skills, leadership development, career guidance, job readiness, mentoring and other sessions are offered to the youth in attendance.

“The programme addresses youth entrepreneurship, whilst at the same time bridging the generational and skills gap”, said Kerspuy.

Captions:

Youthskills: Luwayda Trantraal from the Pacaltsdorp Community Business Association (in the middle with blue dress) and Pam Lesibanie retired from SAPS and an entrepreneur (in the middle with pink) and to the far right is Jonel Kerspuy, Coordinator of the Youth Development section at George Municipality with some of the youngsters attending a skills transfer session.

Youthskills1: Noxolile Tshandu (facilitator in pink jersey busy with beading) and Sylvia Ncazelo ( facilitator with the white top) from Inkcubeko Youth and Science Centre busy with a beading programme in Thembalethu with the youth.

Youthskills2: An example of the beading is done.

Youthskills3: Pam Lesibanie does arts and crafts with the youth in teaching them skills they can use to make products and sell them.

Youthskills4: Some of the recycled wood is used to make welcoming frames for homes or decorations.