Author: Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe

Over recent weeks there have been photos of the recent floods in Tshwane and elsewhere where rivers have flooded their banks, into towns and settlements seriously damaging infrastructure and property. This summer season has seen a deluge of rain that has unfortunately wreaked much damage to infrastructure across our country.

These floods come as a reminder of the rain and floods witnessed in George over November and December. The Council will shortly be considering how to undertake the rebuilding, repairs and maintenance of damaged infrastructure, the timing, and the funding thereof.

The damage in George and surrounding areas runs into hundreds of millions of rand with claims being made for disaster relief funding. Until such funding is made available, it is essential that repairs are undertaken. There is much damage to roads, sidewalks, river courses, water, sanitation, and associated infrastructure. Ideally, repairs should be undertaken as soon as possible to prevent further damage from taking place, for example, potholes that remain unrepaired cause further damage to the road surface.

Municipalities prepare their annual budgets by March for the year ahead of July based on projects and spending categories already identified the year ahead of that budget. The damage from the recent storms will therefore place strain on municipal budgets in the last few months of the current financial year as efforts are made to prioritise this spending within the current financial year. These repairs will also impact planned projects in the new financial year. Even though George’s finances are sound, careful consideration will be required on the timing of incurring this expenditure.

The refurbishment of ageing infrastructure is one of the major challenges facing local government. Over the past few decades, too little has been spent on maintaining water, sanitation, electricity, and roads infrastructure. The expectations of core and unfunded services to be delivered by municipalities has strangled their budgets leaving insufficient funding for repairs and maintenance.

The recommendation of the National Treasury is that municipalities should annually budget and spend 8% of their recorded value of property, plant and equipment on repairs and maintenance. In practical terms, this level of spending has proved to be unaffordable for municipalities as it would have resulted in considerable increases in service charges and tariffs for consumers.

The local government has argued for many years that this sector should be receiving considerably more by way of grants which could inter alia have contributed to infrastructure maintenance.

In George, we recognise that infrastructure is ageing, and the emphasis is now on ensuring that annual expenditure is increased to maintain and refurbish infrastructure. We are aware that investment will be undertaken where the infrastructure is maintained to a high standard.

Cllr. L van Wyk

Executive Mayor

George

Issued by George Municipality, 9 February 2022

To help alleviate the demand for potable water, the George Municipality is putting the words, “charity begins at home” into action when it started with two water demand reduction campaigns: the installation of 2litre plastic “coke” bottles in its toilets flushing systems in its facilities and replacement the traditional taps in beaches with push-down taps.

The crisis on water supply became serious to an extent that the City of George had to urgently implement water restrictions and water throttling in George. The reservoirs are drying up, due to high water demand versus water supply.  The water treatment works cannot meet the current potable water demand and cannot ensure adequate reservoir storage volumes to meet the emergency storage volumes required.

These two campaigns are taking the efforts of reducing the water demand further and putting the George Municipality in a position of leading by example. The Municipality has so far collected more than 1000 2litre plastic bottles to install in its 54 facilities ranging from municipal buildings, offices, recreational facilities, community halls and libraries. Thanks to a recycling company, based in the George Industrial area, Henque Waste, for sponsoring the Municipality with more than 800 bottles. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Henque Waste for its contribution to this campaign.

The installation of these bottles started at the beginning of February this year with two teams of workers from the Municipal auxiliary services accompanied by plumbers.  These teams are going all over George installing these bottles in Municipal facilities. Some of the toilet flush systems are built small and do not accommodate the size of the 2litre bottle; in such cases, we adjust the flush system itself to flush less water.

Some spin-offs that this campaign yielded is that it turned out that some of these ablution facilities had leaks that otherwise could have not been immediately detected; and as the installations of the plastic bottles happen, problems in the ablution facilities are being detected and repaired. 

Push taps replace conventional in Municipal facilities to save water

Another initiative that is aimed at reducing water demand from George’s reservoir is the replacement of traditional taps with push down taps in George facilities, including beaches. Push taps switch off automatically, this takes away the possibility that someone may leave the tap running.  Push taps offer more control over the flow of water as users wash their hands for less time, impacting less water consumption in a long run. 

The taps replacement campaign started on the ablution facilities of beaches in the George municipal precinct. Areas covered so far are Leentjiesklip, Gwaiing, Herolds Bay and Victoria Bay beaches.

The Municipality challenges the community of George to explore more creative ways to save water to ensure that all of us get a fair share of this very scarce commodity. We also continue to encourage the consumers to follow the water restrictions.

Any person who contravenes these restrictions is guilty of an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to a fine as published in the annual tariffs list, or six months imprisonment. Contraventions of the Water Restrictions can be reported on 0800 424477 and will be followed up by George Municipal Law Enforcement. Report all water leaks to our Civil Engineering Department on 044 801 9262/66 or after hours 044 801 6300.

Ends.

The countdown to the Southern Cape Old Car Club’s flagship annual event is now down to mere days, and cars from all corners of the country have started their respective journeys to reach George in time for this weekend’s display of classic, vintage and even ultra-modern engines.

National media has been abuzz over the past weeks, not only reporting updates on the remarkable variety of cars, tractors, and bikes to be displayed at Eden Technical High School (formerly PW Botha College) this weekend, but also lauding the fact that 2022 hails the 25th anniversary of George Old Car Show. SCRIB BENZeum is the event’s premier partner for the second time running.

The Silver Jubilee gathering is made all the more special since last year’s lockdown regulations prevented its staging. So GOCS chairman Alewijn Dippenaar and his 35-strong team have ensured an even bigger show terrain this year, with different time slots allowing as many visitors as possible to enjoy the spectacle with all Covid protocols in place.

“About two thousand engines will grace our 6,500 square metre showgrounds this year. The three most important components are old cars, of course; then secondly modes of transports such as tractors, bikes, and military vehicles; and finally, the hot rods, built up, and modern models displayed by 15 different traders,” says Dippenaar.

The old car (pre-1975) display is so well supported by clubs and private owners from all over South Africa that a big percentage of the 930 entries date back to before 1939, with the 1913 Benz of Waldo and René Scribante of SCRIBS BENZeum fame being one of the jewels in this display’s crown.

Fans of these beautifully restored machines can look forward to famous marques representing most every letter of the alphabet, from Anglias to a Ford Zodiac Sport built in England back in ’64. The Borgward Club turned 60 last year and with no fanfare allowed at the time, chose to grace GOCS 2022 with the presence of 40 Borgwards to fête the occasion.

“An old car is not just an old car,” explains Dippenaar. “The restoration to its former glory of any classic car is an art, and it takes lots of research to ensure that original parts are procured, and all specs are exactly the same as when the car was originally manufactured.

“Collectors across the globe cooperate to promote the preservation of these motors, and the chance to display the result of years of labour doesn’t come around every day. Come show day, each model – be it a vintage lady, quirky tractor or the latest Gelandewagen – will be oiled and polished and looking as impressive as the day it rolled out of the factory,” he says.

Dippenaar and his SCOCC clan invite you to be moved by everything that George Old Car Show will have to offer on February 12 & 13. Book tickets through Computicket beforehand to avoid disappointment if sold out at the gate. Timeslots for Saturday (8-11am, 11am-2pm, 2-5pm) cost only R50 per slot and Sunday’s show times are 8am to 1pm.

Bring the family to enjoy displays and drive-bys by classic and modern fleets, an auction and refreshment tent, plus food and bric-a-brac stalls. You can also visit bit.ly/gocs2022 to view the show online.

28 January 2022

The newly appointed district health council for the Garden Route District was introduced by the Western Cape Minister of Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo, on 24 January 2022.

‘Community involvement in health is a crucial part of a good health system functioning. It is also an integral part of Primary Health Care, that is why I am committed to meaningful engagement with communities and civil society. This is critical because it gives the district mayors and councillors representing local municipalities an opportunity to interrogate our Annual District Health Plan checking to see whether their local health priorities are considered,’ said Minister Mbombo.

Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen, together with councillors reviewed the Annual District Health Plan to confirm whether their local priorities have been considered.

‘This collective approach to health in the Garden Route works because it raises the bar on health service standards,’ said Ald. Booysen. ‘Over the years, GRDM also extended its expert advice about municipal health services and will continue doing so in future.’

Councils represent their respective districts and ensure the coordination of health services with their respective municipalities. The appointment of the district health council is in accordance with the National Health Act, 2003 (Act 61 of 2003) which stipulates the establishment of district health councils.

A district health council consists of:

• a person appointed by the provincial minister to represent her
• a member of the relevant district council, who will also be the chair
• a member of the council of each local municipality nominated by the member of the relevant council
• not more than five other persons, appointed by the provincial minister, after consultation with the district council.

Members of the council are:

• Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen
• Garden Route District Director: Mr Zee Brickles
• Cllr Melvin Roelfse (George)
• Cllr Betsi Van Noordwyk (Hessequa)
• Cllr Mavis Busakhwe (Bitou)
• Cllr Anna Janse van Rensburg (Mossel Bay)
• Cllr Joey R Canary (Oudtshoorn)
• Ms Rita Kayster (District Council on Aids and TB)
• Knysna (outstanding)
• Kannaland (outstanding)

Members of the public are requested to make use of the channels available to them, such as the district health council, to voice any matters that might need attention.

Caption:

From left: Ms Rita Kayster ( District Council on Aids and TB), Cllr Melvin Roelfse (George), Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Mayor, Ald. Memory Booysen, Cllr Betsi Van Noordwyk (Hessequa)

, Western Cape Provincial Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo, Cllr Mavis Busakhwe (Bitou), Cllr Ruiters representing Mossel Bay in the absence of cllr Janse van Rensburg, Mr Zee Brickles(district director: Garden Route and Central Karoo) and Simo Sithandathu(Provincial Council on Aids and TB Civil Society representative).

END

Nadia Ferreira

Principal Communications Officer

Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts

Western Cape Government Health

Issued George Municipality, 26 JANUARY 2022

The Executive Mayor of George, Leon van Wyk wishes to extend his heartfelt condolences to the family of a 4-year-old toddler who was electrocuted by an energised fence in Thembalethu over the past weekend, in an incident that is attached to an ‘illegal connection’ at her home on Saturday afternoon. Simultaneously, Mayor van Wyk issued a stern warning to the citizens of George to refrain from the installation of illegal connections as it poses a fatal danger to society.

Ophayo Tukushe sadly lost his life on Saturday afternoon, 22 January 2022 after she got electrocuted while playing at her Thembalethu home. The information available at this stage indicates that Ophayo touched an energised fence that ran past her home to nearby informal settlements.

“I am deeply saddened by this tragedy; words cannot describe how sad I am for the loss of this toddler. Her future has been stolen from her, I cannot imagine the pain Ophayo’s parents and loved ones must be undergoing. May the family of Ophayo be comforted during this very difficult time,” said Mayor van Wyk.

The latest information relating to the incident indicates that on the next day, (Sunday, 23 January 2022), Nolundi Tukushe the grieving mother of late Ophayo was also electrocuted by the same energised fence that ran past her property while hanging washing. She, fortunately, survived the incident.

The Municipal Electro-Technical Services Department indicated that they were only informed about the two incidents in the aftermath on Sunday morning. The Municipal electro-technical department confirms that the energised fence from which the child got electrocuted was an illegal connection and which was safely removed.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has subsequently launched an inquiry investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the death of Ophayo and his mother’s incident. 

“We cannot overemphasize the dangers attached to illegal connections. Any kind of electricity ‘tapping’, no matter how small or innocent-looking, is illegal and dangerous and can cause much more trouble than you know,” Mayor van Wyk said.

“As it was with this incident, the sad part is that children are more likely to be in danger; they can easily be killed, due to their lower weight, because of illegal connections not having earth leakage protection. We ask that law-abiding citizens take it upon themselves to report illegal connection activities to SAPS as soon as they see them taking place,” van Wyk added.

To educate the communities and increase community safety, the Electro-Technical Department conducts regular safety operations targeted at removing illegal connections. The latest operation in this specific area was done on Thursday, 20 January 2022.

George Municipality will continue to act decisively in such matters, and it is well-known that the practice of illegal connection puts the perpetrator in danger of electrocution, risking injury and death to themselves as well as the rest of the community. These connections lie across pathways and walkways where anyone passing can easily be electrocuted.

An electricity connection is considered illegal when it is connected to the George Municipal network without the organisation’s permission. Wires are connected to a mini-substation or overhead pole.  The forms of electricity theft include illegal connections, illegal electrification schemes and meter tampering and bypassing. These illegal electrical thefts are mostly in areas where illegal informal structures are built.

Where people have connected themselves illegally, George Municipality will continue to actively find the perpetrators and lay criminal charges against them. In terms of the Criminal Procedures Act, interference with and the damage to Municipal property could be regarded as sabotage and should someone be found guilty of such an offence, a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years can follow.

Illegal connections should be reported to 044 803 9222 or 044 801 9222 or after hours on 044 801 6300.

The George Municipality offers a reward for information that leads to the successful conviction of electrical theft and /vandalism in a court of law. The witness will have to go on record to the authorities, giving his/her name and contact details to testify, but his/her identity will be protected. Report to 0860 044 044

Ends.