Press Release Archive

The George Municipality has prepared a contingency plan consisting of integrated multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary services within the George Municipality to respond and implement measures aimed at disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response, to the predicted disruptive rain and damaging waves from Friday into Sunday this weekend.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued weather warnings of disruptive rain and damaging waves from Friday evening into Sunday where showers and thundershowers are expected to set in over the western parts on Friday night and spreading eastwards during Saturday, 29 July 2023. “The weather conditions will continue into Sunday morning along the eastern parts of the Garden Route coastal areas. Rainfall accumulations are expected to be 20 – 40mm within the yellow warning area while reaching up to 50 – 70mm in the orange warning area,” says the SA Weather Service warning.

“Level 4 and 5 winds and waves from Friday, 28 July 2023 at 18:00 until Sunday, 30 July 3023 at 14:00. Significant wave heights between Alexander Bay and Cape Point on Friday into Saturday. Along with south-westerly to southerly winds of 40 – 60km/h, gusting 70km/h. Southerly to the south-easterly swell with significant wave heights between 5.0-8.0 m are expected between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas on Saturday, spreading to Plettenberg Bay late afternoon into Sunday. Strong to gale force southerly to south-westerly winds (50-80km/h) are also expected between Cape Point and Cape Agulhas early Saturday spreading to Plettenberg Bay during the afternoon,” the weather service warned.

The Municipality appeals to residents to be alert and cautious. If on the road avoid flooded areas and rivers and be ready to move to higher ground if necessary. Remember to keep pets safe. Watch the George Municipal social media pages, website and local media for updated information.

Important contact detail for emergencies:
Switchboard: 801 9111 (7.45 am-4.30 pm)
AFTER-HOURS AND EMERGENCIES: 044 801 6300
FIRE EMERGENCIES: 044 801 6311
Fire and Rescue: 044 801 6311 or 044 801 6300
Law Enforcement: 044 801 6350/89

UNIONDALE
Fire: 044 752 1225
Switchboard and fault reporting: 044 752 1024

George Municipality confirms that the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) will strike tomorrow, 27 July 2023. The march will start at the Four-ways stop in Thembalethu and proceed via Nelson Mandela Boulevard and York Street to the George Municipality’s headquarters in York Street.

Service Delivery continues despite the Strike
George Municipality would like to assure all residents that the Municipality has been working behind the scenes to ensure that all contingency and safety plans are in place to ensure service delivery continues.

The municipality remains open on Thursday, 27 July 2023, and municipal service delivery/essential services will continue with no interruptions. As a precautionary measure, the citizens are encouraged to use online payment options to pay their municipal accounts on Thursday, 27 July 2023.

Law enforcement agencies on high alert
Law enforcement agencies will be monitoring the march to mitigate all risks associated with strikes such as violence, intimidation, damage to property and any acts in contravention of the picketing rules and regulations. The safety and protection of the municipal property and the public remains a priority for the George Municipality.

Access to the George Clinic and Municipal premises
The public is requested to utilise the Victoria Street entrance to visit the clinic and municipal building and not the Progress Street entrance. There will be a controlled access point on Victoria Street.

For enquiries, please contact the Municipality as follows: SWITCHBOARD: 044 801 9111 (7.45 am – 4.30 pm), AFTER-HOURS AND EMERGENCIES: 044 801 6300, FIRE EMERGENCIES: 044 801 6311.

George Executive Mayor, Ald Leon van Wyk, paid tribute to Outeniqua High School Centenary celebrations by attending the school’s procession last week.

The procession was held last Friday Morning and made different stops along the way. Outeniqua High School principal, Christo Vorster, presented the Mayor with a certificate of appreciation for the George Municipality’s support. About 1700 people with approximately 25 vehicles, including floats were part of the procession.

Mayor van Wyk will also be attending the Outeniqua High School Centenary Gala dinner.

This momentous occasion started at Outeniqua High School at the Mitchel Street entrance and flowed through Courtenay and York Street and back to the school.

Photos:

In the top photo, Ald Leon van Wyk, dressed in his formal robes of Mayor, waves to the centenary procession of Outeniqua High School.

Principal of Outeniqua High School, Christo Vorster, presented Ald Leon van Wyk, with a certificate of appreciation.

Dr Michele Gratz, Principal Christo Vorster and Mayor Leon van Wyk.

Cllr Dirk Wessels, Portfolio Councillor for Finance and Strategic Services in George Council, Mayor Leon van Wyk with the certificate of appreciation from Outeniqua High School and Principal of Outeniqua High School, Christo Vorster.

Ald Leon van Wyk and Dr Michele Gratz, George Municipal Manager, with the certificate of appreciation from Outeniqua High School and a bunch of the learners from the school that took part in the procession.

From left: Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services & Fleet), Dr Michele Gratz (Municipal Manager), Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services), Kobus Wilken (Deputy Director of Electrotechnical Services), Jacques Lawrence (Senior Manager: Distribution and Thembani Mzekeli (Manager Testing and Protection).

In its pursuit of continuously making use of the latest technological equipment, the George Municipality has now upgraded its protection of the Palotti substation from the conventional telemetry integration to the new intelligent type of equipment to obtain data from the substation.

According to Kobus Wilken, a deputy director in the Electrotechnical Services, the George Municipality started implementing substation integration instead of conventional telemetry in the early 2000s. Only a few Municipalities are currently using this method of obtaining data from substations.

Wilken says that the Palotti substation’s protection was the latest to be upgraded to the new intelligent type of equipment.  “This method has many advantages over the conventional way of protecting the power system and obtaining valuable substation information. Some of the advantages are that the George Municipal network control centre will continuously receive information regarding the state of the 11kV substation equipment.” 

“Whenever the power system protection equipment detects a fault, it switches off the particular circuit breaker to isolate the fault.  Information regarding the fault is then automatically sent to the control and SMSs are sent to electricians to notify them of the trip.   Response times are also greatly reduced because of the information that is sent to the network control centre for immediate action,” Wilken added.

The Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk, accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services Nosicelo Mbethe and the Municipal Manager George Dr Michele Gratz recently visited the Palotti substation to familiarise themselves with how it works. “I’m very much impressed with how the Municipality continues to move with times to use the latest technology for service delivery,” Mayor van Wyk said.

Bongani Mandla, the director of the George Municipality’s Electrotechnical Services said the Municipality will eventually have all their substations’ protection upgraded using this type of technology as part of the drive towards a smart city.

George Municipality Legal Department and Traffic Court held a mock traffic court for the Grade 1 class of the George Preparatory School on Nelson Mandela Day. The learners also thanked the Office officials with a song of thanks.

In the photo learners from George Preparatory School during their visit at the George Traffic Court with from left, WO David Sauer (Court Ordinant), Ishenique Felix (Legal Advisor/Assistant Prosecutor), Bongani Mafuya(Court Interpreter), Magistrate Leona Fraser and Adv Megan Hopewell (Prosecutor).

Allodene Jonas, Official in the Legal Department speaks to Lize-Marie Peach and other children during their visit.

Shahida Lekay, Official in the Legal Department speaks to Kelsey Potts.

Marí Müller, Deputy Director: Legal and Compliance listens to the grade 1s thank you song.

Magistrate Leona Fraser with Cayton Beukes and Ronald Petzer.

George Municipality’s Directorate Human Settlements, Planning and Development proudly handed over eleven of their handcrafted blankets to oncology patients at the George Hospital, on Madiba Day.  This is the culmination of two months of work and generous donations by committed staff from the directorate and even other directorates.

The team of four representatives from the Directorate were accompanied by three volunteers from the CANSA Sunflower volunteer group, who kindly made arrangements for the staff to visit these patients and introduced the officials to the patients and nursing staff.

The elderly patients and those that have travelled long distances to the hospital, were respectfully given preference and could pick their favourite from the comforting blankets and the true reward was in witnessing the joy with which these patients received these gifts of love, Delia Power, Deputy Director: Planning and Environment, who was part of the group of staff that delivered the items.

“Our heartfelt thanks to the hospital staff for allowing us to hand over our gifts in person.  Over the course of this project, we have developed sincere compassion for patients suffering from cancer and we admire the great work and loving care the hospital staff members invest into their recovery.  We have developed an appreciation for the charitable work done by the Sunflower volunteers, and we hope that staff will continue to contribute to this cause so Madiba Day kindness will be evident every day,” Power said.

Some of George Municipality’s Directorate Human Settlements, Planning and Development officials, volunteers and nursing personnel at the handover with the blankets.

Some of George Municipality’s Directorate Human Settlements, Planning and Development officials, volunteers and nursing personnel at the handover with the blankets.

In the photo above Freddy Trout from PASA (People Against Substance Abuse George) and Estelle Fredericks from Community Development: George Municipality with the soup and vetkoek that they’ve prepared for the people living on the Streets of George.

Zelda Barnard from Stop Trafficking,  Estelle Fredericks from George Municipality, Petrie Reynecke from Stop Trafficking and  Freddy Trout from PASA (People Against Substance Abuse George) during Nelson Mandela Day celebrations.

A few of the people living on the Streets enjoying the treat of soup and vetkoek in front of the offices of Community Development on the corner of St. John’s and Varing Streets.

Officials assisting in the kitchen.

George Municipality celebrates Nelson Mandela Day by doing different activities in helping the community and building on the legacy of ubuntu in honour of our late President Nelson Mandela.

In the photo above, officials from the Municipal Manager’s Office at George Municipality came together on Mandela Day to make sandwiches and donated it to the George Night Shelter. From left are Kloper Mabunda, Natacha Martins, Heybré Ellis, Zimasa Bulo, Veronica Badenhorst, La-Chuney Janson, Debra Sauer, Sinovuyo Robile, Bongiwe Mgwali and Samantha Sinkfontein.

Rina Smith(middle), Manager:George Night Shelter, welcomed the sandwiches from the George Municipal Manager’s Office, delivered by Samantha Sinkfontein (left) and La-Chuney Janson.

Amptenare van Uniondale en Haarlem het hul deel vir die Nelson Mandeledagvieringe gedoen deur huisnommers op wonings aan te bring, wat nie huisnommers het nie. Indien ‘n huis of ‘n ambulans vinnig by ‘n huis moet uitkom vir nooddienste is huisnommers van kardinale belang. Hier werk die amptenare die huisnommer by ‘n tuiste in Uniondale.

Die amptenare betrokke by die Nelson Mandeladagvieringe is van links, Mariska Freeks, Baseleza Meyer, Erin Human, Jim Meyer, Robyn Parks, Grayham de Bruin en Marowane Ruiters.

George Library had a Nelson Mandela exhibition at the library on Nelson Mandela Day.

Sandile Lingani from George Library spoke to patrons of the library and the rest of the interested public about the legacy of Nelson Mandela during Mandela Day.

Yeboneers working at the libraries treated patrons of the libraries to snack parcels.

Anthony Noble, well-known painter of George, held a demonstration during the day at George Library.

Mike Vonk (in the middle behind the urn), CEO of the George Hospital, came to thank the GO GEORGE team for their kind gesture of spending 67 plus minutes for Madiba, treating hospital staff and patients with a cup of hot chocolate.

An unexpected cup of hot chocolate on your way to work or to see the doctor! This is what awaited patients and staff at the George Hospital on Mandela Day (18 July) when GO GEORGE staff members gave 67 minutes of their private time and own ingredients to surprise them with an aromatic cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea.
Acknowledging the hospital staff for their service to the community of George and surrounds was one of the activities undertaken by GO GEORGE staff. They also contributed towards the soup initiative co-ordinated by the George Business Chamber.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 1:

What a nice surprise! Staff arriving for work at the George Hospital couldn’t believe their luck when presented with a cup of hot chocolate at the gate.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 2:

End of shift or beginning of the working day – all the recipients were most grateful for the hot drink on a very cold and foggy morning.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 3:

There you go, Sir … enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and get well soon!

Mandela Day Hot Choc 4:

Once the news started spreading, the queue for a warming cup of hot chocolate quickly grew.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 5:

Mike Vonk (in the middle behind the urn), CEO of the George Hospital, came to thank the GO GEORGE team for their kind gesture of spending 67 plus minutes for Madiba, treating hospital staff and patients with a cup of hot chocolate.

GO GEORGE-PERSONEEL BEDIEN WARM SJOKOLADE OP MANDELADAG

‘n Onverwagse koppie warm sjokolade op pad werk toe of om die dokter te sien! Dit is wat pasiënte en personeel by die George-hospitaal op Mandeladag (18 Julie) ingewag het toe GO GEORGE-personeellede 67 minute van hul privaat tyd en eie bestanddele gegee het om hulle te verras met ‘n geurige koppie warm sjokolade, koffie of tee.
Erkenning aan die hospitaalpersoneel vir hul diens aan die gemeenskap van George en omgewing was een van die aktiwiteite wat deur GO GEORGE-personeel onderneem is. Hulle het ook bygedra tot die sop-inisiatief wat deur die George-sakekamer gekoördineer is.

Mandela Day Hot choc 1

Wat ‘n lekker verrassing! Personeel wat by die George-hospitaal opgedaag het vir werk, kon nie hul geluk glo toe hulle ‘n koppie warm sjokolade by die hek kry nie.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 2

Einde van skof of begin van die werksdag – al die ontvangers was baie dankbaar vir die warm drankie op ‘n baie koue en mistige oggend.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 3

Daar’s hy, Meneer … Geniet ‘n koppie warm sjokolade en word gou gesond!

Mandela Day Hot Choc 4

Toe die nuus eers begin versprei, het die tou vir ‘n verwarmende koppie warm sjokolade vinnig gegroei.

Mandela Day Hot Choc 5

Mike Vonk (in die middel agter die waterverwarmer), uitvoerende hoof van die George-hospitaal, het die GO GEORGE-span bedank vir hul vriendelike gebaar om 67 plus minute vir Madiba by die hospitaal deur te bring en personeel en pasiënte met ‘n koppie warm sjokolade te bederf.

Photograph: A snapshot of one of the advertising video reels on Facebook showcasing the greater George area.

George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism recently ran travel advertisements on DSTV and social media platforms, targeting the Winter school holiday which is traditionally the quietest vacation period of the year.

According to Joan Shaw, Tourism Manager, school holidays are a driver of domestic tourism and therefore targeting the domestic leisure traveller for the Winter holidays can help combat seasonality.

A DSTV app commercial ran for the month of June, promoting the George area.  The app allows advertisers to reach a segmented audience at digital advertising rates, thereby ensuring George is paying to ‘speak to‘ the right audience.  The content was styled for a domestic family in the top leisure traveller categories, to spark interest in the area, especially showing off the natural beauty for those in Gauteng who do not experience ‘paradise’ daily.

It paid off.  The campaign achieved a completion rate of 94.43% , surpassing the industry benchmark of a 90% completion rate.  A ‘completion rate’ is when the commercial is watched until the end, where the viewer does not change the channel to avoid the ad or to switch to another show.  The commercial also achieved a click through rate (CTR) of 0,9%, well surpassing the benchmark of 0.4 CTR %.  This is the number of people who clicked on the commercial when watching it on a device, like a tablet or cellphone.  The commercial was linked to the official destination website visitgeorge.co.za.  In total, the campaign delivered 64 764 targeted impressions.  An impression is the number of times the advert is served.  The high CTR and completion rate suggests that the commercial was able to capture the attention of the audience from start to finish.

Shaw said in conjunction with the DSTV ads, the bureau also ran various advert formats across Facebook and Instagram using targeting parameters for a domestic audience with and without children.   A total of 11 adverts were delivered – all to create awareness about the destination – using a toolbox of creatives.  Adverts about things to do were also served to people travelling in the Garden Route area.

According to online data, the average booking window for destinations within George Municipality was 19 days in June, and 22 days in July during 2022.  The school holidays are from 24 June – 17 July this year.  The adverts on DSTV and Meta platforms therefore were aimed at creating positioning for George and to keep the destinations in mind while potential, targeted travellers are in the last-minute booking window for the June/July holidays.  Said another way, this means that while George’s top domestic markets are making their final winter holiday plans, we helped them to keep George in mind and in the considerable pool of where to go and what to do.

Other ways the tourism section of George Municipality, known as George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism, is helping to combat seasonality is through event support.  The following events are expected to bring in an economic injection into George during Winter: Craven Week (July), Cantamus National Choir Festival (August), George Agricultural Show (August) and the SA Tent Pegging World Cup (August).

For more tourism stakeholder news, get in touch to discuss free membership options via members@visitgeorge.co.za

Looking for the latest events, amazing things to do, restaurants where you can dine in style and places to stay for your visiting relatives and friends, or for your own weekend getaway? Find inspiration on the official destination website visitgeorge.co.za

Regional Commissioner for the Western Cape, Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Delikile Klaas was joined on Wednesday 5 July by Doc Skosana (DCS: Area Coordinator Development and Care), Johan Vermaak (DCS:”Area Coordinator Corrections) and Eddie Myners ( DCS: Head of George Correctional Centre) to celebrate the arrival of the Netball World Cup Trophy 2023 in George.

George Municipality together with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport(DCAS) jointly hosted the World Cup Netball Trophy Handover attended by Western Cape MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport,  Anroux Marais and Executive Mayor for George Leon Van Wyk. The Local Organizing Committee which includes DCAS, the George Branch of Department of Correctional Services and Eden Netball Federation ensured that it was a fun-filled event with music and plenty of gees!

George Municipality has the honour of being the only city in the Garden Route District that has been allocated a Netball World Cup Fan Park to be hosted at Rosemore Stadium and this is also where DCS George has pulled out all the stops and assisted tremendously. Teams of offenders have been busy since early this week repairing, painting and cleaning Rosemore Stadium and its surrounds, to ensure that the Fan Park which will host up to 2000 netball supporters per day is in tip top condition. The Fan park is hosted in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) from 28^th July to 6^th August 2023.

The official Opening Ceremony on the 28 July and the Closing Ceremony on the 6 August will take place at the Rosemore Stadium. Over 25 Schools have been invited to participate in a Primary and High School Netball Tournament during the week, with local Social Clubs being given an opportunity to participate over the two weekends.

#NWCfanparkgeorge

#Cityofgeorge

#NWC20238

#Putyourhandsup

#netballfamily

NETBALL World Cup Fridays – every Friday at George Municipality!
In the run-up to the World Cup NETBALL Friday’s are being rolled out across South Africa. George Municipality, DCAS and DCS invite all businesses and institutions to show your solidarity with the participating Netball Teams, by dressing in your netball uniform OR any colours (flags or netball uniforms) of your team of choice, who will participate during the Netball World Cup. Participating Teams will be South Africa, Australia, Barbados, England, Fiji, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Wales and Zimbabwe.

From left; Yoland Gelderbloem (Manager: Expenditure); Aletia Ollewagen (SARS); Amy Lesibanie (Senior Accountant: Creditors) and Vanessa Francis (Assistant Accountant: Creditors & Cheque Administration).

Copies of the Tax Terminology booklet were gratefully received by officials from the Finance Directorate

SARS recently launched it’s first volume of Tax Terminology (in all 11 languages) in March 2022. The SARS Language Service Unit has since been travelling across South Africa to hand these booklets out to as many stakeholders as possible.

Aletia Ollewagen, the Afrikaans Operational Specialist for the SARS Language Service Unit paid a visit to George Municipality last week.

This newsletter is being written shortly before the U18 Rugby Craven Week programme begins in George. As host school for this prestigious sporting event, Outeniqua High School has no doubt spent months planning for this occasion.

The rains earlier in June resulted in the School’s fields becoming waterlogged. A decision was made to switch the matches to Outeniqua Park where there has been feverish activity over the past week or two to prepare for an event involving 16 provincial teams playing 24 matches. We are pleased with the energy and efforts of the work teams from George Municipality who have put in many hours to quickly prepare the facility to receive our visitors over the week.  It is an honour for George to be able to present itself to all the supporters accompanying the team along with the media and television crew.

As with all major sports, the young players attending a tournament on the national stage have opportunities to display their talents and abilities to selectors and scouts. Sterling performances could result in scholarships and contracts to further their sporting careers.

George is extremely proud in observing how various sporting codes and the supportive tourism stakeholders have stepped up to present sporting events of a very high standard. Progressively we are achieving our objective to add events throughout the year to attract tourists from across the country. This helps us build viability, sustainability and employment within the tourism sector.

At George Municipality we are constantly working to create an enabling environment for ease of doing business e.g. through the improvement in turnaround times for approving project and development proposals. These ambitions can best be fostered through ongoing collaborative efforts. It is encouraging to experience how individuals and companies approach us with novel ideas for projects whereby value can be added to the George brand.

The benefits that will flow from this tournament will include spending on hotel and guest house accommodation, restaurants, transportation, retailers, activities and indirectly on goods and services incurred before and during the event. As we grow sustainable tourism, opportunities for the arts and craft sector also emerge. Around George there are businesses that have grown from the crafting abilities of talented individuals into recognised brand names – we need the next generation of smart products.

An event such as Craven Week will also create livelong memories for participants and spectators. Not only does this event promote a healthy and active lifestyle but also opportunities to enhance emotional and mental well-being along with lessons about dealing with success and disappointment in life.

By the time this newsletter is read, we trust that the hundreds of supporters accompanying the teams to George would have had a wonderful experience.

[George, 3 July 2023] – Garden Route Eisteddfod is thrilled to announce their partnership with George Tourism, a division of the George Municipality, aimed at promoting and supporting the vibrant arts community in the George and Garden Route area. This collaboration marks an exciting milestone in the region’s cultural development and reinforces the commitment to nurturing local talent.

The Garden Route Eisteddfod, an esteemed platform for amateur artists to showcase their skills and creativity, expresses profound gratitude to George Tourism  for their valuable contribution. The partnership will enable Garden Route Eisteddfod to expand its reach and create more opportunities for the talented individuals within the region with the aim to create an enabling environment for the growth and development of amateur artists, fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Garden Route Eisteddfod will be hosting a wide range of events throughout the year. The collaboration will enhance the visibility and accessibility of the arts, offering aspiring artists a platform to showcase their talents and gain recognition within their community and beyond.

“We are delighted to join hands with Garden Route Eisteddfod and contribute to the thriving arts scene in our region,” said George Tourism Manager, Mrs Joan Shaw. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to promoting the cultural richness and diversity of George and the Garden Route. Together, we aim to foster an environment where amateur artists can flourish and reach their full potential.”

The Garden Route Eisteddfod committee expressed their gratitude, saying, “We are thrilled to announce this partnership with George Tourism. We believe that this collaboration will have a transformative impact on our local arts community, allowing them to shine on a stage that welcomes their local community and audience members from all over the world to the beautiful culturally rich George and Garden Route region.”

From left: Daniel Greeff (Deputy Director Electro for Planning & Design in the Electrotechnical Services Directorate), Cllr Jacqulique Von Brandis (Portfolio Councillor for Civil Engineering Services: Capital Projects and BFI), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Dr Michele Gratz (George Municipal Manager), Thabo Yiga (Project Manager: Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality, Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Roland Appels (Sub-Contractor from MTDJ Projects), and Menno Sulsters (Main Contractor from SEM Solutions Pty Ltd).

The Outeniqua Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) which is situated in Pacaltsdorp, South of George, will be the first service plant of the George Municipality to be powered with solar energy following the PV installation of a 400-kilowatt peak (kWp) occupying an area of approximately 4 800 square metres.

Taking into regard the current energy crisis in South Africa that causes power supply interruptions due to Eskom’s loadshedding, this move by the George Municipality can certainly be seen as a quantum leap into an uninterrupted and reliable power supply, not only to Municipal facilities but to the advantage of the citizens of the City of George.

On Friday, 30 June 2023, the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services & Fleet Management, Nosicelo Mbete, Portfolio Councillor for Civil Engineering Services Jacqulique Von Brandis and the George Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz, visited the plant that is situated in Pacaltsdorp.

“We are thrilled to have this Solar PV plant installed and are working towards getting operational to provide electricity to our Wastewater Treatment Works by the end of July this year. Meanwhile, we are also busy finalising a tender process for roughly 4.8 Megawatt hours (MWh)’ worth of battery energy storage that we are going to be implementing, and that 4.8MWh will be split between various installations and treatment works around George to compensate for load shedding and any other unexpected power outages,” said Mayor van Wyk.

“Once operational we will be able to power most of the Wastewater Treatment Works electrical loads during the daytime. It is essential that we make use of renewable energy along with a battery pack which will be added in due course so that we can have the Power to operate our sewerage at all times,” Mayor van Wyk added.

The director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality, Bongani Mandla said that this is amongst the multiple solar installations planned for the City of George, particularly, the essential facilities such as Water and Wastewater Treatment Works and then other Municipal Buildings.

‘Solar PV to reduce consumption from the grid and bulk purchases’ – Electrotechnical Services

“The purpose of the installation of Solar PV is to reduce our facilities’ consumption from the grid, which will reduce our bulk purchases. The facility will mainly be supplied through the use of clean energy and a battery energy storage system will also be installed to further make the facility more resilient,” Mandla said.

The system, according to Thabo Yiga, the project manager in the George Municipality’s Electrotechnical Services, will comprise 738 panels, with each panel rated at 545 Watts. “Then we have the inverters that convert the DC power from the panels into AC electricity that’s required by the loads. We have a total of eight (8) inverters, with each inverter rated at 50 kilo Watts (kW),” Yiga said.

“The system will be grid-tied with no storage. However, it will allow for the integration of battery storage to be installed in the next financial year. The power generated will be fed into the facility’s main low-voltage distribution board where the loads (pumps and motors) required to operate the wastewater facility are connected,” Yiga added.

‘A more stable energy supply to the WWTW during periods of power outages’ – Civil Engineering Services

The expected annual energy yield is 678 680 kWhs, and at a rate of R 1.60 per kWh, the cost of the annual energy generated is R1 085 888. The calculated payback period of the system is Seven (7) years. The lifespan of PV systems is 25 years. The system’s total cost, including a 24-month operation and maintenance period and training of 4 municipal staff, is R7,8 million (inclusive of VAT). The carbon emissions that will be avoided using energy generated from a clean and renewable source is 12 809 tonnes over 25 years period.

In addition, the PV system will have a weather monitoring station equipped with four sensors to measure parameters such as irradiance, wind speed and wind direction, humidity, ambient temperature, PV panels temperature, etc. This data, including the PV production date, will be sent to a cloud, and then pulled off from there and displayed on the SCADA system, for remote monitoring (in near real-time).

The Civil Engineering Services of the Municipality, as the beneficiary says the PV installation will enhance service delivery. “The PV system will provide a more stable energy supply to the Wastewater Treatment Works during periods of power outages and ensure power supply continuity is necessary to ensure quality compliance of the final effluent by not causing interruptions to the treatment process,” said Lindsay Mooiman, deputy director for Infrastructure Planning and Project Management Unit in the Civil Engineering Department.

Please watch the visit to the 400-kilowatt peak PV Solar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrfXVWOlz-o

PV installation of a 400-kilowatt peak occupying an area of approximately 4 800 square metres

Visit to Glenwood transformer from left: Daniel Greeff (Deputy Director Electro for Planning & Design in the Electrotechnical Services Directorate), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Dr Michele Gratz (George Municipal Manager, and Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality).

In its endeavours to supply its citizens with electricity, the George Municipality has recorded a milestone in the electricity network in the George Municipal area as it begins the process of installing three transformers, two in Thembalethu Substation and one in Glenwood Substation in the past two weeks.

On Friday, 30 June, the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk, accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services, Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe, and the George Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz visited the recently delivered transformers which are currently being installed in Thembalethu and Glenwood.

Mayor van Wyk says he is delighted to see the progress that has been made so far to strengthen the capacity of the power supply in George. “The installation of these transformers solidifies the Municipality’s quest to capacitate and supply adequate electricity to the City of George while also catering for growth. We are constantly upgrading and increasing the electricity capacity in our substations and ensuring that our substations are up to standard and meet the required needs of the consumption within George and surrounds.

According to the Municipal Electrotechnical Services Directorate, the electricity demand for Thembalethu has increased significantly, to the extent that it reached a point where it is not efficient and reliable to supply the area from the 11 000 Volt network. “To increase the reliability and to establish sufficient capacity for future development, the Municipality needed to establish a 66/11kV substation. The 66 000-volt overhead line network was completed in previous years,” said Bongani Mandla, the director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality.

The Thembalethu substation includes 2 x 20MVA 66/11kV transformers. Each transformer cost in the order of R7.5m and the total project value is in the order of R50 million. The project is expected to conclude towards the end of 2023. This substation will assist with more reliable power to the Thembalethu area and reduce overloading problems on the 11kV network, which will assist with restoration times after a fault or load shedding.

The Glenwood transformer is also 20MVA 66/11kV and added to the existing 2 x 20MVA transformers to assist with the growing demand for the developments in the East of George / Kraaibosch areas and surrounds.

Please watch the visit to the Thembalethu Transformers: https://youtu.be/hjGwOEsjhlY
Please watch the visit to Glenwood Transformer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsIH9nZLlIE

Visit to Thembalethu Transformers from left: Daniel Greeff (Deputy Director Electro for Planning & Design in the Electrotechnical Services Directorate), Cllr Nosicelo Mbethe (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Dr Michele Gratz (George Municipal Manager), Councillor Sifiso Ntondini (Ward 11 Councillor in Thembalethu) and Bongani Mandla (Director of Electrotechnical Services in the George Municipality).  

Delivery process and installation of transformers on the plinths in Glenwood

Delivery process and installation of transformers on the plinths in Thembalethu

From 03 to 07 July, the City of George is host to the U18 Craven Week, taking place at Outeniqua Park stadium. This prestigious SA Rugby schoolboy’s tournament is regarded as an avenue into the sport on a professional level.

George is the proud host city of the U18 Craven Week 2023 tournament, which last took place in the city in 1999, in celebration of Outeniqua High School’s centenary.

While all of the teams will be enthusiastically received by the city, happy to have an influx of visitors, locals will of course be especially cheering on our very own SWD Eagles. Follow the SWD Eagles updates on their website and social media pages.

Tickets are available at the stadium gate and from Ticketpro online:
• Adults R50
• Scholars R20
• Parking R20 (Available at Heatherlands High)
• Week Pass R200 (Ticketpro)

Rugby enthusiasts can get in on the action with gates opening from 08:00 on Monday to Thursday, and at 07:00 on Saturday. See the fixtures and times below:

Ald Leon van Wyk, Executive Mayor of George

The municipality has recently communicated about the progress we have been making to erect 30 high mast lights in various areas across George. These lights will address inadequate lighting in high-density areas where there are high risks associated with safety at night as well as possible criminal activity that occurs under cover of darkness.

Installations are taking place in Thembalethu where 18 lights are being erected with Parkdene receiving five, Lawaaikamp four and Borcherds three. The lights are designed to each provide lighting covering a radius of 50-60 metres that will result in an area of roughly one hectare being covered by each light. A combination of grant and municipal funding amounting to R19 million is being utilised.

This lighting will provide additional safety for our citizens, some of whom live in informal settlements in these areas. Many of our informal dwellings do not have access to electricity. Often electrical connections are made illegally which are dangerous and unsafe. During periods of loadshedding, personal safety and security risks increase dramatically for these vulnerable citizens. Under cover of darkness, incidents of cable theft also increase.

The municipality has been undertaking projects to provide electricity to informal settlements in terms of priority criteria approved by the Council within budget constraints. This is a costly exercise that includes the installation of pre-paid meters. A pilot project is being undertaken to explore the use of solar PV panels to provide power to small clusters of dwellings. If this is successful, it will enable a more rapid roll-out.

It is expected that additional high mast lights will be erected shortly in other areas as part of a corporate social responsibility project. In some areas, criminal elements regularly embark on vandalism of street lighting and damage to electrical kiosks which go unreported. It is critical that our citizens take ownership of the efforts to improve services and collectively work together towards combatting and reporting incidents of illegal dumping, cable theft, and protecting essential infrastructure against theft and vandalism for the greater good of the community. Churches, schools and other community groups could all assist in these efforts.

The recent stormy weather has kept many of our municipal staff very busy in clearing, cleaning and maintenance operations as a result of damage caused by high winds and the heavy rains. In addition, there have been vehicle accidents and damage caused to infrastructure by contractors. There have been power outages caused by more than 100 trees falling on powerlines in forested areas. This clearing and repair operation in the Witfontein area was no doubt difficult and dangerous. We thank and applaud the work of the disaster, technical, community safety, cleaning and repair teams as they have quickly restored services.