Press Release Archive

Youth Stakeholders Forum Established
Issued George Mun, 19 October 2022 for immediate release

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 warmly congratulates Overstrand Municipality on the announcement of their winning the Green Economy Change Champions Event for 2022.

Our Electrotechnical Department is proud to have been nominated as one of the top five green sustainability initiatives with their Electricity Wheeling Project.

The Green Economy Change Champions event is hosted by GreenCape and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF).

“Our wheeling project remains a pioneering first step for George towards a competitive energy market. Looking into the future, this may lead to an energy model where different energy generators supply power to the end-users making use of the existing Municipal infrastructure. This will also provide an opportunity for more renewable energy sources to be introduced to the Municipal grid. The result would be a reduction of dependency on carbon-based fuels as well as relieving the burden on Eskom to generate,” said Daniel Greeff, Deputy Director: Planning and Design for Electrotechnical Services.

https://www.greencape.co.za/content/overstrand-municipality-wins-2022-municipal-green-economy-change-champions-showcase/

The George Municipality’s sports team that participated in the Garden Route Sport and Recreation Day on the 30 of September in Riversdale, came back victorious as the team grabbed two gold medals.

The two gold medalists are Grant November for golf and Randy Wesso for table tennis. The netball also went through to the semi-finals and won 9/7. The George netball team was supposed to play in the finals, but the game did not take place due to logistics. However, based on the goal average, the George Municipal netball team was the top team.

The Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk congratulated the team for their success. “We are thrilled to hear that you went out there and represented George Municipality. When you left George, you told me that you would make us proud, and I am thrilled that you made this a reality. Congratulations to the officials who attained Gold and to our netball team who reached the final. Well done to all competitors. you have made us proud!”

The Garden Route Sport and Recreation Day is an annual sports event that is hosted by Sport and Recreation Services of the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport involving government officials in the various districts of the province as well as in the metropole to try their hand at soccer, mini-cricket, volleyball, tug of war, chess, athletics, and many other codes. The George Municipality has always been part of the Garden Route Sport and Recreation Day, formerly known as the “Better Together Games” since its inception in 2007 and successfully brought back gold, silver and bronze medallions and gone through to the final games.

Ends.

TOURISM UPDATE: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GEORGE, WILDERNESS AND UNIONDALE

Each month the tourism section of George Municipality, which represents the tourism offices for George, Wilderness and Uniondale, will be sharing snippets to help you get to know more about all that is available to you and your visiting friends and family.

EVENTS
Have a squiz at a selection of events taking place over the next month and get in touch with your local tourism office for the full events calendar.

15 October 2022: Herlaai at the Outeniqua Park Stadium in George
This Saturday, Herlaai is bringing an epic line up of Afrikaans artists to George! Don’t miss Refentse, Spoegwolf, Bok van Blerk, Elandré and others for an evening of loud and live music concerts and Afrikaner ‘gees’! The gates open at 2pm with shows starting at 4:30pm. Tickets range from R75 to R250 and children under 12 are free. Get tickets at herlaai.co.za.

15 October: Outeniqua Chair Challenge
The OCC, a wheelchair race exclusively for disabled athletes and one of George’s most loved events, is also taking place this weekend. Athletes in racing wheelchairs, adapted bicycles, hand cycles, basketball chairs and ordinary wheelchairs participate in this premier South African sporting event, with athletes travelling from as far as Namibia, Ghana and Zimbabwe. There is a 42.2km marathon, 21.1km half marathon, 10km race and 5km events, starting between 6:30am until 2pm at Carpe Diem School.  It’s not too late to get involved! If you would like to push an athlete, contact Alewijn Dippenaar on 082 457 5675 and be there latest by 09:45.  Get more info at georgeocc.co.za or via facebook.com/OCC.Wheelchairchallenge

Prince George mountain bike race between Prince Albert and George.

15 October: Prince George, from Prince Albert to George
Travel 165km from the Karoo to the Coast in the Prince George MTB, covering vast landscapes including a world heritage site and two mountain ranges!  This monumental race traverses the Swartberg Mountains at the northern slopes in the Great Karoo, goes through the Klein Karoo region, over the Montagu Pass with dense forest plantation and finishes at the coast in George.  This non-technical route still has space for a few line entries at registration. For more info go to princegeorge.co.za or facebook.com/PrinceGeorge100Miler

Spectators can look forward to high performance surfing at ‘Vic’ Bay.

27-30 October: South African Surfing Championships at Victoria Bay in George
The 56th South African Surf Championships will be held on our very own home turf at Victoria Bay, where our beach hamlet has become a popular contest venue in South Africa.  This premier event is our country’s best-of-the-best; the competition every surfer wants to win.  8 surfing districts from across the country compete for the overall winning team, and surfers will also be individually competing for the Men’s and Women’s Crown Champions titles. The 48 men and 24 women participating athletes represent talented former and current National Team members and champions. The event is presented by Surfing South Africa, the national governing body for the sport, and hosted by our very own Eden Surfriders.  Spectators are welcome!  Make your way down to Vic Bay between 7am – 5pm on the Friday and Saturday, with Finals expected to take place at 2pm on the Sunday.  Follow the action via the Eden Surfriders Facebook page.

05 November: Nina’s Wine Fest at Nina’s Cafe in George
Enjoy wine, live music and food stalls at local favourite, Nina’s Cafe! There are a few tickets left for the 11am – 3pm event, which includes your very own Riedel wine glass.

The Trail Girl Trail Run is based at the Fairy Knowe Hotel situated on the glorious Touw River in Wilderness.

12-13 November: Trail Girl Trail Run at the Fairy Knowe Hotel in Wilderness
Trail Girl events are ideal mini-break experiences and girls-only weekend getaways. It’s the perfect introduction to multi-day trail running events without the stress of racing. Treat yourself to a weekend of trail running, new friends and fun you deserve!  Trail runs start at the Kleinkrantz beach and finish at Fairy Knowe Hotel situated on the glorious Touw River, with access to beautiful SANParks and Cape Nature areas along the route.  There’s even chill time with live entertainment and massages!  This two-day event is limited to 100 entries, with only a few more spots left. Go to trailgirl.co.za for more info.

LOCAL MARKETS
Hinenni Community Market
Situated in Rondevlei, this vibrant hub supports local farmers and entrepreneurs.  You’ll be able to find arts and crafts, farm fresh produce and eggs, homemade meals, baked goods such as breads, cakes and bakes, homemade pickles and preserves, Kimchi, Kombucha, yoghurt and so much more.

Every Wednesday from 08:30-15:00 | 63 Bo-Langvlei Road, Rondevlei, Wilderness. More info: facebook.com/ HinenniFS

Outeniqua Family Market
Showcasing the best mouth-watering local produce, as well as a large variety of craft stalls, this market is popular with locals as a weekend hang out. Live music, acres of parking, a huge kiddies play area and plentiful shaded seating make this a weekend winner.

Every Saturday from 08:00-14:00 | N2, George. More info: outeniquafamilymarket.co.za

Sunday Funday Market
The Milkwood Village is situated in the heart of Wilderness, with a variety of shops and restaurants, as well as a craft market in the centre of the village. Every Sunday morning the market has live music and a craft market. There is a dedicated kids zone with a big lawn to play ball and relax.

Every Sunday 10:00-15:00 | Milkwood Village, Beacon Street, Wilderness. More info: milkwoodvillage.co.za

BLOG – 20 REASONS WE LOVE SUMMER IN WILDERNESS
Now that the weather is getting warmer and we can enjoy more and more sunny outdoor days, have you seen our blog ‘20 Reasons We Love Summer in Wilderness’?  Read the full post at visitgeorge.co.za/blog.

VISIT YOUR LOCAL TOURISM OFFICE
Want to know more about what you can see, do, eat and where you can stay? Pop in at one of our Visitor Information Centres or go to our website visitgeorge.co.za.  We’re also on social media!  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

George Tourism
044 801 9295
info@visitgeorge.co.za
124 York Street, George Central, George, 6529
facebook/tourismgeorge
instagram/georgetourism_official
#exploregeorge

Wilderness Tourism
+27 44 877 0045
info@visitwilderness.co.za
198 George Road, Wilderness, 6560
facebook/wildernesstourism
instagram/wildernesstourism
#explorewilderness

Uniondale Tourism
+27 44 518 0030
info@visituniondale.co.za
Virtual assistance
facebook/uniondaleinfo
instagram/uniondaletourism #exploreuniondale

Transporting 16 070 passengers per weekday, the GO GEORGE bus service has become part of the daily routine for a large part of the George community who can now travel freely from different parts of town to attend school, go to work or medical facilities, do their shopping, or visit relatives and friends.

Over the past year, from September 2021 until August 2022, GO GEORGE buses have travelled 5 692 713 kilometres, operated 357 537 bus trips, and conveyed 4 580 776 passengers.

Bus fleet
Having started out with 10 buses in December 2014, the GO GEORGE fleet currently consists of 54 standard buses, 33 midibuses and 35 minibuses. Additional buses will be available for the Thembalethu service.

Road network
The road network coverage on the current 26 routes is 142 kilometres, with the expansion to Thembalethu adding another 30 kilometres. This is the total length of the roads travelled on by GO GEORGE buses. Road upgrades are continuously being done on these roads as funding allows. This includes roads that are currently being used to provide the public transport service as well as roads that will be needed in future for the service.

Passenger satisfaction counts
An annual, independent survey is conducted among users of the bus service to determine the overall socio-economic impact of GO GEORGE in three main areas: macro-economic, transport economic, and socio-economic impact.

The latest results have confirmed that most passengers are pleased with the GO GEORGE service and the opportunities it provides in terms of accessibility and mobility. They appreciate the flexibility of the system, and say it is safer and more secure and affordable than their means of transport before the implementation of the GO GEORGE service

User satisfaction scores have improved significantly from the previous year, confirming the continued commitment from GO GEORGE to provide a public transport service of high quality, resulting in a positive passenger experience.

Accessibility scores high
With accessibility such a high priority for GO GEORGE, it was gratifying to learn that all passengers with disabilities and 98% of passengers with other special needs find GO GEORGE very accessible, both at bus-stops and on board the buses, addressing their travel requirements. It was interesting to note that 40% of interviewees indicated that they have special needs when travelling. This includes people who are elderly, pregnant, travelling with small children or experience some form of mobility challenge.

Passengers are also satisfied with the proximity to bus stops, both from their home and destination. Considering that less than 30% of George residents have access to a private car, GO GEORGE is dedicated to ensuring that residents have access to the transport system.

Affordability
By using GO GEORGE, passengers have noted that they have more money available for other needs. The fact that passengers do not pay again to transfer between buses within one hour from starting their journey, contributes to a saving on their total travel expense, and reducing their monthly travel expenses.

“This is the kind of feedback we want to hear,” commented James Robb, Acting Public Transport Oversight Official of the George Municipality. “The prioritisation of public transport investment is no longer a nice to have; it is an absolute necessity. Government subsidises public transport – GO GEORGE trips included – so that nobody should have to turn away a job opportunity because they cannot afford to travel to work.”

George Municipality has been announced as winner of the Top Performing Municipality (Category B Municipality) by the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities (AMEU) on 4^th October. The  68^th AMEU Convention hosted in the first week of October ended with a gala dinner and the award was presented to Electrotechnical Services Director, Bongani Mandla as part of the AMEU President’s Legacy Awards Programme.  The award celebrates the Electrotechnical Services department of a top performing category B municipality with the focus on revenue management, repairs and maintenance, infrastructure capital expenditure, electrification amongst other areas.

The participating municipalities were compared on a number of aspects where performance had to be indicated. These aspects included non-technical losses, which are measure d by subtracting the technical losses from our total Losses. George Municipality performance in this regard equated to 4.87%. Other aspects reviewed were revenue collection, electrification of formal houses as well as un-proclaimed areas, indigent customers with access to Free Basic Electricity, Unplanned Outages that are restored to supply within industry standard timeframes and capital expenditure.

TOP PERFORMING LOCAL MUNICIPALITY (CATEGORY B MUNICIPALITY)
An award celebrating a top performing category B municipality with focus on revenue management, repairs and maintenance, power purchase, BBBEE procurement spend, training and development, infrastructure CAPEX spend and electrification

As part of enhancing biodiversity awareness the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk encourages the citizens of George and the Garden Route to participate in the Great Southern Bioblitz (CSB) competition that will run between 28 – 31 October 2022.

According to Christine Ridge-Schnaufer of The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) Eden, the ‘Great Southern BioBlitz’, or ‘GSB’ for short, “is an international period of intense biological surveying to record all the living species within several designated areas across the Southern Hemisphere in Spring.”

“The purpose of this event is to highlight both the immense biodiversity spread across the Southern Hemisphere in the flourishing springtime, as well as to engage the public in science and nature learning using the citizen science platform iNaturalist,” said Ridge-Schnaufer.

“By the end of October, the natural world is on full throttle. Flowers are blooming, insects are emerging, birds are singing, and reptiles are coming out of their winter hibernation. It makes sense for the Southern Hemisphere to observe life at this time of year. The Garden Route has participated in the international City Nature Challenge (CNC) and GSB since 2020 and has been amongst the leaders for biodiversity each time – not really surprising.”

To mark the end of Tourism month (September), Mayor van Wyk visited the Garden Route Botanical Gardens in George on the 27^th of September, as one of the sports to show off tourism attractions in George. Cornè Brink of the Garden Route Botanical Gardens took Mayor van Wyk through the tour.

“As the George Municipality, we encourage all the citizens in the George young and old to take pictures using cameras and cellphones of all natural living things on the iNaturalist website throughout the Garden Route Municipality,” said Mayor van Wyk.

“I think it would be great if all of us take a little look at nature out there and start recording this and be part of this whole competition in this wonderful and beautiful natural world we live in.

It is important to know how many wild animals and plants can be found in the area. Are there any threatened species? It is all about Conservation, sustainability, community involvement, making a difference, thinking global and acting global, and of course just wanting to be out in the veld too!

Photos / Observations can be taken using a cell phone or camera (with GPS data) and after registering on iNaturalist www.inaturalist.org must be uploaded onto the website.

Online tutorials are available and answers to any questions can also be found online.

The artificial intelligence of iNaturalist helps with Identifications but is not infallible.

BUT hundreds of experts internationally use iNaturalist (e.g. SANBI) and search for new observations of their specialist field and fine-tune Observations made by Citizen Scientists (you and I !) –  depending on the quality of the photos. And all free of charge.

As each individual becomes more familiar with the functions of iNaturalist, more and more nodes of information can be found, studied and extracted.

https://greatsouthernbiobl.wixsite.com/website/about
Twitter @GSBioblitz
Instagram gsbioblitz
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GSBioblitz/
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/great-southern-bioblitz-2022-garden-route
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/great-southern-bioblitz-2022-umbrella
https://www.greatsouthernbioblitz.org/

PRESS RELEASE: GO GEORGE READY TO ROLL OUT TO THEMBALETHU
Issued 7 Oct 2022

George Executive Mayor, Alderman Leon van Wyk, announced that the next set of routes of the GO GEORGE bus service will be activated in November 2022, expanding the bus service to Thembalethu and thereby doubling the current reach of the system.

Following this resolution at a special council meeting held on Wednesday 28 September 2022, the Mayor expressed his delight that this point was eventually reached. “This is a momentous occasion. We acknowledge and appreciate the dedication of the Uncedo Taxi Association, the George Community Forum, the Western Cape Government and the municipal team who have been in discussion for a long time. We ackowledge that all concerns will not have been resolved by the time of roll-out, but we remain committed to continue engaging with one another, ensuring that GO GEORGE delivers a dignified service to the people of Thembalethu who have been waiting for so many years,” he said.

Thembalethu routes
With 10 main routes departing in Thembalethu, passengers will be able to travel directly to the city centre, industrial area, Blanco and the Garden Route Mall. Five community routes will crisscross over Thembalethu, making it easy to travel within the area or to join one of the main routes connecting Thembalethu with existing GO GEORGE routes operating in and between the CBD, Pacaltsdorp, Denneoord, Loerie Park, Rosemoor, Blanco, Heatherlands, Heather Park, and the Garden Route Mall. Three early-morning routes will transport hospital staff to their places of work in time for their early shifts.

Community engagement
The GO GEORGE communications team is looking forward to start engaging with the Thembalethu community shortly, explaining to new bus users how the system works.

Contact GO GEORGE by phoning the Call Centre (0800 044 044) or sending an email (info@gogeorge.org.za), or like the GO GEORGE Facebook page to stay up to date with developments.

CAPTION: George Executive Mayor, Alderman Leon van Wyk, during a visit to the George Link bus depot.

ENDS.

PERSVERKLARING: GO GEORGE GEREED OM UIT TE ROL NA THEMBALETHU
Uitgereik 7 Okt 2022

Die uitvoerende burgemeester van George, raadsheer Leon van Wyk, het aangekondig dat die volgende stel roetes van die GO GEORGE-busdiens in November 2022 geaktiveer sal word om die busdiens na Thembalethu uit te brei, wat die huidige reikwydte van die stelsel sal verdubbel.

Na aanleiding van hierdie besluit tydens ‘n spesiale raadsvergadering wat op Woensdag 28 September 2022 gehou is, het die burgemeester sy vreugde uitgespreek dat hierdie punt uiteindelik bereik is. “Dit is ‘n belangrike geleentheid. Ons erken en waardeer die toewyding van die Uncedo-taxivereniging, die George-gemeenskapsforum, die Wes-Kaapse regering en die munisipale span wat al lank in gesprek is. Ons weet dat alle kwelpunte nie teen die tyd van die uitrol opgelos sal wees nie, maar ons bly daartoe verbind om gesprek met mekaar voort te sit en te verseker dat GO GEORGE ‘n waardige diens lewer aan die mense van Thembalethu wat al soveel jare wag,” het hy gesê.

Thembalethu-roetes
Met 10 hoofroetes wat in Thembalethu vertrek, sal passasiers direk na die middestad, nywerheidsgebied, Blanco en die Garden Route Mall kan reis. Vyf gemeenskapsroetes sal Thembalethu deurkruis, wat dit maklik maak om binne die gebied te reis of om by een van die hoofroetes aan te sluit wat Thembalethu verbind met bestaande GO GEORGE-roetes wat in en tussen die middestad, Pacaltsdorp, Denneoord, Loeriepark, Rosemoor, Blanco, Heatherlands, Heatherpark en die Garden Route Mall bedryf word. Drie vroegoggendroetes sal hospitaalpersoneel betyds vir hul vroeë skofte na hul werkplekke vervoer.

Gemeenskapskakeling
The GO GEORGE communications team is looking forward to start engaging with the Thembalethu community shortly, explaining to new bus users how the system works.
Die GO GEORGE-kommunikasiespan sien uit daarna om binnekort met die Thembalethu-gemeenskap te begin skakel om te verduidelik hoe die stelsel werk.

Maak kontak met GO GEORGE deur die Inbelsentrum te skakel by 0800 044 044, ‘n e-pos te stuur (info@gogeorge.org.za), of volg die GO GEORGE Facebook-blad om op hoogte te bly van verwikkelinge.

On behalf of our Mayoral Committee (Mayco) and Councillor team, I want to recognise, praise and thank all our hard-working municipal employees for their determination, dedication and commitment to the tasks that they undertake daily and often over weekends as well. We would not have come so far over the past 21 months without the team effort of the directors and their supporting staff who are so ably led by Dr Michele Gratz as municipal manager.

Our objective has been to tackle the refurbishment and expansion of infrastructure while improving the standards of service delivery. This has been a focused effort with huge pressures on individuals to constantly drive the changes that are needed to implement state-of-the-art practices. To achieve this, you need new ideas and a work ethic that is diligence and performance-driven. New and existing employees have seized opportunities to introduce data-driven methodology and productivity. As councillors, we applaud and thank the team for the ongoing work efforts week by week that are being undertaken. We, therefore, take note and appreciate that throughout the organisation from the maintenance, technical, cleaning and refuse teams through to the administrative, professional and management teams that there is pride in the work being done.

The reference to infrastructure links to a recent SA Property Owners Association (SAPOA) conference held in Cape Town. During a panel discussion, it was stated that local government competence, maintenance of infrastructure and corruption were the three biggest challenges facing infrastructure in South Africa. Their survey covering the 15 largest metropolitan and intermediate cities (George comes in at no.19) revealed that the state of municipal infrastructure including roads had worsened over the past 5 years for all the cities except for Cape Town. Property developers viewed future projects and investments in the Western Cape positively whereas they foresee significant declines in investment in the Eastern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Free State followed by the other Provinces due to the failure to adequately provide for the maintenance and bulk infrastructure timeously.

This survey reinforces the efforts that we are undertaking in George to position ourselves as attractive for investment and employment.

We applaud a recent Business Chamber event where the formation of a group of companies was announced that results from the collaboration between investors and operators of training academies.

I have been approached by a young businessman who is keen to collaborate with contemporaries in the under-40 age group. Secondly, it has been suggested that we should inspire our restaurateurs to “up their game” in terms of meal and service offerings to coincide with the forthcoming holiday season. We plan to shortly engage on both these projects. As always comments and suggestions are welcome at: supportbusiness@george.gov.za

On Wednesday, 28 September 2022, the Executive Mayor of George, Ald Leon van Wyk wrote to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to petition against Eskom’s proposed electricity tariff increase of 32% in the 2023/2024 financial year.

The letter to NERSA is as follows:
As Executive Mayor of George Municipality, I am writing to you on behalf of the citizens of George, to appeal to you not to grant Eskom’s application to increase the price of electricity by 32% in the 2023/2024 financial year,” his letter read to NERSA.

“In my letter addressed to you earlier this year on the question of Eskom’s increases for 2022/23, I stated that our citizens are not able to afford increases at a level above the inflation rate. It is unfair, unaffordable, and unjustified to expect citizens to pay increases substantially above the inflation rate.

Across the country, we are already burdened with high food and fuel prices. The recent hefty interest rate hike adds to the high cost of living making it even more difficult for citizens to make ends meet. Moreover, the requested increase will further cripple businesses financially that are already struggling to operate profitably, and to sustain and create jobs. It will destroy the hope of economic recovery in South Africa and add to our burden of poverty.

On behalf of George Municipality, I am therefore objecting in the strongest possible terms to any increase in the price of electricity that is above an inflation increase. We, accordingly, appeal to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to reject the proposal.

The price of electricity has risen by more than 500% over the past 16 years, far exceeding inflation over that time. Over this period in which electricity has become steadily more expensive, the security of our electricity supply has progressively become more unreliable. This year is already the worst year of load-shedding on record. The Stage 6 load-shedding we have experienced in the last short period destroyed R4,2 billion in value from our South African economy each day.

It is unacceptable that Eskom is trying to shield itself from the commercial consequences of years’ worth of mismanagement and poor maintenance of its infrastructure by drastically raising its prices at the time that it is least able to supply electricity to the country. Consumers correctly do not understand the logic of Eskom requesting a 32% increase when it is unable to reliably supply electricity. It would therefore be an unspeakable injustice to burden struggling South Africans even further by making them Eskom’s financial scapegoat.

It is now the time, however, that Eskom undertakes the drastic measures needed to reduce the bloated salary bill, stop the mismanagement, inflated tenders, corruption, etc. and recover the outstanding debt not being paid by defaulters. The municipalities that are up to date with their Eskom account are burdened with huge increases because of the many municipalities that have huge outstanding debt owing to Eskom.

We have not seen meaningful progress on any of these aspects, and yet Eskom is still willing to make ordinary South Africans pay for its lack of action. NERSA must reject this application and insist that the remedial action be implemented.

At George Municipality we have committed ourselves to work tirelessly to bring down the cost of electricity for our citizens through the procurement of our own generated electricity from cheaper sources than Eskom. Our Council has approved the necessary funding for these projects to source up to 15% of our daily off-take from Eskom within the next three years.

Our Municipality is fully aware of the challenges facing Eskom and is working with all stakeholders to find acceptable solutions for businesses and domestic consumers. There are large commercial undertakings and hospitals (as examples), that operate on a 24-hour basis, that are being drastically affected by the ongoing load-shedding. They look to the Municipality in an endeavour to find solutions that will enable them to stay in business. An increase of 32% would send the wrong message to all electricity consumers.

NERSA should rather endeavour to work with the private sector and those Municipalities capable of procuring alternative sources of electricity by only permitting inflation-based tariff increases to ensure that there is a focus on bringing additional electricity online over the next three to four years to assist with the supply constraints faced by Eskom.

I trust that this letter will receive your urgent attention and ensure that Eskom’s application for a price increase is limited to the increase in the consumer price index.

Ends.

“George Municipality is ready!” So cheered a group of George Municipality’s jubilant officials who will participate in this weekend’s Garden Route Sport and Recreation Day which will take place on Friday 30 September 2022 at Riversdale.

In a special address by the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk on Tuesday afternoon at the George Municipality’s Banquet Hall, the executive mayor wished the officials success in their participation in these games, formerly known as Better Together Games.

More than just over 80 employees of the George Municipality are set to participate in this year’s Garden Route Sport and Recreation Day. In a programme that was released to the participants, indications are that the Western Cape Minister of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, MEC Anroux Marais deliver a keynote address to officially open the sport and recreation day.

The Garden Route Sport and Recreation Day is an annual sports event that is hosted by Sport and Recreation Services of the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport involving government officials in the various districts of the province as well as in the metropole to try their hand at soccer, mini-cricket, volleyball, tug of war, chess, athletics and many other codes at the Better Together Games (BTG) for government officials.

The George Municipality has always been part of the Better Together Games since its inception in 2007 and successfully brought back gold, silver and bronze medallions and gone through to the final games. The George Municipality has last attended the finals known as the Corporate Games in 2019 and won gold in both Rugby cricket and dominoes.

“Did you exercise, are you fit?” Ald van Wyk quipped. “Go and make us proud, and please be cautious and we do not want to hear of any injuries, go out there and enjoy yourselves,” he said. In response to the mayor’s message, the group of officials shouted with joy said, “We are ready!”, assuring the Executive Mayor and the city of George that they will make the city proud.

Ends.

MEDIA RELEASE: TOURISM DESTINATION STRATEGY WORKSHOP – 21 OCTOBER 2022

Date Issued: 27 September 2022

Issued by:      George Municipality

Status:            For immediate release

The Tourism section of George Municipality invites all stakeholders to attend an important workshop on Tuesday, 21 October 2022 about the Draft Tourism Destination Plan and Marketing Strategy.

The Draft Tourism Destination Plan and Marketing Strategy was approved by Council; now the Tourism section seeks feedback from tourism stakeholders based in George Municipality to discuss and finalise the plans.

During the workshop, the Tourism section will provide an overview of the documents and stakeholders will be able to ask questions. The budget will also be presented and discussed. The attendees will break into groups to discuss the Key Performance Indicators and this information will be fed back to the overall group.

Ideally, the Tourism section wants to fill a table per sub-category, to get insights from the entire industry:

• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Activities and Experiences
• Events
• Accommodation (non-hotel)
• Transport / Tour Operators / Ground Handling
• General tourism stakeholders and associations

Parties who register for the workshop will be sent a copy of the approved draft strategies to read in preparation for the session.

DATE:             Friday, 21 October 2022

TIME:             From 09:00 – 13:00

VENUE:          Banquet Hall at the George Civic Centre

ENQUIRIES:  Sharon House – 044 801 9295 or shouse@george.gov.za

“This is the perfect opportunity for industry stakeholders to give their inputs and make suggestions to improve the overall objectives of the plans, that will work concurrently with the Integrated Development Plan cycle of George Municipality,” says Tourism Manager, Joan Shaw.

Please RSVP via email to shouse@george.gov.za by Friday, 14 October 2022.

Media Release: George Municipality and other government stakeholders set the example by cleaning up the environment for World Cleanup Day
Issued by George Municipality 22 September 2022 for immediate release

George Mayor, Councillor and the Municipality’s Cleansing team together with other government stakeholders removed 250 bags of rubbish from four dumping sites and areas in the communities as part of a Cleanup Project from 20-21 September 2022 in celebration of World Cleanup Day.

The George Municipal EPWP workers, officials from the Environmental Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development EPWP workers, Garden Route District Municipality and former offenders from the Department of Correctional Services joined to clean up our communities in Thembalethu, Lawaaikamp, Zone 9, Rosedale and Parkdene along the N2 highway.

According to Janine Fernold from the Environmental department, five members of the public joined in on the project. She said although we would want to see more people get involved in ensuring we live in a clean environment; we are grateful for the few who assisted. An education/awareness campaign also formed part of the project. Officials distributed pamphlets from door to door to inform and educate the public on the ills of illegal dumping and involved schools as well.

World Cleanup Day unites millions of volunteers, governments and organisations in 191 countries to tackle the global waste problem and build up a new and sustainable world.

ILLEGAL DUMPING

The municipality needs your help to combat illegal dumping:

1. Please spread the news in your community that dumping of waste is dangerous and a health hazard. Waste should be collected in refuse bags and placed for collection on waste removal days. Builders rubble and waste not suitable for bags must be dropped at the municipal refuse site on the R102 (airport road).
2. If you can provide names, vehicle registration details or addresses of alleged perpetrators and are willing to make a statement in this regard, please report it to Law Enforcement at 044 801 6350 or sprins@george.gov.za. You don’t need a photograph of the perpetrator, but it will strengthen the case for a warning or fine to be issued.
3. If you notice dumped waste, please report for collection to 044 802 2900.

Caption:

Mayor Leon van Wyk, Councillors, George Municipality, Garden Route District Municipality officials and other stakeholders during a cleanup in Lawaaikamp.

The Municipal Manager of the George Municipality, Dr Michele Gratz commended the municipality’s Chief Audit, Jean-Pierre Rossouw for his re-election as the Chairperson of the Western Cape Local Government Chief Audit Executive (CAE) Forum recently.

 “We are proud to have an official of Mr Rossouw’s calibre and we wish him well with the task ahead of him for the new term,” said Dr Gratz.

Rossouw shared the news of his re-election on his LinkedIn account on Tuesday, 18 September 2022: “I’m truly honoured to have been re-elected as the Chairperson of the Western Cape Local Government Chief Audit Executive (CAE) Forum for a second term. I’m looking forward to continuing to add value to the municipal internal audit environment,” Rossouw said.

“Today we held yet another successful CAE Forum. Attendees included delegates from National Treasury, Western Cape Provincial Treasury, the IIASA, invited guests and presenters, as well the CAEs and CROs from municipalities throughout the Western Cape Province. Covering topics such as the NT FMCMM; AC induction and training; IIASA Feedback; Importance of MFMA Circular 65.”  

“We also had a very interesting knowledge-sharing session on the practical implementation of Agile auditing. I am thoroughly enjoying my role as Chairperson of such a vibrant forum,” he concluded.

Ends.

As South Africans, we have learnt to be resilient and shown the ability to adapt to circumstances. The recent experiences of enduring Stages 5 and 6 of load shedding require us all to make adaptations to how we manage our lives. I was recently privileged to attend an Energy Summit where the Eskom CEO, Andre de Ruyter spoke about the power station fleet that had been operated at maximum capacity for too long. This means that maintenance needs to be undertaken to avoid complete breakdowns. New generating capacity will have to be built over the next 15 years.

On an ongoing basis the municipality is examining a range of projects to mitigate the risks in supplying electricity to our customer base:

• We have installed 25 generators at our critical installations ranging from water and waste-water treatment works, and critical pump stations to buildings. These generators need to be constantly re-fuelled with diesel as we attempt to keep operations going under conditions where Eskom is unable to provide electricity for up to eight hours per day.
• We are concerned about key businesses and installations that are large employers, energy-intensive users or who need to operate 24/7. We are searching for solutions that can assist them.
• We are progressing with plans to implement renewable energy plants that will reduce bulk purchases from Eskom to avoid implementation of some load shedding stages.

Our customers can assist in this adaptation process by “shifting their loads” to reduce the maximum electricity capacity that they use through an awareness of not operating too many high-capacity appliances at the same time. The objective is to reduce peaks experienced in the early morning and evening. Success in this adaptation will strengthen our negotiations with Eskom to start avoiding painful load shedding Stages.

We have recently undertaken road-building activity on some of our Provincial roads and Go George routes. We receive grants equivalent to 80% of the project cost on provincial roads that requires spending within defined timelines. Fortunately, the Langenhoven Road and Market Street projects are approaching completion. Work will shortly also be undertaken on York Street. We appreciate how our citizens have adapted their travel routines to ensure the completion of these projects.

Communication is currently underway to appeal to our citizens living close to the forest and mountains to provide advice on co-existence with baboons who periodically enter living areas in search of food. The 2018 George Fire severely damaged their habitat and food sources. Scientific advice is that humans make small adaptations to their routines to improve co-existence.

We express our gratitude to our citizens for their patience in dealing with the adaptations they have been making as we work together building a well-run city.

Ald Leon van Wyk

Executive Mayor of George

Five officials from the George Municipality received training in creative filmmaking on the 13^th and 14^th of September 2022 at the George Tourism office to enhance local tourism marketing strategies. Local filmmaking experts conducted the training as part of a service level agreement with the Garden Route Film Commission.

According to the George Tourism manager, Joan Shaw, the objective of the training which is intended for Municipal staff is to have a better understanding of the film industry, and what is required, as film productions are a target market for Tourism and Economic Development. “As part of the tourism marketing strategy, we want to empower staff that work with social media and projects, and general photography, which requires filming skills to improve the quality of their shoots.  We also encourage creativity and keeping up with trends in this fast-paced industry to keep relevant and get noticed,” Shaw said.

Three of the five trainees were officials from the Tourism office and two from the office of the municipal manager and the communication department, and they all never had experience in filmmaking. One of the trainees, Aphiwe Jack from the office of the municipal manager, said: “The film training was highly informative and fun at the same time. I learnt about the different types of gadgets being used in the film industry, from cameras, lenses, and stabilizers to lights and video editing software. Our team was amazing, thanks to all of them for making it such a wonderful experience for me, and finally, a huge thanks to the facilitators for such a splendid job showing us all the hard work it takes to become professionals in the film industry,” Jack added.

The training was conducted by Letitia Cunningham (Director Garden Route Film Commission), Megan Cunningham a multi-creative and a youth developer and Calvin Claassen an independent content creator and designer in the film industry. To add lustre to the training which included the outdoor taking of video shots, Pamela Pelser, a line dance choreographer from Step Together Line Dance School introduced a few dance moves to the trainees who responded fluently, and smoothly to the movements.

Ends.

Caption:

From left: Megan Cunningham (Facilitator), Letitia Cunningham (Facilitator), Lindi Harley (Tourism Officer – Membership), Aphiwe Jack (receptionist – office of the Municipal Manager), Luthando Ndende (Tourism Intern), Heloine America (Tourism Officer), Joan Shaw (Tourism Manager), Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe (Senior Communication & Intergovernmental Relations Officer), and in front Calvin Claassen (Facilitator).

GO GEORGE PASSENGER SATISFACTION SURVEY TO START SOON

Issued 16 Sep 2022

A GO GEORGE passenger satisfaction survey will be conducted from 26 September until 21 October 2022 at GO GEORGE bus stops on the current network of routes.

The survey forms part of the 2022 George Integrated Public Transport Network (GIPTN) Macro-, Transport- and Socio-Economic Study (MTSES). The results will be compared with previous studies to determine the overall socio-economic impact of the GO GEORGE bus service in three main areas, namely macro-economic, transport economic, and socio-economic impact.

According to Morné Lakay, Acting Manager of GO GEORGE, feedback from passengers remains core to the planning and fine-tuning of the system. “With intricate data at our disposal, it is possible for us to plan and implement, but we need to know whether we are meeting our communities’ needs and whether the bus service is indeed improving quality of life and access to economic opportunities. That is what the George Integrated Public Transport Network (GIPTN) is all about and why we kindly request passengers to spare a few minutes when approached by a surveyor. Participating passengers will remain anonymous,” Lakay said.

The data acquired through the survey will form part of continuous reviewing and improvement of the bus service and inform amendments where needed and possible.

Independent, trained surveyors with appropriate identification cards will conduct the survey using an App on a cell phone. More information can be obtained from the GO GEORGE Call Centre at 0800 044 044.

CAPTION:
Brendon Barends spared a few minutes to answer GO GEORGE surveyor, Larouchelle Kleinbooi’s questions.

 GO GEORGE-PASSASIERSPEILING BEGIN BINNEKORT

Uitgereik 16 Sep 2022

‘n GO GEORGE-passasierspeiling sal van 26 September tot 21 Oktober 2022 by GO GEORGE-bushaltes op die huidige netwerk van roetes gedoen word.

Die peiling vorm deel van die 2022 George Geïntegreerde Openbarevervoernetwerk Makro-, Vervoer- en Sosio-ekonomiese Studie. Die resultate sal vergelyk word met vorige studies om die algehele sosio-ekonomiese impak van die GO GEORGE-busdiens in drie hoofareas te bepaal, naamlik makro-ekonomiese, vervoer-ekonomiese en sosio-ekonomiese impak.

Volgens Morné Lakay, waarnemende bestuurder van GO GEORGE, bly terugvoering van passasiers die kern van die beplanning en verfyning van die stelsel. “Met ingewikkelde data tot ons beskikking, is dit vir ons moontlik om te beplan en te implementeer, maar ons moet weet of ons aan ons gemeenskappe se behoeftes voldoen en of die busdiens inderdaad lewensgehalte en toegang tot ekonomiese geleenthede verbeter. Dit is waaroor GO GEORGE gaan en waarom ons passasiers vriendelik versoek om vir ons ‘n paar minute te gee wanneer hulle deur ‘n onderhoudvoerder genader word. Deelnemende passasiers sal anoniem bly,” het Lakay gesê.

Die data wat deur die opname verkry word, sal deel vorm van deurlopende hersiening en verbetering van die busdiens en wysigings rig waar nodig en moontlik.

Onafhanklike, opgeleide onderhoudvoerders met toepaslike identifikasiekaarte sal die opname met behulp van ‘n toepassing op ‘n selfoon uitvoer. Meer inligting kan verkry word by die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044.

ONDERSKRIF:

Brendon Barends het ‘n paar minute afgestaan om GO GEORGE-onderhoudvoerder, Larouchelle Kleinbooi, se vrae te beantwoord.

George Municipality manages and maintains a water and sewer infrastructure consisting of 116 sewer pump stations and 28 water pumpstations. Ongoing loadshedding implemented by ESKOM over the past few years has raised concerns with regard to maintaining the supply of potable water and sewer services.

The public often forget that during loadshedding the municipal sewer pumpstations and water treatment works are put under immense pressure and traditional storage capacities are not adequate to compensate for extended loadshedding.  In a bid to ensure the provision of adequate potable (drinking) water and to reduce water pollution, 13 large-scale generators have been installed at our most critical installations including high risk identified sewer pumpstations as well as at the Old and New Water Treatment Works that treats raw water received from the Garden Route Dam into potable (drinking) water.

The tender process for the purchase and installation of two (2) 1100kVA generators to be installed at the Garden Route Dam raw water pumpstation have recently closed and are being evaluated. This installation will mean that during loadshedding or any other power outage, raw water can continue to be pumped to the Water Treatment Works for processing for drinking water supply.

Executive Mayor Ald Van Wyk noted that these generators need to be constantly re-fuelled with diesel as the municipality attempts to keep operations going under conditions where Eskom is unable to provide electricity for up to eight hours per day. A recent Energy Summit hosted provided insight into the state of Eskom. “I was recently privileged to attend an Energy Summit where the Eskom CEO, Andre de Ruyter spoke about the power station fleet that had been operated at maximum capacity for too long. This means that maintenance needs to be undertaken to avoid complete breakdowns. New generating capacity will have to be built over the next 15 years,” said Ald Van Wyk.

The purchase and installation costs of such large-scale generators is high, and these are not just ordered off the shelf. To date the municipality has installed generators at our sewer pump stations at a cost of approximately R13 million. The generators are diesel operated and have weather and vandal proof covers for protection. All of the backup generation is equipped with anti-vandalism and anti-theft devices and each is linked to the municipal telemetry and SCADA system for remote monitoring purposes.

Friday, 16 September 2022

12^TH FUNDA MZANTSI CHAMPIONSHIP

The National Library of South Africa (NLSA), in conjunction with the Department of Correctional Services and George Municipality is proud to host the 12^th Funda Mzantsi Championship (FMC).

FMC is a reading competition for book clubs with the objective of stimulating and encouraging a reading culture among South Africans. The Championship has been held on an annual basis from 2010 until 2019.  In 2020, the Competition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2021, FMC was hosted in a hybrid format.  This year, FMC will be held in George, in the Western Cape Province from 3 to 7 October 2022.

In preparation for the Competition, book clubs are required to read selected books from a specific list, including titles from the NLSA’s Reprint of South African Classics project.  Furthermore, participants are assessed in four categories – impromptu reading, debating, spelling bee and book reviewing in all official South African languages.  The much-acclaimed book “The Yearning” by Mohale Mashigo is expected to be reviewed by participants in this year’s competition.

The National Library of South Africa takes pride in contributing toward Outcome 14 of the National Development Plan which deals with Nation Building and Social Cohesion. Through the Funda Mzantsi Championship, the NLSA brings together minds – both young and old, breaking the racial, gender and social status boundaries, in pursuit of a common goal.

The NLSA’s Executive Director responsible for Core Programmes will officiate the opening ceremony on 3 October and the National Librarian and CEO, Mr Kepi Madumo will grace the closing ceremony on 5 October 2022.

Members of the media are invited to cover the Championship as follows:

ENDS

Issued by the National Library of South Africa

Notes to the Editor

The National Library of South Africa (NLSA) is the custodian and provider of the nation’s key knowledge resources. The NLSA is mandated by the National Library of South Africa Act to collect and preserve published documents and to make them accessible, thereby ensuring that knowledge is preserved for posterity and that information is available to all.

www.nlsa.ac.za