Press Release Archive

VALIDITY PERIODS OF LICENCES
All learner’s licences, driving licence cards,
temporary driving licences
All learner licences, driving licence cards temporary driving licences,
PRDPs and professional driving permits that expired during 26 March
2020 up to and including 31 August 2020, are deemed to be valid and
their validity period is extended for a further grace period ending on:

GRACE PERIOD ENDING
31 January 2021

Motor vehicle licence discs
All motor vehicle licence discs, temporary permits and roadworthy
certificates that expired during 26 March 2020 up to and including 31
May 2020, are deemed to be valid and their validity period is
extended for further grace period ending on:

GRACE PERIOD ENDING
1 August 2020

Motor trade number licences
Motor trade number licences that expired during
26 March 2020 up to and including 31 May 2020, are deemed to be
valid and are extended for a further grace period ending on:

GRACE PERIOD ENDING
30 November 2020

The George Municipality regrets to inform the public that due to unforeseen delays the collection and delivery of blue and green bags will only recommence from the 1st September. The municipality remains committed to waste reduction and recycling, and believes that its efforts will soon regain momentum. Collection of green and blue bags will start on Tuesday 1st September 2020, and will be collected in neighbourhoods on the same day as the black bag refuse removal.

The municipality would like to encourage residents to continue recycling and to store their blue and green bags for collection OR Green bags can be taken to the TRANSFER STATION – PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR RECYCLING AND/OR GREEN BAGS OUT FOR COLLECTION AGAIN UNTIL 1 SEPTEMBER 2020 AS COLLECTION WILL NOT TAKE PLACE. Our municipal trucks will not collect the recycling and green bags and ONLY pick up your black bags. We apologize for the inconvenience.

CONTACT
Black bags, blue and green bags, dumped waste collection:
George Municipality Environmental Services
82 Meade Street, George. Phone 044 802 2900

GENERAL
Households may put out seven black, three green and an unlimited number of blue bags.
Additional tied bundles of branches are allowed if they are shorter than a metre in length and can be picked up by one person.

BLUE bags are for non-soiled recyclable materials, including plastic, paper, card board, glass etc.
GREEN bags are for green waste, including organic kitchen waste such as fruit and vegetable peels, as well as garden waste, including grass cuttings, leaves etc. No soil is allowed in the green bags.
BLACK bags are for ‘wet’ waste, things that cannot be recycled.

All refuse bags must be put out by 7am on removal day.
Please don’t put bags out the day or night before removal.
Please wrap broken glass in newspaper before placing in bags to prevent injuries to workers.
A pack of 26 black bags are distributed to households quarterly.

Blue and green bags are collected on the same day as black bag refuse removal, but by different trucks – before or after the black bag collection and may be hours apart.
Collected full blue bags will be replaced with the same colour on the same day. If you do not receive the same amount of replacement blue bags and want more, please phone 044 802 2900 during office hours.
While you can put out three green bags at a time, a maximum of two new replacement green bags are issued per collection.
Households or businesses that are actively recycling and require additional green or blue bags, can collect from the municipal Environmental Services offices at 82 Meade Street.

REFUSE REMOVAL DAYS
MONDAY: Blanco, Riverlea, Heatherpark, Heatherlands, Glen Barrie, Kraaibosch, Groenkloof, Blue Mountain Village, Herold’s Bay, Victoria Bay
TUESDAY: Levallia, Rosemoor, Conville, Protea Park, Parkdene, Ballotsview, Borchards, Lawaaikamp, Thembalethu, Wilderness (excluding Wilderness Heights), Touwsranten, Constantia Kloof
WEDNESDAY: Camphersdrift, Fernridge, Denneoord, Bo-Dorp, Blommekloof, Tweerivieren, Hoogekraal, Hoekwil
THURSDAY: Wilderness Heights, Dormehlsdrift, George South, Le Grand, Bos en Dal, Groeneweidepark, Sinksabrug, Herold, Geelhoutboom, Eselsjacht, Hansmoeskraal, Jonkershoek, Rooirivierrif, Pacaltsdorp, Rosedale, Waboomskraal
FRIDAY: Glenwood, Loerie Park, Eden, Genevafontein, Denver Park, Bergsig, Eastern Extension
BUSINESSES: Monday, Wednesday and Friday

High cost of illegal connections: George Municipality asks Thembalethu communities to report illegal connection activities
Issued George Municipality, 6th August 2020

George Municipality continues to battle with ongoing illegal connections which most recently have caused approximately R65 000 worth of damage to a mini-substation in Asazani, Thembalethu this past week with the power remaining off from the 3rd August and only due to be reconnected by Thursday 6th August.

In terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, George Municipality has a responsibility to maintain a safe electrical network and for that reason a service provider has been appointed to clear illegal connections, on an as and when basis. Municipal officials are unable to work on, or maintain the network unless all illegal connections on the line have been cleared. The repairwork to the mini-substation in Area 4 started on Monday 3rd August.

“We ask that law-abiding citizens take it upon themselves to report illegal connection activities to SAPS as soon as they see them taking place. The delay in repairwork means that each time, paying consumers are left without electricity for days while we try to secure and make safe the lines to work on them,” said Acting Director Electrotechnical Services, Paul Gerber.

The dangers of illegal connections have consistently been re-emphasized to the communities of George, with such actions having cost several lives in 2019. Since February 2020, several charges have been laid against individuals caught making illegal connections. In terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015, a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years can be given, as the interference with, and damage to Municipal property, can be regarded as sabotage.
George Municipality will continue to act decisively in such matters and it is well-known that the practice of illegal connection puts the perpetrator in danger of electrocution, risking injury and death to themselves as well as the rest of the community. These connections lie across pathways and walkways where anyone passing can easily be electrocuted.
An electricity connection is considered illegal when it is connected to the George Municipal network without the organisation’s permission. Wires are connected to pole-mounted transformers, pole kiosks and overhead lines. The forms of electricity theft include illegal connections, illegal electrification schemes and meter tampering and bypassing. These illegal electrical thefts are mostly in areas where illegal informal structures are built.
Illegal connections should be reported to 044 803 9222 or 044 801 9222 or after hours on 044 801 6300 or to the nearest SAPS office.

The George Municipality confirms that as of the 11^th August, the collection and delivery of blue and green bags will be handled in-house. Following the announcement of the unfortunate closure of Interwaste, the appointed service provider, discussions were held to try and extend the service by one month. Unfortunately these discussions were not successful and the Community Service Directorate requests the patience of the public for one week to afford them the opportunity to put everything in place for a smooth collection process to start on 11^th August.

The municipality remains committed to waste reduction and recycling, and believes that its efforts will soon regain momentum.  Collection of green and blue bags will start on Tuesday 11 August 2020, and will be collected in neighbourhoods on the same day as the black bag refuse removal. PLEASE DO NOT PUT YOUR RECYCLING AND/OR GREEN BAGS OUT FOR WEEK MONDAY 3/08 – FRIDAY 7/08 AS COLLECTION WILL NOT TAKE PLACE.

Municipal trucks will collect the black bags, while blue and green bags will be collected by different trucks on the same day – before or after the black bag collection, and can be hours apart. Every week on the same day as collection, blue bags will be replaced and two green bags will replace those put out. The areas currently serviced by recycling include all suburbs of George as well as the outer areas of Wilderness, Kleinkrantz, Hoekwil, Victoria Bay, Herolds Bay, Haarlem and Uniondale.

CONTACT
Black bags, blue and green bags, dumped waste collection:
George Municipality Environmental Services
82 Meade Street, George. Phone 044 802 2900

GENERAL
Households may put out seven black, three green and an unlimited number of blue bags.
Additional tied bundles of branches are allowed if they are shorter than a metre in length and can be picked up by one person.

BLUE bags are for non-soiled recyclable materials, including plastic, paper, card board, glass etc.
GREEN bags are for green waste, including organic kitchen waste such as fruit and vegetable peels, as well as garden waste, including grass cuttings, leaves etc. No soil is allowed in the green bags.
BLACK bags are for ‘wet’ waste, things that cannot be recycled.

All refuse bags must be put out by 7am on removal day.
Please don’t put bags out the day or night before removal.
Please wrap broken glass in newspaper before placing in bags to prevent injuries to workers.
A pack of 26 black bags are distributed to households quarterly.

Blue and green bags are collected on the same day as black bag refuse removal, but by different trucks – before or after the black bag collection and may be hours apart.
Collected full blue bags will be replaced with the same colour on the same day. If you do not receive the same amount of replacement blue bags and want more, please phone  044 802 2900 during office hours.
While you can put out three green bags at a time, a maximum of two new replacement green bags  are issued per collection.
Households or businesses that are actively recycling and require additional green or blue bags, can collect from the  municipal Environmental Services offices at 82 Meade Street.

REFUSE REMOVAL DAYS
MONDAY: Blanco, Riverlea, Heatherpark, Heatherlands, Glen Barrie, Kraaibosch, Groenkloof, Blue Mountain Village, Herold’s Bay, Victoria Bay
TUESDAY: Levallia, Rosemoor, Conville, Protea Park, Parkdene, Ballotsview, Borchards, Lawaaikamp, Thembalethu, Wilderness (excluding Wilderness Heights), Touwsranten, Constantia Kloof
WEDNESDAY: Camphersdrift, Fernridge, Denneoord, Bo-Dorp, Blommekloof, Tweerivieren, Hoogekraal, Hoekwil
THURSDAY: Wilderness Heights, Dormehlsdrift, George South, Le Grand, Bos en Dal, Groeneweidepark, Sinksabrug, Herold, Geelhoutboom, Eselsjacht, Hansmoeskraal, Jonkershoek, Rooirivierrif, Pacaltsdorp, Rosedale, Waboomskraal
FRIDAY: Glenwood, Loerie Park, Eden, Genevafontein, Denver Park, Bergsig, Eastern Extension
BUSINESSES: Monday, Wednesday and Friday