28 April 2021 Executive Mayor’s Speech at the GRDM Council Meeting 

Mr Speaker

I greet those online, at home and the significant listenership on Eden FM – I welcome you. 

Once again, we are known and prone to disasters, no matter the size of it. We are in the season when we see many fires, like the Cape Town wildfire recently. Mr Speaker, the Garden Route were not recently spared when a wildfire spread through parts of the Greater Oudtshoorn area. Fortunately, no lives were lost. I want to convey our gratitude to our firefighters, our Garden Route team, George and Mossel Bay Municipalities, and all the other role players who helped us contain this wildfire. We appreciate you. 

Let us remain vigilant about fire emergencies and continue to share notices and warnings as and when required. 

Also, Mr Speaker gives me great pleasure to share that we recently visited the Cater Care facility where nineteen (19) students are currently being upskilled. We noted that they are excited about their experience, and we are looking forward to them completing this training. Of equal importance is the event we recently hosted, whereby we officially donated external bursaries and grant-in-aid assistance. These are all signs that we practice what we preach.

In the same vein, curbing Gender-Based Violence remains one of our critical commitments as Council. We will continue to try to curb GBV. Last week we hosted another summit with the relevant stakeholders and role players. My call is for everyone to step up again and fight GBV daily.

To our colleagues, this is going to be a very busy week as Garden Route District Municipality. The Honourable Deputy President David Mabuza will be in our region on 30 April 2021 to hand over land to the residents of Covie. In addition, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde will also be in the area and accompanied by his entourage. It is indeed an indication that all eyes are on the Garden Route – we paved a path for ourselves and the Garden Routers we have been elected to serve. We want to see that people are given what is rightfully theirs and their dignity to be restored.

As the Garden Route, we will be hosting those dignitaries and being our best behaviour; we do not play politics during these events. 

Thank you.