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30 July 2024 Speech by Executive Mayor, Andrew Stroebel, during an Ordinary Council Meeting

Madam Speaker, Fellow Councillors, and Team Garden Route Colleagues, Members of the Public and the Media

Goeiemôre, molweni, as-salamu alaykum, shalom, good morning

It’s great to see you all here this morning, and it is particularly good to be able to address you all about our municipality and our beautiful Garden Route region. I am here for a month now and I would like to particularly thank the administration for the warm welcome and also, my Mayoral Committee, thank you for the support you’ve provided over the past month. I look forward to working closely with all of you going forward.

Madam Speaker, on the note of the beautiful poem you’ve recited, “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou, I have the following to say: it vividly conveys a message of self-assurance and pride, transcending conventional standards of beauty and redefining what it means to be truly phenomenal. Angelou captured the essence of womanhood beautifully, emphasizing confidence, poise, and the unique, intrinsic qualities that make a woman extraordinary. This year’s theme for Women’s Month, under the Government of National Unity focuses on “Women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion.” In line with this, we will highlight some of our Women in Leadership positions throughout the month of August on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, starting this Friday. Please keep a lookout for the short biographies on our Facebook page and website.

Madam Speaker,

Our shared values and commitment to community service were also reflected in our participation in Mandela Day activities. This annual event, held on July 18th, is a time for us to remember and honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela by dedicating ourselves to acts of service and giving back to our communities. We engaged in a wide range of activities, including blood donations to save lives, providing essential and basic supplies to those in need, painting community buildings, and participating in extensive clean-up drives. Through these diverse actions, our commitment to unity and cooperation was clear.

Regarding skills development at our Municipality, particularly through our Skills Mecca Programme, we have cemented R36 million in funding from the National Skills Fund for future training of 400 learners. A provider has been appointed, and recruitment of learners has started. We plan to do an official launch in September. Another exciting addition is that the Vaal University of Technology has contacted us to see if we can accommodate 30 learners to be coached as cellular phone repairers. We know there is a high demand for this skill, especially because cellular phones and smartphones in particular are becoming more integral to our daily lives. I fully support this because we need our locals to be equipped with this type of skill.

Madam Speaker, I think it is also important to briefly reflect on the severe weather incidents of the past month that affected several households, led by single mothers, fathers, or nuclear families. During the period of 6 and 12 July, the district faced a series of intense weather conditions, including heavy rains, gale-force winds, and storm surges. I’d like to thank our GRDM Disaster Management Centre and other stakeholders for promptly alerting all relevant parties and initiating contingency plans. Notable incidents included roof damage, the destruction of informal dwellings, and infrastructure disruptions across various municipalities. Humanitarian aid was swiftly provided, including mattresses, blankets, and food parcels. GRDM also collaborated effectively with local municipalities to address these immediate needs and manage the damage. The potential declaration of a local disaster may be considered to access further resources and support. This process will involve coordination between local, district, and provincial authorities to ensure all necessary measures are taken.

Similarly, our region’s roads also sustained several serious damages. As a Road Agency for the Western Cape Provincial Government, servicing approximately 47,000 km², the monthly schedule of roads to be serviced has had to be amended to accommodate these events. As work continues, I also witnessed earlier this month an addition of five new vehicles to our yellow fleet. These will be put to good use and ensure service delivery standards are upheld. I am extremely proud of the dedicated workers at our Roads Department who are all hard at work to fix and service our roads.

I am pleased to announce that we will soon be officially receiving two trucks for disaster management. One truck will be dedicated to assisting local municipalities during water scarcity interventions, while the other will be deployed for flood response efforts. This marks the beginning of the first phase in a three-phase disaster management strategy that we are rolling out. Phase two includes our purchasing of several containers and a hovercraft. The third and final phase will see us purchasing flood response equipment.

Madam Speaker,

I want to close by reminding everyone of the Western Cape Premier’s Opening Address (POA) tomorrow, 31 July 2024, at 10:45. This will provide us with insights into exciting programs and projects rolled out in the Western Cape, and for us to collectively reflect on the achievements of our provincial government. The event can be watched LIVE on Facebook and YouTube.

I thank you.