A Special Garden Route District Municipal Managers Forum (MMF) is currently underway in George.
This platform provides an opportunity for Municipal Managers of the district and Local Municipalities (Bitou, Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Hessequa, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland), to contribute to the strengthening of the Local Government sector. Thus, members address common concerns and facilitate inter-municipal peer-learning. Furthermore, the Forum also provides opportunities to collectively engage with key stakeholders in addressing key issues affecting Local Government.
This joint district approach recognises that the Western Cape Local Government planning process commences with Premier Alan Winde at his Premier’s Coordinating Forum. This Forum is followed by two equally important engagements, namely:
– MinMay Planning where District Mayors will present strategic and planning priorities as well as service delivery challenges in response to the Premier’s address; and
– District coordinating Forum where District Mayors and Local Mayors will hold similar engagements at a district level. Here, district-specific strategic and planning priorities, as well as service delivery challenges will be dealt with.
Today’s agenda will deal with the following topics:
The National Department of Public Works – Presenting Protocol Agreement targets for the fourth phase;
Contextualised inputs for discussion at the Cabinet Bosberaad to be identified (Circular 21: District Strategic and Planning priorities as well as service delivery challenges); and
There are various easy methods published online on how to reduce food waste in households. One such a method is to reduce potential waste of food before it ends up in kitchen bins or at the Garden Route District Municipality’s regional or at local municipal landfill sites.
Where to from here?
When planning to purchase food, create a list of what is needed before purchasing any items. This will ensure that people buy absolutely necessary groceries. Avoid clutter in your fridge, pantry or freezer by moving older products to the front as a reminder to consume them first. When preparing a meal, there are usually some leftovers – incorporate these into your daily/weekly routine by taking some to work. Remember to store these and other foodstuffs at the correct temperatures to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. Proposing waste minimisation actions at work can also be a step towards changing the habits of those around you. It is also a great gesture to donate food to food banks, and food scraps or spoilt food to pig farms. Altogether, fruits and vegetables are perfect for composting.
A community who changed their habits
According to one of GRDM’s Bitou-based Municipal Health Officials, Ms Maxwelline Fatuse, there is an informal settlement named Bossiesgif in Bitou, who manages their food waste in a different, but clever way. This community made a collective and positive routine-change to their daily habits. They use re-usable 10- litre waste bins or paint bins, hang it outside to fencing poles, which are then filled with food scraps from their kitchens. The waste bins are picked up twice a week and used to feed six pigs farms situated near the community.
A community member of Bossiesgif, Mr Mqalo said: “Our community initiative has been conscious of waste minimisation for years and this community drive helps us to reduce the municipal bins from filling up too quickly. It also helps feed the pigs of farmers and in turn, reduces the waste that would usually be dumped at landfill sites.”
Mr Mqalu explained that community members know to only discard food scraps like vegetable and potato peels, cabbage, (organic waste) etc. in the bins.
“There has not been a single report of pigs getting sick due to this approach of discarding household scrap food,” Mr Mqalu confirmed.
Surrounding areas that include New Horizon, Kwanokutula, Pinetrees and Xolweni, have also adopted this method of discarding food waste. This method, over time, shifts a mountain of waste into feed for pigs. This initiative proves that when communities work collectively to change societal habits for the better, it can move mountains – in this case, mountains of waste.
One might assume that vegetable or fruit scraps can only be used for composting, but there are more ways to “kill a fly”.
Writer’s note:
Food waste is a worldwide epidemic; one-third of food on a global scale is either wasted or spoiled food. Food waste lying at dumpsites also result in methane gas build-up, which has been reported by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation as “25 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.” In the not too distant future, this will result in an additional increase in the effects of climate change.
Media Release: Extension of SLA between AON (PTY) Ltd and Garden Route District Municipality for 12 months
For Immediate Release 4 July 2019
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Council has appointed AON (underwritten by Lion of Africa) during 2015/2016, following a competitive bidding process (Tender E/02/15-16). AON was then appointed for a 3-year period to provide insurance coverage to the Council. On 27 June 2019, the GRDM Council discussed and resolved the extension of a twelve month Service Level Agreement (from 1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020) between AON (PTY) Ltd and GRDM. This took place with due regard to the requirements of Section 116 of the Municipal Finance Management Act 56 of 2003.
AON is willing to continue to render the contracted insurance services to GRDM for the proposed 12-month extension period.
In terms of Section 116 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, Act 56 of 2003, a contract of agreement procured through the Supply Chain Management policy, may be amended by the parties, but only after the local community has been given reasonable notice of the intention to amend the contract or agreement.”
Henceforth, local community members are invited to provide comments, if any, in writing, to Mr Monde Stratu, Municipal Manager, Garden Route District Municipality, 54 York Street, George or via e-mail info@gardenroute.gov.za on or before 11 July 2019.
For any information about the above, contact the Manager: BTO/AFS/Assets Ms L Hoek at louise@gardenroute.gov.za or Senior Accountant: Assets, Mr J Samery at john@gardenroute.gov.za, Telephone: 044 803 1325
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) has noted with discontent, that factually incorrect reporting has been circulating in the media space over the past few weeks. Facts have been twisted through promoting a narrative put forward that the district municipality’s leadership has been hiding information that was uncovered/discovered “by chance” or through “investigation”. We wish to place it on record that all information on matters relating to the proposed developments of both municipal resorts have been shared with Council, the public and [the] media.
To imply that the district has not followed due process, or even made a decision to appoint a service provider to develop resorts without following a public participation process is deceitful and part of a narrative which hampers the districts growth, its prospects and reputation.
The purpose of the existence of the municipality is to serve the interests of our communities. The media exists in the same spirit and belief; given that the interests are the same, the GRDM believes it will only serve well to give factual news to the very communities we all want to see prosper.
Response to article about a 50-year lease to German firm
An article published on the 14th of June 2019 by the Cape Times, titled “Outrage as families’ land claim loses out to 50-year lease to a German firm,” is misleading.
On our records, there was never a formal dispute of ownership recorded or any land-claim matter relating to both resorts. The Municipality only became aware of these disputes from the affected families who registered their objections during the Public Participation process, relating to Calitzdorp Spa. Consequently, the municipality sought clarities from the Chief Land Claims Office. The letter from the Office of the Regional Chief Land Claims Commissioner, dated 28 May 2019 on this matter, dictates that the claims were lodged by the Prins family before 31 December 1998. The letter from the Regional Chief Land Claims Commissioner further indicates that the matter is still under investigation.
To date, there is no signed Lease Agreement with Len24 Gmbh or any other company. No award has been made to Len24 Gmbh on the management and operation of Calitzdorp Spa and De Hoek Mountain Resort as reported by Cape Times. Furthermore, the municipality refutes claims that no due processes were followed to this point in time.
During April 2019, a public notice was advertised in the Group Editors newspaper. This notice was presented in terms of the:
Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act (No 56 of 2003);
Municipal Asset Transfer Regulations (R878 of 2008);
Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (No 3 of 2000); and
Local Government: Municipal Systems Act (No 32 of 2000)
The notice read that the Council of Garden Route District Municipality in terms of Resolution H.2, intends to enter into a long-term lease agreement (50 years) with LEN24 Gmbh to manage and operate De Hoek Mountain Resort and Calitzdorp Spa.
Furthermore, the notice emphasised the municipality’s prospect to enter into a lease agreement with a successful tenderer. This was the intent and should be seen as the cornerstone of a key social-entrepreneurial venture, which could have an immense positive socio-economic impact on the region.
The pieces of legislation stated above outlines what processes ought to be followed by the municipality in pursuing a transaction of this nature. This has indeed been strictly followed.
The above processes have been informed to Council, who have been aware of the municipality’s visit to Indonesia. A report was tabled to the GRDM Council about the trip. Moreover, the trip to Indonesia was made public by the municipality to inform communities of the initiative which was being embarked on. Reports that this trip was concealed are fictitious!
This conference was in line with the municipality’s vision of responding to a constitutional mandate as enunciated in the objects of Local Government that of, “promoting social and economic development”.
Additionally, it aimed at addressing one of the municipality’s Strategic Objectives which reads: “Growing an inclusive District Municipality”. This conference was the way in which the district municipality could exercise one of its functions – to unlock economic opportunities within the district through attracting domestic and foreign direct investment to the region. During the Conference, all municipalities in the region were provided with a platform to outline their packaged investment opportunities to prospective investors.
It was a full-house at the Garden Route Investment Conference which was held in March 2018 at Oubaai near George
Objectives of the conference
The overarching objective of the conference was to attract national (including local) and international investors to the Garden Route region and to showcase the investment potential and opportunities that exist within the area that included:
providing an overview of the National, Provincial and Regional economic development trajectories to investors;
showcasing investment/business success stories as case studies;
pursuing business development and fostering relations with prospective investors;
facilitating investment by pre-identifying and providing customized information packages to prospective investors regarding opportunities;
providing one-on-one sessions between municipalities/businesses and potential investors;
ensuring that measures are in place for a smooth and efficient planning process. This can help generate investment outcomes (ease of doing business, investment readiness, etc.); and
providing a platform where incentives can be shared with investors.
GRDM is committed to positioning itself as a destination of choice for national and international investment and has embarked on various initiatives to realise this objective. It is for this reason enunciated below that the two resorts were among the properties identified for possible investment opportunities.
Non-Profitable Municipal Resorts
The Municipality has been making huge losses for more than a decade in order to sustain operations on both establishments (Calitzdorp Spa and De Hoek Mountain Resort). Resources currently being used to keep these resorts running could be channelled to other service delivery projects which could have a greater socio-economic impact on our region.
If the current status quo is not addressed this might results in the closure of the resorts and the loss of jobs. It is some of these reasons that GRDM became proactive to engage in the processes outlined above. The envisaged partnership (which is still being discussed), if successful, will results in the boost of the local economy, creation of many jobs in excess of 1000 and bring massive upgrades to the infrastructure in those communities.
