Media Statement

For Immediate Release

3 April 2020

After the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic started affecting South Africans, members of the public now face a myriad of challenges that no one anticipated.  One challenge, which was also brought to the attention of the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM’s) Multi-Agency Command Centre, is the rapid increase of prices of essential goods within the Garden Route district. These items include various food products, toiletry essentials, disinfectants, to name a few.

The Competition Commission on 20 March 2020 issued a media statement to alert retailers regarding this type of conduct during this critical period. According to the statement, several complaints from the public about rising prices for essential products in particular certain food products, healthcare and hygiene products are noted.  The Commission also stated their concern about suppliers inflating prices as government, retailers and private healthcare companies embark on emergency procurement of products related to the curbing and managing of the spread of COVID-19.

The National Minister of Trade and Industry and Economic Development Ebrahim Patel on Thursday gazetted regulations in terms of the Competition Act and Disaster Management Act which aims to strengthen the ability of the commission and the National Consumer Commission to respond to incidences of exploitative pricing. These regulations empower the commission to prosecute cases where prices have increased materially without any cost justifications for the increase.

The Multi-Agency Command Centre urges retailers in the district, that should they not adhere to the regulations published by the National Minister, they will face severe penalties, including a 10 % of the store/business’ annual turnover for an offence of the first time and a 25 % of the annual turnover for a repeated offence. Further to this, directors of such companies who engage in illegal price hikes will face a potential imprisonment for a period of up to 10 years.

We therefore call upon all businesses/retailers within the Garden Route district to adhere to these Regulations to ensure that the residents/consumers of the district are fairly treated and served.

Consumers should bring their concerns to the attention of regulators through the toll-free no. 0800 014 880.

Written by Marillia Veldkornet | Communication Officer

Media Queries
Herman Pieters | Senior Communicator
Garden Route District Municipality
E-mail: communications@gardenroute.gov.za

Garden Route District Multi-Agency Command Centre

Media Release: Your donation is needed – CoronaVirus/Covid19 Pandemic

For Immediate Release
3 April 2020

South Africa is facing an unprecedented challenge with communities and the economy being affected by the growing COVID-19 pandemic. In the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) jurisdiction, with its seven (7) local municipal areas (Hessequa, Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Bitou, Oudtshoorn and Kannaland), Garden Routers are coming together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by lending a helping hand to others.

Donation of non-perishable food, toiletries, bedding for single beds and hand sanitisers will be of particular benefit to the less fortunate.   The Social Development Cluster of the GRDM Multi-Agency Command Centre kindly requests the public to make donations of this kind at the sites listed below:

Drop off points and/or contacts details per town are as follows:

HESSEQUA

Hessequa Fire Station, Mulder Street, Riversdale. Contact 028 713 7917 or 028 713 8000.

MOSSEL BAY

Mossel Bay Fire Station, Corner of Louis Fourie and Schoeman Streets, Mossel Bay. Charles Street, Great Brak River behind Mossel Bay municipal offices.  Contact the emergency call centre on 044 606 5000 or 044 691 3722.

GEORGE

KNYSNA

Contact Pam Booth on 060 998 6967 to make arrangements for collections.

BITOU

Bitou Fire Station, 1 Flying Cloud Drive, Plettenberg Bay. Contact Andile Sakati on 083 273 7057 / 072 272 4242 or Hadley Venter on 083 443 0120.

GREATER OUDTSHOORN

Oudtshoorn Fire Station (Disaster Relief Hub), 26 Church Street, Oudtshoorn. Contact Ms Sarah Olislager at 044 272 8977/ 083 689 2893 and Mr Wayne Peterson at 044 272 89 77.

KANNALAND

Disaster Management Centre, 23 Church Street, Ladismith (next to Standard Bank). Contact Wayne Robertson on 060 691 3029.

Before any donations are made, please contact the following DSD area representatives:

Mr Dennis Nghonyama [Oudtshoorn/ Kannaland] – 082 960 5746

Mr Mzukisi Skosana [George] – 083 628 7074

Mr Kenneth Mazaleni [Knysna/Bitou] –    082  226 9521

Ms Kholiswa Jobela  [Mossel Bay/Hessequa]- 078 210 5972

Donations by the public must happen without violating the isolation or quarantine measures in place or putting oneself or others at risk. It is advised that pre-arranged drop-off times be arranged to avoid overcrowding at sites. Donations will be controlled in adherence to lockdown regulations and responsibly distributed.

We thank you.

ENDS

Written by Marillia Veldkornet | Communication Officer

Media Queries
Herman Pieters | Senior Communicator
Garden Route District Municipality
E-mail: communications@gardenroute.gov.za

Garden Route District Multi-Agency Command Centre

Media Release: More than 500 Water Tanks to be distributed to Western Cape informal settlements

For Immediate Release
2 April 2020

Please note that we have added the section in bold, GRDM Communications

In the coming days approximately 500 water tanks will be distributed to various informal settlements across the Western Cape. Residents in these communities should be aware that their safety, health and basic rights are our top priority during this National crisis.

Based on the input provided by Municipalities, it was determined that 293 water tanks will be distributed to non-Metro districts, while the Metro will receive 244 of these tanks.

The non-Metro breakdown will see the Cape Winelands District receiving 75, the Garden Route District 86, Central Karoo District 50, Overberg District45 and the West Coast District 42.

A breakdown of the total number of water tanks per town in the Garden Route District, is as follows:

• Hessequa: 5
• Mossel Bay: 6
• George: 20
• Knysna: 20
• Bitou: 15
• Oudtshoorn: 10
• Kannaland: 10

It is critical that good and effective hygiene, along with social distancing is practiced in order to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. The provision of these water tanks will undoubtedly assist in this regard, particularly since access to water is one of the challenges that’s faced by informal settlements across the country.

The Western Cape Government will be monitoring the distribution of these water tanks closely, to ensure that they do arrive at the identified area and that it is benefitting the community. I call on community members to ensure that this infrastructure is protected and utilised to strengthen, improved hygiene.

In these difficult times which we are experiencing as a country, I am making a further call on the private sector, as part of active citizenry and who might be in a position to also assist with the provision of water tanks to play a role in this regard, as it will help us in the fight against COVID-19.

We have to #StopTheSpread

Media Enquiries:
Marcellino Martin
Spokesperson for Minister Tertuis Simmers
Marcellino.martin@westerncape.gov.za
021 483 3397 (o)
082 721 3362 (m)
or
Mr. Nathan Adriaanse
Director: Communication and Stakeholder Relations
Tel: 021 483-2868
Cell: 083 263 1720

Media Release: Role of Garden Route District Municipality’s Environmental Health Practitioners during the COVID-19 Outbreak

For Immediate Release
1 April 2020

During the past few weeks, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP’s) of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) have showed courage in the face of adversity, each playing a vital role to prevent and minimise the spread of COVID-19 in the district. At the beginning of March 2020, the Municipal Health Section of the GRDM’s Community Services launched a massive awareness campaign to educate the general public, not only about the signs and symptoms of the coronavirus disease, but most importantly on ways on how to minimize or prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as other matters on how to protect themselves and others.

As part of the campaign, more frequent inspections are conducted at premises to ensure that basic principles such as hand hygiene (hand washing with water and soap for 20 seconds and hand sanitizing or disinfection), cough etiquette, cleaning, sanitizing and or disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and social distancing are applied.  Other practices which are also promoted include adequate ventilation, the use of personal protective equipment by food handlers, cleaning and disinfection of transport vehicles and pest control, to name a few.

Yesterday, EHP’s in collaboration with the local municipalities in the Garden Route District, South African Police Services (SAPS) and local businesses played a vital role in protecting our community during the South African Social Security (SASSA) grant payouts. This was done by ensuring that social distancing and hand hygiene (where applicable) was practiced.  Personal hygiene practices were also promoted, especially within the public transport sector. Communities of the Garden Route can be assured that the GRDM Environmental Health Partitions will be visible until all SASSA grants have been paid.

Ongoing collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Health where Environmental Health Practitioners play an important role in the active tracing of contacts, meaning those who have been in close contact with a confirmed / positive COVID-19 case in the region, or to find out exactly where a person contracted the virus.  During the contact tracing process, EHP’s do backward tracing, back to the person where the infected person first came in contact with the virus and potentially caught the virus from. EHP’s address the importance of self isolation, self quarantine and waste management as practices used to curb the further spread of the disease.  “We also reassure those individuals who have been identified as confirmed COVID-19 cases and their contacts that any information obtained during investigation will be regarded as confidential,” said Mr Haemish Herwels, GRDM Chief: Municipal Health Services-Hessequa.

As it is enforced that all South Africans participate in the nationwide 21-day lockdown to stop the spread of the COVID -19 pandemic, EHP’s in the Garden Route District are visible daily on streets – “knowing that the only way we will win the fight against COVID-19 is to implement a ‘Whole of Society Approach’, meaning we all have to play our role,“ said Mr Herwels.

As the GRDM we would also like to extend a word of gratitude to our EHP soldiers out in the field, who leave their loved-ones and families behind, to join forces in leading the fight against the COVID-19 disease.