Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) held its “first” Press Conference earlier today with local media representatives, which included George Herald, SABC and Eden FM.
GRDM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen while being interviewed by Ms Sagree Chetty, a Reporter from the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
During the press conference, GRDM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen and his team enthusiastically elaborated on the entire process which was followed to reposition the brand-deluded name of “Eden” to a new, fresh, inclusive and internationally known “Garden Route” District Municipality.
“We can all now be referred to as Garden Routers” – Cllr Memory Booysen
An update about progress made in terms of the Regional Landfill Facility and the Municipality’s 2016/17 Audit Outcomes were also discussed. More information about these two topics will be released soon.
It is with pleasure to announce that on 24 August 2018, the Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, MEC Anton Bredell, officially approved the name change of Eden District Municipality to the Garden Route District Municipality.
Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen (front, 2nd from left) and Executive Deputy Mayor, Cllr Rosina Ruiters (front, 3rd from right), with the Government Gazette. Here the Council, Management and staff share in the moment soon after the announcement.
The announcement was made in terms of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act 117 of 1998), as per the Western Cape Government Provincial Gazette no: 7972 published on 24 August 2018.
It is with great pleasure to announce that the Eden District Municipality firefighters once again proved to be the toughest competitors of the “South African Toughest Firefighter Alive” competition, when they brought back the trophies to the Eden district the past weekend.
The competition took place at the Roeland Street Fire Station in Cape Town from 10 to 12 August 2018.
The accolades include Senior Firefighter Emile Conrad as, once again, the “SA Toughest Firefighter Alive,” being the overall winner of the “Men’s Individual” category. Mr Conrad has won the title ever since he attempted his first TFA competition in 2011. Furthermore, three firefighters of the Eden DM team, namely Messrs Deon Stoffels, Edwin Lottering, Branville Abrahams and Martino-Mariano Jacobs, participated in the individual challenges and all these participants performed superbly.
In the “Relay Team” challenge the Eden DM team competed against various municipalities and were able to walk away in 2nd position after Ethekwini Municipality snatched the first place.
Mr Conrad extended a word a gratitude to all who supported the team until the end of the competition and added these special words: “I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His amazing grace, love and overwhelming faithfulness and favour”. Mr Conrad furthermore thanked the organisers for making the event possible and added that the impact that this event has on the Fire Services, is immeasurable.
Mr Conrad extended a word a gratitude to all who supported the team until the end of the competition and added these special words: “I thank our Lord Jesus Christ for His amazing grace, love and overwhelming faithfulness and favour”. Mr Conrad furthermore thanked the organisers for making the event possible and added that the impact that this event has on the Fire Services, is immeasurable.
Executive Manager: Community Services, Mr Clive Africa, who accompanied the team during the three day’s events, described the competition as “very tough” and said: “Our Eden DM firefighters fought like gladiators!”
Ms Khutula Maki, the Eden DM Team Leader and Senior Firefighter, commended the team for their performance and emphasised: “Our Team was confident and enthusiastic from the beginning until the end of the competition and did not show any signs of fear or panic”. Ms Maki concluded: “It was an honour to be part of a winning team”.
Following the events of the past weekend, on Tuesday, 14 August 2018, the Eden DM Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen, paid a special visit to the team at the Eden DM Fire Station in George to congratulate them personally and praised them for their perseverance throughout the years of their involvement in the competition. “On behalf of Council, management and staff of Eden DM, we wish you well and look forward to many more great achievements from you as a well-renowned and respected Eden DM Firefighting Team,” Mayor Booysen concluded.
Representatives who attended the Western Cape Districts Integrated Forum are (from left): Mr Mzukisi Cekiso: GRDM IDP Manager, Ms Natalie Fortuin: IDP Coordinator at Cape Winelands District Municipality, Ms Vanessa Zeeman: Head: IDP and Communication at Overberg District Municipality, Ms Bianca Daries: Director: IDP and Performance Management at Cape Winelands District Municipality and Mr Leon Janse van Rensburg, Manager at the Auditor-General SA.
The Integrated Development Planning (IDP) Unit of Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) on 3 August 2018, hosted the Western Cape Districts Integrated Forum. The meeting was attended by IDP Managers from the GRDM, Overberg District Municipality, Cape Winelands District Municipality, as well as a representative from the Auditor-General South Africa.
The aim of the meeting was to achieve the cross-district alignment of key performance areas in terms of Integrated Development Planning and to share challenges faced by the IDP function. Best practices pertaining to the function itself, the readiness of the IDP process as per the legislative framework, as well as the establishment of an inter-district IDP support platform, were also discussed at the engagement. During the meeting, the IDP managers exchanged their process plans, as well as time schedules and agreed that future Western Cape Districts Integrated Forum Meetings will take place prior to the Provincial IDP Managers Forum meetings. The change in meeting schedule, will ensure better outcomes to be expected and more effective decisions to be made at the Provincial IDP Managers meetings.
Manager of the IDP Unit at GRDM, Mr Mzukisi Cekiso, commented on the manner in which the engagement transpired and said: “It was an excellent Provincial IDP Budget & Performance Management System Alignment engagement, which focused on the importance of districts offering support to one another and finding solutions to common challenges. This is paramount for the progress of the Western Cape as an entirety,” Mr Cekiso added.
It is envisaged that the Forum meetings will take place on a quarterly basis to continue with the progress of proper Integrated Development Planning across districts in the Western Cape.
The Firefighting team of Eden District Municipality (Eden DM) is currently participating in the “South Africa’s Toughest Firefighter Alive (TFA-SA)” competition held at the Roeland Street Fire Station in Cape Town from 10 to 12 August 2018.
The team is registered to participate in all “Individual” categories as well as the “Relay Team Category”. Team members Messrs Emile Conrad, Deon Stoffels, Edwin Lottering, Branville Abrahams and Martino-Mariano Jacobs, as well as team leader Ms Khutula Maki, are representing the Eden district at the event.
The Eden DM Firefighting team is well known for their outstanding performances in the competition since 2011. Especially Senior Firefighter Emile Conrad, who has won gold in the open division at the first participating competition. In this competition the Eden team walked away with four medals. Over the last seven years, the team excelled and brought back more accolades, as well as more commitment and endurance. Ever since, Emile Conrad continued to make the Eden district proud by maintaining his title as “Toughest Firefighter Alive” and the team members continued to excel in the Individual and Relay challenges over these years.
The event officially kicked-off with the Meet-and-Greet Session and Team Orientation today and will follow with the challenges on Saturday, 11 August 2018 from 9h00 until 18h00.
Good luck to Eden DM Firefighting team. Continue to make the Eden district proud!
After the sudden passing of Alvin Botha, HR Coordinator at Eden District Municipality on Tuesday, 24 July 2018, a heavy-hearted atmosphere reigned at the George Banquet Hall on Friday, 27 July 2018 when colleagues and Council celebrated his life with his immediate family members at a special memorial service.
Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen, during his tribute to Alvin, at the Memorial Service.
On Tuesday morning, the tragic news of the passing of Alvin reached the Executive Mayor, Cllr Memory Booysen, soon after the Mayor had to come to terms with the shocking news of Eden DM and Knysna Cllr Victor Molosi’s passing.
The Memorial Service event was formally directed by Trix Holtzhausen and opened by Councillor Isaya Stemela, Portfolio Chairperson of Corporate Services.
In his tribute to Alvin’s life, Mayor Booysen described Alvin as a very nice, yet firm person and said that if he would have had the power he would have asked God to bring Alvin back“…and then you realise, it is times like these when your earthly powers are exposed, we are all equal in God’s view… ” Mayor Booysen said.
The Eden DM Choir performed the song “Our Father” at the service.
As the slideshow of photographs was displayed by Megan Cunningham, every single person in the room saw how Alvin touched people’s lives in different ways. In her tribute to Alvin, former HR official and friend of Alvin, Chrystal Spies, said that it became evident over the years that Alvin loved his family dearly and that he was very fond of his friends. “He also had a very special place in his heart for the Roads colleagues,” Chrystal added. This was confirmed by Nontobeko Klaas, HR Manager, when she shared a story of their recent visit to Roads and said, “The Roads Services personnel did not want to listen to me, they wanted Alvin to address them, because all of them worked with him for years and grew visibly fond of him,” she said.
Alvin will especially be remembered for being a specialist in HR Policies and how he advised Management and Committees during various formal engagements – “we will always remember him for being a nice and cheerful person”.
He will be laid to rest on Saturday, 4 August 2018 in his hometown Oudtshoorn.
May your soul rest in peace our colleague and friend, Alvin Botha.
In honour of Madiba and in celebration of the “100 Nelson Mandela Centenary 2018”, approximately 50 (fifty) officials of the Eden DM Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) visited the Rosemoor Rotary Old Age Home, to assist caretakers with their daily activities. Some of the tasks performed were the pruning of trees, spading of the garden soil and cutting of grass. Female officials washed the walls, windows and bed linen. The team also restored the fireplace of the Centre.
For their 67 minutes, Roads Department officials handed out food to job seekers who gather at the pickup point in Industrial Road. Items such as beans, meat, samp and soup mix were donated by Roads officials who joined forces to make a hearty, warm meal that was handed out with bread. Roads Officials who can be seen in the photographs: Ms Jeanine Saaiman, Ms Angela Buys, Ms Teresa Norjie-Singh and Mr Rigardt Pyler.
Officials from the Eden District Municipal Health Office in Mossel Bay donated dog food to the Mossel Bay SPCA and also used the opportunity to play with the dogs at the facility. Executive Deputy Mayor of Eden District Municipality, Cllr Rosina Ruiters, Cllr Erica Meyer, Mr Wayne Odendaal, Ms Marlene Losper, Dr Johann Schoeman, Ms Jenay van Niekerk and Mr Angus Andries, participated in the initiative.
Kennel Manager of the facility, Ms Jolandi Esterhuizen, thanked the team and received the items on behalf of the facility.
Eden Distriksmunisipaliteit (Eden DM) se Rampbestuur en Brandweer afdelings het die Van Der Hoven Laerskool besoek. Die skool bestaan uit 4 onderwysers, ‘n sekretaresse en 75 leerders tot en met Graad 5.
Mnr Gerhard Otto van Eden DM het die verskillende afdelings aan die personeel en leerders voorgestel. Tydens die aktiwiteite het me Gail Bekeer noodhulpwenke aan die kinders verduidelik en me Tippie Bouwer het noodnommers aan die leerders verskaf. Brandweerpersoneel het ‘n skuim demonstrasie gedoen en die kinders hul ‘bunker’ pakke laat aantrek. Ter afsluiting, is kerrie en rys aan die leerders bedien, waarna ‘goodie bags’ en sakke vol klere aan almal oorhandig is.
Die skoolhoof, me Anita Oosthuizen, het die Eden span hartlik bedank vir die gebaar.
