Request for Assistance: Urgent appeal for breast milk donations
For Immediate Release
31 March 2021
A little breast milk can go a long way in improving the overall health of an infant whose mother may be unable to produce enough milk or is in isolation. The George Hospital’s milk bank has run out of donor milk and calls on breastfeeding mothers for their kind donations.
According to George Hospital Operational Manager at Ward B3 and B3 Neonatal Unit, Sr Allida Portland there is a constant need for breast milk donations as there is a possibility that a mother may need to go into isolation and her baby will have to be dependent on donor milk.
Image: Western Cape Department of Health
What is needed to become a donor?
You can become a breast milk donor if you are a healthy breastfeeding mother who are able to express enough milk. You will have to fill out the necessary paperwork and be willing to undergo a rapid HIV blood test.
Who will benefit from donor milk?
Babies weighing less than 1,5kg at birth; babies of mothers with limited breast milk as well as premature twins and triplets of mothers who are unable to meet their infants’ nutritional requirements.
Why is breast milk preferred over formula milk?
Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for infants as it improves their health; helps them to recover faster when ill; it ensures good growth and development; protects them against infections and prevents other health problems.
If you are interested in becoming a donor, please contact the hospital’s Neonatal Unit on 044 802 4577/ 4578.
Containers will be made available for mothers to express milk either at the hospital or in the comfort of their homes. Milk can be dropped off at the hospital or alternatively, contact the hospital’s Neonatal Unit for a driver to collect the milk.
Photo caption:
Young mother, Tamlin Scheepers seen with her son Luciano, who is currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Luciano was born last month at 24 weeks old. He is one of the many babies who will benefit from donor milk as his mother struggles to produce enough milk.
END
Nadia Ferreira
Principal Communications Officer
Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts
Western Cape Government Health
Town Clinic,Plettenberg Bay
Tel: 076 379 5423
Email: Nadia.Ferreira@westerncape.gov.za
Website: www.westerncape.gov.za
Issued: Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts, Western Cape Government Health
Media Release: Garden Route DM supports the Klein Karoo Export Agri Hub to create a unique rural economy
For Immediate Release 30 March 2021
This partnership seeks to develop the Klein Karoo economy, to create a sustainable environment and jobs – some of the important focus areas for the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), which wants to form part of efforts to turn around the high unemployment rate of Kannaland communities. A recent partnership came into fruition when the GRDM Council gave the go-ahead for the GRDM Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu, to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on behalf of the GRDM Council with the Calitzdorp Export Agri Hub. This landmark agreement will see that high impact pomegranate farms in the Klein Karoo get off the ground.
The immediate need for the Calitzdorp Export Agri Hub was for a R600 000.00 injection to carry out a water study for the area. This phase, which was eventually funded by GRDM, includes a water study that involves the drilling of boreholes. Subsequently, two desalination plants for reverse osmosis, capable of cleaning 60 000ℓ of water per hour, were donated by the Calitzdorp Export Agri Hub to GRDM. These plants have an original purchase value of R2.5 million.
SAFE SUSTAINABLE YIELD OF BOREHOLES
According to Dirk Rudolph, the contracted Geohydrologist, boreholes are currently being drilled in accordance to a geophysical survey that indicated that the most viable option would be to drill formations north-west of the pomegranate farm. This area includes the Baviaanskloof, Skurweberg, Goudini and Cedarberg formations.
At the moment, each borehole is analysed at regular intervals by using a V-notch weir during drilling. This will help the Geohydrologist to get an estimate of the blow yield of each borehole. According to Rudolph, this will be followed by each borehole being subjected to a 72-hour constant pumping test.
One of the boreholes that yields approximately 32 000 litres of water per hour being drilled after the project get the funding from GRDM.
Alderman Memory Booysen showing “thumbs-up” to the project during his visit to the site.
Ald. Memory Booysen (right) with three of the men (fltr: Rofhiwa Munayi, Justice Muthige and Gerald Zivengwa), who are working at the site.
POMEGRANATES IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
Research indicates that pomegranates require 6000 m³ water per hectare. This is 2.5 times less than almonds and about 2.8 times less than Lucerne, which makes it this the crop with the highest return per litre of water. Although this type of farming is still quite a young industry in South Africa and the Southern hemisphere, studies indicate that Kannaland and Oudtshoorn offer the best micro-climate for pomegranates in the Southern part of Africa.
The project, coined the ‘Klein Karoo Export Hub’, wants to see the 1% pomegranate export market held by South Africa expanded. According to Monde Stratu, GRDM Municipal Manager: The plan is to meet the demand for pomegranates during off-seasons to other parts of the world and the Klein Karoo Export Hub aims to export at least 50% of all pomegranate from this hub to other parts of the world. The GRDM’s partnership with the Klein Karoo Export Hub was carefully considered, subsequent to available research about pomegranate exports from South Africa. “The demand and supply factors relating to the industry, local soil analysis, climatic and environmental studies are some of the many factors we had to get insights about,” he said.
Dirk Rudolph, the contracted Geohydrologist briefs the GRDM team about the boreholes and progress made to date.
Ald. Memory Booysen (GRDM Executive Mayor), Gerhard Meyer (Owner: Celebratio), Gerhard Otto (GRDM Manager: Disaster Management), Passmore Dongi (GRDM Project Manager) and Adv. Sinekaya Maqekeni (GRDM Manager: Integrated Support Services and Legal Compliance)
Mr Passmore Dongi, GRDM Project Manager (left) and Ald. Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM shows just how big and red the pomegranates in the area are.
SPIN-OFFS FOR LOCALS
The GRDM Council supports the drive to promote economic growth through a co-ordinated regional approach and partnership in agriculture and Agro-processing that is focused on employment creation and exporting. “If all goes according to plan, a 1000 hectares (10 million square metres) of land will be acquired, of which 10% will be reserved for ten (10) Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) farmers,” said Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM. “According to our calculations, each of these farmers will receive 1%, or otherwise calculated as 100 000 square meters or 10 rugby fields of land to produce pomegranates and to form part of the pomegranate crop value chain,” he explained. “We therefore fully support the Klein Karoo Export Hub project because we will also be able to create a unique model for rural development in the region that can be duplicated elsewhere. This is also in line with our efforts to implement the Joint District Metro Approach (JDMA).”
The project would see the establishment of an Agri-village, housing approximately 600 farm workers who will own their own properties. “We anticipate that the project will create 1800 permanent jobs and 2000 seasonal jobs, pomegranate orchards and attract Agri Tourism,” said Booysen. Project Klein Karoo Export Hub has already secured 30Ha for the development of the Agri Village.
It is planned to grow Wonderful Pomegranates in the Calitzdorp area. The area is already known for exporting apples, pears, peaches, plums, grapes, and apricots elsewhere. The Klein Karoo Export Hub, known as Celebratio, already has a packhouse for fresh fruit and will also build juicing, oil pressing and process facilities to enhance its business model.
The GRDM Planning Department implements the project through its Project Management Unit. According to PMU Manager, Mr Passmore Dongi, “the idea is to create sustainable rural economies that can withstand the shocks and test of time”. It is imperative that as a District we have a paradigm shift in terms of sustainable development and begin the process of looking at development in a holistic manner. In order to deal with unemployment, poverty and other issues we need to be visionaries and begin to use locally available resources to address local challenges and to capitalise on comparative advantage as it pertains to our region. This project is aimed to bring a new dimension and perspective to the concept of rural development as this is aimed to demonstrate what honest PPPs arrangements can yield – if the engagements are transparent and with the objectives of addressing the needs of society at heart. This project will create an oasis of wealth in an area deemed to be of no significant value because of the climatic conditions. The project will also have significant green energy projects to power most of the activities in the hub. “We will create a smart clean rural Agri hub that responds to the UN Sustainable development goals,” said Dongi.
Feature image: Alderman Memory Booysen, GRDM Executive Mayor (middle), with two of the ladies working at the Celebratio packhouse, Lewonia April (left) and Andrew-leen Jacobs (right).
Media Release: 2021–2040 Garden Route Growth and Development Strategy approved by Council
For Immediate Release 30 March 2021
The Garden Route, similar to other parts of South Africa, continues to illustrate stark contrasts of spatial and economic circumstances. In fact, the haves and the have nots are still living worlds apart, although in many instances, spatially less than a kilometre away from one another. It is for this reason that the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) spearheaded the process of changing, not only the trajectory of the Garden Route economy, but also to build prosperity with equity. At the centre of this vision is a finalised and approved long-term strategy known as the Garden Route Growth and Development Strategy (GDS). This key document has been successfully developed in collaboration with the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership (WCEDP) and was finalised today when the GRDM Council approved it.
Alderman Memory Booysen, GRDM Executive Mayor
Mr Monde Stratu, GRDM Municipal Manager
Ald. Rosina Ruiters, Portfolio Chairperson: Economic Development and Tourism
Mr Lusanda Menze, GRDM Executive Manager for Planning and Economic Development
Ms Melanie Wilson, GRDM Manager: Local Economic Development and Tourism
According to Executive Manager for Planning and Economic Development at GRDM, Lusanda Menze, “COVID-19 delayed many of the consultative engagements, but this was expected in the formulation of the strategy because such a strategic document has to be consistent with internal resources and external environments”.
“The first stakeholder workshops took place on 29 and 30 October 2019, while the draft Garden Route GDS was presented to all Garden Route Local Government Mayors and Municipal Managers on 11 February 2021,” he said.
Executive Mayor, Ald. Booysen elaborated, the Garden Route GDS encompasses a few objectives, including: “A shared 20-year vision for the regional economy stretching until 2040; how to do things differently; developing a common economic agenda to improve the economic development and system relating to it.”
“What makes this strategy different is that it is intended to be a ‘living strategy’ and a ‘risk-driven strategy’”. Ald. Booysen explained: “By the descriptions we mean that the implementation, monitoring and evaluation forms part of our collective ongoing learning and ability to adapt, while at the same time the Garden Route GDS requires a collective approach in order to efficiently navigate through challenges and changes.”
The strategy is shaped by the profile and regional priorities of the district, which are divided into themes such as; water secure future, circular economy, resilient agriculture, sustainable tourism, support for well-being and resilience, sustainable local energy transition and a connected economy. The document is further grounded in several core-principles such as being people-centred; valuing cultures; preserving ecological heritage; approaching change collaboratively; recognising uncertainties of innovation and responsiveness; being conscious of sustainable and resilient factors directly impacting the region; good governance; being mindful of constraints; and open to a changing yet interconnected and interdependent region.
The GDS for the Garden Route articulates the region’s development path. This Garden Route GDS would not have been possible without broad consultation, which greatly assisted the GRDM to build a collective and shared strategy for the Region/District. It is an aspirational strategy, which would need to align to the GRDM five-year Integrated Development Plan (IDP) going forward. This means that the Garden Route GDS frames the IDP and ventures the GRDM’s long-term ambitions, strategies and overarching decisions that will bring to effect that change the region wants to see by 2040.
Access the Garden Route District Growth and Development Strategy here. Access the Garden Route Investment Prospectus here.
Media Statement: One finding away from a Clean Audit: Garden Route DM receives its third consecutive Unqualified Audit Outcome
30 March 2021 For Immediate Release
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), one (1) of the five (5) district municipalities in the Western Cape, obtained its third consecutive unqualified audit outcome. For the year under review (2019/2020), the Auditor-General of South Africa’s (AGSA) reported one (1) finding; an improvement for the GRDM compared to 2018/19.
Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM welcomes the Audit outcome, and he said, “We invested a lot of time and energy in assuring that we comply with all relevant legislative prescripts in Local Government environment and that we apply the relevant standards when preparing our financial statements.
GRDM Executive Mayor, Alderman Memory Booysen
GRDM Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu
According to GRDM Municipal Manager, Monde Stratu: “There were no financial material misstatements, no performance management misstatements and no material inconsistencies reported in our Annual Report”. The only material finding identified by the AGSA relates to the composition of our Bid Adjudication Committee, which was the same finding raised in the previous audit and was corrected in November 2019, however it was raised even though it was corrected. The AGSA regarded this as a transversal matter and dealt with it as such. It was subsequently revealed by the AGSA that the GRDM is in a sound financial position.
The final step for the GRDM was to for its Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), to compile an Oversight Report in accordance with Section 129 of the Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act, 2005. This report was considered by the GRDM Council during a Special Council meeting today, 30 March 2021.
According to the GRDM Oversight Report and re-highlighted by Cllr Clodia Lichaba (MPAC Chairperson), the GRDM administration was congratulated “for maintaining an unqualified audit outcome, given the pandemic challenges. Many audit-related engagements took place during a critical time when the the institution only had skeleton staff to assist”. MPAC’s Chairperson furthermore noted that there was a vast improvement on the content of the Audit Report because of a drastic reduction in material matters.
During a GRDM Council meeting (top, left), two chairpersons logged in to discuss the Annual Report and Oversight Reports. Logged in via Zoom (right), Dr Adele Potgieter (Chairperson: Audit and Performance Audit Committee) and at the bottom, Cllr Clodia Lichaba (Chairperson: Municipal Public Accounts Committee).
The finding – Composition of the Bid Adjudication Committee
In the 2018/19 Auditors were of the view that the competitive bids were adjudicated by a bid adjudication committee that was not composed in accordance with Supply Chain Management Regulations 29(2), which provide guidance for the composition of Bid Adjudication Committees.
This regulation reads:
– a bid adjudication committee must consist of at least four senior managers of the municipality or municipal entity which must include
(i) the chief financial officer or, if the chief financial officer is not available, another manager in the budget and treasury office reporting directly to the chief financial officer and designated by the chief financial officer;
(ii) at least one senior supply chain management practitioner who is an official of the municipality or municipal entity;
(iii) and a technical expert in the relevant field who is an official of the municipality or municipal entity, if the municipality or municipal entity has such an expert.
After the above finding was raised by the AGSA in 2018/19, management swiftly and formally appointed the Manger: Supply Chain Management, as a member of the BAC. This appointment was done during that audit in November 2019. At the time of the AGSA’s final report, this was already corrected.
However, the same finding that was raised in 2018/19 and corrected in November 2019, has again been raised as a repeat finding, in the current year’s audit (2019/20 Audit). Management disputed this finding and it was referred to the AGSA Technical Unit. The reason for this dispute was based on the following premises:
That the matter was raised in previous audit as material finding affecting the audit opinion. The matter was immediately corrected even before the conclusion of 2018/19 audit.
Management is of the view that it serves no purpose to again raise the material finding that has already been rectified. The root cause has been identified in the previous year and the defect cured. It is an exercise in futility and actually negates the principles of fairness.
There is no remedial action proposed by the Office of the Auditor General and therefore this results in a situation where the municipality was found guilty the previous year, was punished, served the sentence and is again subjected to the same trial even after having corrected what was wrong. This is double jeopardy, a situation frowned upon by our legal system especially in the light of the fact that the decisions of the Auditor are administrative in nature and must adhere to the principles of fairness.
The AGSA acknowledged that this finding is raised as matter of consistency and is a result of their methodology and therefore cannot be ignored. They also acknowledge that they did not recommend any action to address this finding, as the Municipality has already addressed the matter.
However, they remain of the view that the non-compliance remained “material”, when considering the period (July 2019 to October 2019) before the GRDM Supply Chain Manager was appointed as a BAC member.
The GRDM management further confirms that this finding will not re-occur in 2020/21 audit, as this matter is now settled.
GRDM remains on a path that delivers and works in the best interests of all who live in the Garden Route.
Did you know?
Clean Audit Outcomes: The financial statements are free from material misstatements and there are no findings on reporting on performance objectives or non-compliance with legislation.
Unqualified Audit Opinions: The financial statements contain no material misstatements. Findings may have been made on either reporting on predetermined objectives or non-compliance with legislation, or both these aspects.
Qualified Audit Opinions: The financial statements contain material misstatements in specific amounts, or there is insufficient evidence for us to conclude that specific amounts included in the financial statements are not materially misstated.
Disclaimer of Opinion: On some occasions, an AQ is unable to complete an accurate audit report. This may occur for a variety of reasons, such as an absence of appropriate financial records. When this happens, the auditor issues a disclaimer of opinion, stating that an opinion of the firm’s financial status could not be determined.
Executive Mayor’s Speech – GRDM Ordinary Council Meeting on 30 March 2021
Mr Speaker
I would like to make use of this opportunity to officially welcome Cllr Barker. Cllr Barker, I echo what my fellow Councillors have uttered. We are indeed a team and you are more than welcome to form part of this team; it is also correct that we work together and do not pull rank. This means in essence that every Councillor’s voice is equally important.
Mr Speaker – I would like to remind all Garden Routers, Western Cape communities and South Africans to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols that are in place. I do sense that there is still COVID-19 fatigue and that we are not witnessing now what we witness at the beginning of the pandemic when people were more careful. I would therefore like to emphasise that with the Easter weekend being upon us, I do not have to expand in details about the risks associated with it, for instance issues associated with big congregations and the spread of the virus. It remains our plea as political leaders that we need to still exercise extreme caution – stick to the regulations and try their best to keep their social distancing. For that matter, between as Garden Route District Municipality, the South African Local Government Association and the United Nations, a couple of weeks ago we distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all municipalities in the Garden Route to signify that COVID-19 is still with us. Mr Speaker, we are concerned that the roll-out of the vaccine is not being done as quickly as all of us expected, but those high up who have such decision making powers and control, are dealing with that issue.
I am also extremely excited that there is a lot that Garden Route District Municipality is doing to deal with job losses because of COVID-19 and the hard lockdown. Unexpected consequences are still being faced by many of us. It is for this reason that we are on a drive to equip the youth. I have noted correspondence that some of our NQF learners are graduating soon. Some of them will be placed and others will be assisted to ensure that the training we arranged does not go to waste. Also, at the same time, there is a new intake of learners for 6 months. My plea on behalf of the GRDM Council is that we must track their progress and trace their journey to ensure that none of the skills that have been invested in them goes to waste.
Mr Speaker, a couple of weeks ago, we as this council approved funding for boreholes to be drilled in the Kannaland region, between Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp. In terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act, it is required for us to follow the money. Wherever funds are spend we must do follow-ups that this has been done in accordance to what we agreed upon. Yesterday I was joined by a few Senior officials to go and look at the progress made so far in terms of the boreholes. We witnessed a lot of excitement while discussing the project with stakeholders because a significant amount of water has been found. We know that water is life. This is probably the biggest and most important thing that farmers want. Farmers need water and the rest they will roll out themselves. This has what has transpired during this exercise. The Geohydrologists have created three boreholes and they are still on the site to ensure that fractures are not abused because the preliminary study is outcomes is now awaited. Our Council will see more reports about the progress made at the site on a regular basis, because this is an investment into change that we all need to see, funded by the with the taxpayer. I must however say, after it came to my attention yesterday…Mr Speaker and Council, because farmers have discovered water, and also because of consecutive years of drought faced by these farmers, they are anticipating what will be happening next. What I’ve learned yesterday is that some farmers have started to prepare their land because water would be coming. They asked us to intervene because the Department of Environmental Affairs stopped some of the farmers to prepare their land. This is because if a farmer does not use his or her land for 10 consecutive years, they are delayed because of red-tape to cultivate their land. Mr Speaker, this is mind-boggling to me and I am not sure what to do about this. It is something we have to investigate as a District Municipality and to subsequently approach the relevant provincial and national departments to address this. It does not make sense. A farmer prepares land because there is a possibility of worker – many cannot work their land if they know that there is persistent drought expected.
Mr Speaker, I will keep Council up to date about how we will deal with the situation going forward.
Media Release: Garden Route at the top of its game in controlling air quality
For immediate release
26 March 2021
Garden Route district continues to achieve 100% submission of NAEIS reports
The “National Atmospheric Emission Inventory System” or “NAEIS” is an internet-based emissions reporting system, which is a component of the South African Atmospheric Emission Licencing and Inventory System (SAAELIP) portal. NAEIS allows for regulated industries, as well as authorities to report atmospheric emissions from all sectors for compiling a national atmospheric emission inventory profile. NAEIS is legislated through the National Emission Reporting regulations that prescribe NAEIS reporting.
“Emission inventory means an accounting of the amount of pollutants discharged into the atmosphere and it contains the total emissions for one or more specific greenhouse gases and air pollutants originating from all sources in a certain geographical area and within a specified time span, said Dr Johann Schoeman, Manager: District Air Quality Control.NAEIS is a web-based atmospheric emissions monitoring and reporting system that is aimed at providing accurate, current and complete information. It includes all significant sources of identified atmospheric emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions from South Africa. NAEIS uses a single national reporting system of atmospheric emissions, which includes:
Informing policy formulation;
Meeting obligations as a country, under the United Framework Convention on Climate Change and any other international treaties to which it is bound; and
The establishment and upkeep of a National Emission Inventory Profile.
To comply with the reporting regulations, facilities must report emissions from each preceding year. This is made possible when the NAEIS system is opened for reporting from 1 January to 31 March annually. To ensure that this is done, the GRDM Air Quality unit arranged training sessions for its industries since the inception of NAEIS reporting in 2015 to assist stakeholders with reporting on the NAEIS system. Since the start, the Garden Route district collectively achieved a 100% submission of NAEIS reports although the National target currently stands at 90%.
This 100% submission rate is achieved through relentless assistance to our industry. “We guide the industry through special NAEIS completion target-group sessions, appointments and personal assistance,’ said Dr Schoeman.
“Most of the larger industries also have the capacity to appoint consultants to assist them with NAEIS reporting. We therefore focus on the smaller industries that do not have the capacity to do the reporting.”
Dr Schoeman further explained: “Within the Garden Route district, we have 37 facilities that have to report on NAEIS. With a week remaining, we already achieved a 70% submission rate with 26 Facilities that already submitted their NAEIS reports. We are in the process of reminding and assisting those that are busy with their NAEIS reports to do their submissions before 31 March 2021.”
The GRDM’s Air Quality section is sure that another 100% submission rate will be achieved for 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic made it challenging for both Industry, as well as the Air Quality Officers, because additional to compliance with Covid-19 protocols were added to daily tasks. Despite these challenges, the GRDM used innovative means to achieve its goals and objectives. After the NAEIS reporting cycle, authorities have to audit the NAEIS report, after which the National Department does National verifications.
Public Notice: Join the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting on Monday, 29 March 2021
Notice is hereby given in terms of the MFMA Circular No 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that the Garden Route District Municipality’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC), responsible for the Review and Analysis of the 2019/20 Annual Report, will be taking place on 29 March 2021.
Public Notice: Join the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) Meeting
Notice is hereby given in terms of the MFMA Circular No 32 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act 56 of 2003) that the Garden Route District Municipality’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee, responsible for the Review and Analysis of the 2019/20 Annual Report, will be taking place on 25 March 2021
Questions will be posed to Management to get clarity on the contents of the Annual Financial Statements and the Annual Report. The draft oversight report will be written after this meeting.
For any further enquiries regarding this MPAC meeting kindly contact Mr Thembani Loliwe at 044 803 1430
