Author: Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe

In the photo from Left: Georgie from GO GEORGE, Ms Lauren Waring (Acting Municipal Manager), Cllr Marais Kruger (Portfolio Councillor for Community Safety), Cllr Erika Brown (Ward 3 Councillor), Cllr Marlene Barnardt (Chief Whip), Ald Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George), Cllr Raybin Figland (Executive Deputy Mayor) and Daantjie Kat from the George Traffic Services.

In a festive display of holiday safety awareness and warm welcome, the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk, and members of the Executive Mayoral Committee hosted a friendly Mayoral Roadblock at the entrance to George, N9, on Thursday, 14 December 2023.

The entourage, including Ald Van Wyk, Executive Deputy Mayor Raybin Figland, Portfolio Councillor for Community Services: Community Safety, Cllr Marais Kruger, Ward 3 Councillor Erika Brown, Chief Whip Cllr Marlene Barnardt, and Acting Municipal Manager Ms. Lauren Waring, distributed holiday goody-bags to motorists.

Key stakeholders and role-players in tourism, safety, and transport, such as GO GEORGE, George Tourism (including Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism), Municipal Traffic Services, George Fire Services and Disaster Management, municipal Law Enforcement, and members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), were also present. Mascots Georgie from GO GEORGE and Daantjie Kat from the George Traffic Services added excitement for younger visitors.

Ald Van Wyk said, “Today we are conducting a holiday safety awareness programme to welcome visitors to George who will be spending their holidays here; we are accompanied by our community safety services and display of equipment, to demonstrate our readiness to receive and host our visitors and tourists and to ensure a safe, festive holiday for all.”

Cllr Marais Kruger, Portfolio Councillor for Community Safety, expressed satisfaction with the success of the Mayoral Roadblock, emphasizing George’s preparedness for the festive season. He added, “Our emergency personnel as well as all service delivery Departments are prepared to ensure maximum safety for visitors and locals and to ensure that our visitors enjoy their stay in a clean and well-run city where all services are working.”

For quick access to tourism information, safety for visitors’ information, and useful municipal contacts in the greater George area, visit the following links:
George Tourism: https://visitgeorge.co.za/
George Municipal Contacts: https://www.george.gov.za/contact/

In the photo: Executive Mayor Leon van Wyk in deep discussion with Richard Hetem, Side Street Adventures.

George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism hosted an official festive season launch on Wednesday, 06 December at the George Museum. Attendees could enjoy a free self-tour of the museum upon arrival and were then welcomed by MANCO Chairperson for the George Museum, Dr Okkie Stander, who explained the importance of the museum which preserves the history of the town with a special focus on the timber industry.

Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk provided a Keynote Address on Festive Season Readiness which was followed by Q&A from the floor with several municipal officials attending, including Dr Michele Gratz (Municipal Manager), Lauren Waring (Director Human Settlements, Planning and Development), Janine Wells (Traffic Chief), and Neels Barnard (Disaster and Fire Chief), along with comments by the Chief Whip, Cllr Marlene Barnardt.

Sharon House, Acting Manager for Tourism at the time, presented a fun formatted presentation of the 60+ things to do in greater George, which is now presented in a stunning flyer due to be handed out to all tourism establishments this coming week. Ricardo Classen, responsible for statistics at the tourism office, delivered the good news that accommodation forward bookings for this festive season are already 10% up, according to Online Travel Agent data, from the same period last year, with the very peak days already in the 70 to 80 percents – indicating another bumper festive season for George Municipality. Further tourism stakeholder information was shared, highlighting useful season information and resources, and tourism office planned activations.

The robust question and answer session was followed by snacks and networking between guests. “Thank you to all who attended the function, as well as to the George Museum for warmly hosting us. We wish you every success over the December and January period,” says Acting Tourism Manager, Sharon House. “There’s still time to fetch maps, table talkers and flyers to distribute to your guests, so please do stop past the George Visitor Information Centre,” adds House.

In the photo: Release of red and white balloons by Cllrs Adams and Jantjies

In collaboration with the Department of Health and various stakeholders, the George Municipality HIV & AIDS Sub-Section hosted a commemoration event for World AIDS Day 2023 on 1st December 2023 at the Rosemore sports field. The event brought together high school students, and mothers caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs), and featured health-related tests conducted on gazebos erected on the sports field.

Ward Councillor (Cllr) Jayzee Jantjies of Ward 6 addressed the community, emphasising the importance of maintaining a healthy community. The event included sports activities, motivational speakers, and the release of red and white balloons by Portfolio Councillor for Community Services: Social Development, Libraries and Sport, Cllr Brandan Adams, and Ward Cllr Jayzee Jantjies in remembrance of loved ones who lost their lives to the HIV pandemic.

The organizers conveyed a message of hope, emphasizing that individuals living with HIV/AIDS and using Antiretroviral medicine can still enjoy life and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

World AIDS Day, observed on December 1st each year, has become a globally recognized health day, providing an essential opportunity to raise awareness, remember those who have passed away, and celebrate achievements such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day, “World AIDS Day 35: Remember and Commit,” marked the 35th commemoration, highlighting the theme “LET COMMUNITIES LEAD.”

In the photo: Young adults living with disabilities on a journey into the forest

In commemoration of the International Day for Persons Living with Disabilities on Sunday, 3 December 2023, the George Municipality’s Gender and Disability Desk joined hands with the Association of People with Disability (APD) George and Garden Route National Park to facilitate a day of nature exploration and empowerment.

A group of 20 young adults living with disabilities was taken on a meaningful journey into the forest to take a walk to the Big Tree, where they were educated about nature. Those who were able also participated in 1 kilometre walk into the forest. Nature has such a positive effect on the human body just think of the calming effect the fresh air had on this group.

After the visit to the forest, we went to San Parks to go canoeing with the group, some of them were quite scared of the river, but we managed to take a few for canoeing. Through this program persons with a disability could showcase that they can do anything an able-bodied person can do.

This initiative not only provided a day of enjoyment and exploration but also served as a platform for challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusivity. By showcasing the capabilities of persons with disabilities, the event aimed to break down barriers and inspire a more inclusive community.

In the photo: Various Stakeholders at the 16 days of Activism in Uniondale

George Municipality, in collaboration with various stakeholders including the Department of Social Development, UNIEP, Working on Fire, Uniondale SAPS, and EMS, spearheaded a campaign against gender-based violence. The campaign, held from 23rd November 2023 to 7th December 2023, featured different speakers addressing the purpose and effects of gender-based violence, highlighting new amendments to the law, spiritual dancing, and a keynote address.

Campaign Highlights:
20 November 2023: Last planning meeting for 16 Days of Activism with 17 stakeholders present.

23 November 2023: Opening event in Haarlem marked the commencement of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, attended by 40 individuals.

24 November 2023: Launch of the 16 days with a March in Uniondale, drawing the participation of 91 attendees.

27 & 28 November 2023: Puppet shows conducted at creches in Uniondale, Avontuur, and Haarlem, reaching 170 children.

30 November 2023: Program for parents to inform them about their rights and responsibilities, reaching 30 individuals.

The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness about all forms of abuse, encourage reporting, and discourage silence. The active involvement of various stakeholders reflects a community-wide commitment to combatting gender-based violence.

As we enter our busy holiday period, readers will probably have noticed the preparations being made to ensure that our visitors have a pleasant stay. From the beginning of December, there is a daily season preparedness meeting to ensure that all our services function optimally. Once again, we are enduring loadshedding and doing our best to operate within these constraints. This year beachgoers will notice that we have partnered with the NSRI who will be managing the teams of lifesavers on duty at our beaches.

Over the past couple of weeks, George has been called upon to assist Knysna Municipality where difficulties have been experienced by the municipality in transporting refuse to the regional landfill site and in providing water to households where there have been supply interruptions. This has meant that we have sent in some of our refuse compactors and water tankers to assist a neighbouring municipality.

George takes enormous pride in ensuring that our core services function effectively and that when repairs are necessary, they are undertaken in the fastest possible time with the proviso that the applicable faulty parts can be sourced rapidly.

Readers may be interested to note that the Western Cape Government has recently released the MERO report for 2023-24 for the province which is the Municipal Economic Review and Outlook.
This report follows the Census 2022 report which has revealed that the Western Cape’s population has grown to 7,4 million with the City of Cape Town at 4,8 million people. The substantial increase in population has raised the demand for basic services, housing, education, and health services. George as well as the Province will be addressing these challenges in the coming months. While unemployment has decreased, it is evident that the informal sector is largely responsible for job growth.

In terms of the Gross Domestic Product per Region (“GDPR”), the Cape Metro, George and Drakenstein are the biggest contributors to growth with George growing at an estimated 3,3% in 2022. The GDPR for the Garden Route for 2021 is R57,3 billion with George at R22,8 billion or 40% of the region and 3% of the Province. The 2022 population of George at 294929 is 35,2% of the region’s 838457 persons. As of 2021, there is an indication of 73193 persons being in employment with an estimated job gain of 4650 for 2022.

It is interesting to note that in respect of the regional tourism performance bed-nights occupied in 2022 had recovered to 72,9% (13,32m) for the Cape Metro when compared to pre-Covid-19 in 2019, whereas in the Garden Route, the recovery was at 74,7% (6,8m).

Readers interested in obtaining the full report are welcome to email mayor@george.gov.za

Ald Leon van Wyk
Executive Mayor of George

In the photo, the Portfolio Cllr for Electrotechnical Services Nosicelo Mbete and Mayor Leon van Wyk are switching one of the  high mast lights

In a concerted effort to address safety concerns and combat criminal activities, the George Municipality has successfully installed 30 high mast lights in strategic locations over the past six months. These installations, situated in Thembalethu, Lawaaikamp, Parkdene, and Borchers, aim to improve lighting in high-density areas with historically low to no lighting, ultimately contributing to enhanced community safety.

The Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk commended the Municipal Electrotechnical Services for the installation of the high mast lights saying that the installation of these high mast lights is expected to yield several benefits, including crime prevention and improved Security.

“The enhanced lighting will act as a deterrent to criminal activities, providing communities with increased visibility and the ability to monitor cable theft and vandalism of municipal resources and property.” Mayor van Wyk said. “Adequate lighting significantly reduces safety risks associated with nighttime activities. The high mast lights, with an effective radius of approximately 50 to 60 meters, will contribute to the overall security of the communities.”

The distribution of the high mast lights is as follows:
• Thembalethu: 18 high mast lights distributed across various wards.
• Parkdene: 5 high mast lights.
• Lawaaikamp: 4 high mast lights.
• Borchards: 3 high mast lights.

According to the acting director for Electrotechnical Services, Kobus Wilken, this initiative was made possible through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and a portion came from the George Municipal’s own funding. “The Municipality submitted funding requests to address the critical need for improved lighting and successfully secured approval from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) for the installation of the 30 high mast lights. The MIG allocated a total of R17 million, supplemented by an additional R2 million from municipal funding,” Wilken said.

The Portfolio Councillor of the Electrotechnical Services and Fleet, Councillor Nosicelo Mbete urged the public to preserve these important assets. “While celebrating this significant milestone, the Municipality urges the community to play an active role in safeguarding this essential infrastructure against theft and vandalism. The success of these installations relies on the collective effort of residents to ensure the longevity and effectiveness of the high mast lights,” Cllr Mbete said.

The Municipality is confident that these installations will contribute to a safer environment and provide residents with the assurance of well-lit public spaces.