Author: Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe

The New Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) project is one that the Junior City Council has been running since 2022. Beanies, jackets, and booties are knitted and then donated to the George Hospital. These clothes are used for babies in the hospital that are premature and in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Tuesday 2 May 2023 was the first drop-off for 2023! Glenwood, as well as York High’s knitting club, contributed immensely, and two members of York High were present at the drop-off.

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BEST OF LUCK to our George Firefighters participating in International Firefighters Day hosted in Stellenbosch today, 4 May 203. In the photograph from left to right are, Bethwell Grootboom, Denzil Muller, Thabiso Keketsi, Warrick Fisher, Ricardo Micheals, Joseph Fortuin and Fire Chief Neels Barnard.

Issued George Mun, 5 May 2023

The George Municipality would like to urge private landowners to act and clear Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as Pampas grass which is invading the George Area. George Municipality is currently clearing the Pampas grass on Municipal property in line with its Alien Vegetation Management Plan. The Pampas grass has become inundated around the industrial areas, along the highways, local dams, and factory areas.

The George Municipality has given notices to Transnet to clear the Pampas grass on their land and they have made the commitment to act as soon as possible. The pampas grass seeds can be dispersed by wind and human activities. Pampas grass can germinate quickly after they flower causing them to spread rapidly.

It would be advisable to get rid of the grass in its early growth stage before it flowers and produce seeds which can be easily dispersed by wind. The methods that can be used to remove pampas grass include digging, burning, and using herbicides.

The process of eradicating pampas grass is not a one-size-fits-all, but it is important to note that the most effective way to remove pampas grass is to use both the physical and chemical methods simultaneously. Private landowners can contact the George Municipality Parks and Recreation Department for details on registered and approved herbicides for the control of Pampas grass.

To contact the Parks and Recreation division for enquiries place visit the offices as follows:
Parks and Recreation
82 Meade Street, George
044 802 2900
parks@george.gov.za (all complaints via this address)

The Planning and Environment Section of the George Municipality’s Directorate for Human Settlements, Planning and Development and Property Management recently hosted the George Environmental Management Stakeholders Forum on a virtual platform to discuss topical issues in the environmental sector that affects George. This engagement was the first of what the Directorate intends to host as bi-annual engagements aimed at sharing knowledge, creating awareness, and keeping participants abreast of planned projects, investigations and challenges relevant to the environmental sector.

According to Delia Power, Deputy Director for Planning and Environment in the George Municipality the stakeholders’ forum which took place on the 27th of March 2023 was well attended by a spectrum of environmentalists and related stakeholders from George and surrounds. Participants were informed of the quarterly municipal outreach engagements held between the Municipality and the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEADP) whose mandate is to “enable a resilient, sustainable, quality and inclusive living environment for all”. The Municipality thanks DEA&DP for their attendance and participation in this engagement, wherein a summary of its policies, interventions, and projects that impacts the George Municipal Area was shared.

The George Municipal Planning and Development team led a presentation on the amended Municipal Spatial Development Framework, a core component of the Integrated Development Plan. Delia says that City’s MSDF is to Develop George as a resilient, regional development anchor of excellence for prosperity, inclusive and smart growth. It furthermore comprises six key themes which are: Infrastructure, Economic Growth, Growth Management, Integrated Housing, Natural assets & resilience, and Heritage.

The highlights of the discussion during the forum meeting focussed on the mechanism applied to ensure environmental sustainability in everyday planning and development practices, a task which becomes increasingly difficult as our community and economy grow. With many newcomers to our area, it is essential that environmental awareness is raised and strategies to protect natural resources and improve resilience are embedded in our legislation. To this end, the link between the MSDF and Zoning Scheme By-Law was explained.

The Municipality shared information on operating instruments and programmes being applied and undertaken in our day-to-day operations and included:
• An overview of the OSCA/E Portal which was launched in 2022 to promote ease of doing business and enable applicants to track their applications. Environmental practitioners were advised that all applications are now being processed via this portal and are encouraged to report any challenges experienced as the system is constantly being improved to ensure its efficiency.
• An overview of new environmental layers added to the Municipal Geographical Information Systems (GIS), which may be accessed under the Public Viewer tab of the municipal GIS portal. Participants were made aware that these resources are applied by decision-makers over the course of deciding on new applications.
• The Directorate for Community Services outlined the municipality’s alien clearing programme and the principles related to the Adopt-a-spot Policy and shared information relating to coastal management practices.
• Participants were informed of efforts to conserve threatened vegetation through approved offsets, management of conservation areas and proposed development of environmental management plans for riverine areas.

Progress relating to the development of Protected Area Management Plans for the Katriver, Van Kervel and Fort Koppie local conservation areas was shared by the service provider and the initiative was well received by CapeNature. The next engagement will be held in the next semester where more participants will be added to the list of speakers and continued updates will be provided on the progress of projects and investigations undertaken by the respective sector departments of the municipality. The municipality thanks each of the participants for their contribution to the meeting and looks forward to forging sound partnerships with practitioners and stakeholders in the environmental sector.

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DRAFT ELECTRICITY SUPPLY BY-LAW
The draft Electricity Supply by-law was provisionally approved by Council on 20 April 2023 and a public participation process was also approved. The main purpose of the by-law is to supplement the Electricity Regulation Act, 2006 (Act 4 of 2006) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act 85 of 1993) issued to regulate the supply of electricity within the George Municipality jurisdictional area.

The objective of the by-law is to improve organizational efficiency and articulate the rules concerning the processes and practices in the electricity supply that are otherwise not expressed in the Act, thereby providing additional clarity on the aspects addressed in the draft by-law.

The proposed by-law elaborates and provides clarity on the following aspects pertaining to electricity supply including;
• approval required for all small scale embedded generation;
• unauthorized connections and reconnections;
• notified maximum demand;
• offences and penalties;
• and appeals.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION DETAILS
The draft Electricity Supply By-Law Notice will be published in the George Herald, on the Municipal Website and municipal social media sites. Follow this link https://www.george.gov.za/george-doc-categories/documents/bylaws-and-regulations/electrotechnical-services/ to find the draft by-law on our website. Hard copies will be provided at all public libraries in George for review. Feedback is required by no later than 12 June 2023. Comments and inputs can be emailed to, njikija@george.gov.za phoned in to 044 801 9148 or submitted in person at the George Electrotechnical Services Offices, Brick Road, George Industria.

Enquiries to Edward Nqumse Ennqumse@george.gov.za and copy Nolubabalo Jikija njikija@george.gov.za

Promulgated in Western Cape Provincial Gazette
A municipal by-law may be enforced only after it has been published in the official gazette of the Western Cape Province on request of the local municipality. The promulgated by-law is then uploaded to the municipal website for easy access by the public. Transgression of a by -law is treated the same as a normal law, if you break a by-law, you can be fined or prosecuted. Most transgressions are handled in the George Municipal Court.

Issued on Behalf of George Municipal Communications Department, Office of the Municipal Manager

The Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk accompanied by the Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services and Fleet Management Nosicelo Mbethe did a sod turning in an approximately 1ha open land in the George Industrial area, to mark the beginning of the construction of 1 MWp solar farm.

“This plant is the forerunner of our fleet of 10MW plants that we will be erecting in George over the next couple of years to provide electricity not only to support our infrastructure that is owned by the Municipality but also to provide electricity into George’s grid so that we are ultimately able to get off stage 1 and stage 2 of load-shedding that we are suffering under and we wish to complete this project to get off stage 2 by the end of 2024,” said Mayor van Wyk.

The renewable energy power that will be generated through this plant, will be connected to the grid to reduce the municipal bulk purchases. This sod turning, therefore, signals the beginning of our initiative to take George off Stages 1 and 2 off load-shedding by the end of 2024.

The 1MWp PV plant will consist of approximately 1728 PV Panels & 10 x 110kW inverters at a total cost of R 24 843 090.36. The plant is expected to generate in the order of 1780 MWh per year.

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The Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk, is calling all residents of the George Municipal area to participate in the annual City Nature Challenge, which will run from 28 April 2023 to 01 May 2023 for the observation period, and the upload and identification period ending 08 May 2023. It is as easy as downloading a free application from your App Store and starting to snap within the specified dates.

There is nature all around us, and knowing what species are in our city and where they are, helps us to study and protect them, as a community – scientists’ land managers and the public working together to find and document our unique natural environment.
Participating in this event will teach you about your local environment and can also improve the environment for humans and other species that live in this wonderful place.

To date, the Garden Route has joined forces and competed in 6 international biodiversity events as a district, placing within the top 10 every time. The City Nature Challenge draws over 400 entrants worldwide per year and includes other Western Cape cities such as Cape Town, Hermanus, the Theewaterskloof district and more. With the assistance of the residents of George, we can make an even bigger impact in 2023.

Mayor Leon van Wyk says, “Benefit of supporting the challenge is that it provides an excellent opportunity for municipalities to gather biodiversity information that can be used in the management of properties for environmental, tourism and rezoning purposes, assisting George Municipality to make informed decisions about these aspects.”

“Participation will showcase the George area as a tourism destination and develop pride and awareness of the local environment, offering educational opportunities, especially for children, learning to value their natural heritage.”, says Tourism Manager, Joan Shaw.

Planning to spend time in nature over this long weekend period, is the activity to involve friends and family while showcasing the beauty and diversity of our home region in this global event.

Whether you capture nature in your own backyard, or the urban sidewalks, visit the Garden Route Botanical Garden or the Garden Route National Park, climb a mountain, or submerge yourself in a local forest, you are bound to find a varied selection of plants, insects, and animals.

Prepare for the challenge by downloading and familiarising yourself with the iNaturalist application before the end of the month. To find out more about how you can contribute, contact Tourism Manager Joan Shaw at 044 801 9103.

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See TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS FOR THE CHALLENGE below:

TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS FOR THE CHALLENGE:
The photos you take during the City Nature Challenge are there to provide evidence of the organism you saw and to help confirm the identification of that organism. Therefore, taking good photos is key to participating in the CNC! Here are some tips for taking photos:

• Focus on one species in each observation in a close-up that fills the frame.
• Take several photos in one observation, including the leaves, the bark, flowers, or fruits.
• Discard blurry photographs.
• Get close, especially for small organisms – it will aid identification.
• An ideal observation has a picture showing the full organism and close-ups of important features.
• Remember only one species per observation. The more species, the more observations.

The George Municipality’s drive to improve the quality-of-service delivery is yielding good results said the Executive Mayor of George, Alderman Leon van Wyk after visiting two pilot projects in Syferfontein, an informal settlement South of Pacaltsdorp, aimed at introducing alternatives on-site sanitation technology in informal settlements to replace chemical toilets.

“Today we went on-site to Syferfontein to view the pilot project of a new technology toilet instead of the chemical toilets,” said Mayor van Wyk during his visit on Thursday, 13 April 2023. “These new toilets get erected on-site and make use of enzymes to dissolve solids and it also makes use of water, so there’s a water flush mechanism that is able to drain away into tanks underneath the ground and this improves the whole service routing where previously chemical toilets had to be serviced two to three times a week, this type of toilet would only require servicing once a month.”

George Municipality solicited proposals from suitably experienced service providers to implement a pilot project for alternative on-site sanitation technology in Informal Settlements to replace chemical toilets. The hiring and maintenance of chemical toilets is an expensive and unsustainable sanitation commodity which is unfortunately also the quickest method to respond to when an emergency situation presents itself.

It was thus imperative that sustainable alternative sanitation solutions be tested to replace chemical toilets in informal settlements where there is no sewer network and to alleviate the heavy financial burden on the Municipality and the Department of Infrastructure.

The Human Settlements, Planning and Development and Property Management Directorate of the George Municipality confirmed that this is a pilot project which will be tested for three months and the sanitation solution which is found to be most successful and sustainable will be extended to other informal settlement areas in the George Municipal precincts. “For this pilot project, we will be installing 3 different alternative sanitation units in Syferfontein, three in Wilderness Heights Informal Settlement and 9 units in Thembalethu in various Settlements,” said Lauren Waring, the department’s director.

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PHOTOS:

Photo 1: From left: Charne Floris (George Municipality Human Settlements), Brumilda Kirchner (George Municipality Human Settlements), Councillor Bazil Petrus (Portfolio Councillor for Human Settlements), Madoda Boke (Clerk of Works: Human of Settlements) Jurgen Graupe (Buffalo Tanks (Pty) Ltd, Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George) Wendy Mentor (Manager Human Settlements) Mxolisi Ngwane (Racing Heart Group (Pty) Ltd), Siegfried Graupe (Buffalo Tanks) Lehlohonolo Mandlazi (Racing Group (Pty) Ltd.

Photo 2: From left: Councillor Bazil Petrus (Portfolio Councillor for Human Settlements), Wendy Mentor (Manager of Human Settlements), Alderman Leon van Wyk (Executive Mayor of George) and Jacques Rust (Envirosan).