MEDIA STATEMENT                                                        

28 April 2022

Statistics South Africa will continue to collect census data from households in the Western Cape for an additional two weeks until 14 May. The extension follows a strong response by residents of the province to the call to get counted.

Stats SA data collectors will be visiting communities with low response rates across the province. Almost 1,1 million households in the province have completed the census questionnaire since data collection began in February.

Completing the questionnaire only takes 15 – 30 minutes. Stats SA assures respondents that all personal information collected for the purpose of the census is kept strictly confidential.

The online questionnaire is available on https://getcounted.statssa.gov.za (datafree) allowing residents to answer the questions at a time and place convenient to themselves.

Households have until the close of counting on 14 May to complete the questionnaire online. With over 600 000 households yet to be visited, Western Cape households that have not been counted are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

Census information is essential for determining the funding allocation to provinces and municipalities. Census data will provide detailed information on where schools, clinics and houses should be built and where electricity, water and sewerage infrastructure is needed. Census has an impact on the life of every resident and everyone is encouraged to be counted.

Western Cape households are requested to please cooperate with the data collectors by answering the questions accurately and completely.

The Census call centre is open to assist with any enquiries – 0800 110 248 or email census2022@statssa.gov.za.

Ends…

For media inquiries contact: Trevor Oosterwyk Email: trevoro@statssa.gov.za

In the past week I attended two important meetings that once again signify how important it is to pay attention to economic activity within George.

At the annual general meeting of the George Business Chamber, Mr Nelius van Greunen, a leading commercial farmer, addressed the attendees. He mentioned the importance of the agricultural sector for the local economy and region and  that George needs to ensure it becomes more sustainable by also expanding from being pre-dominantly a “consuming” economy.

These comments are totally aligned to my philosophy that George needs to evolve towards a “producing” economy where we produce goods and services that are “exported” both nationally and internationally.

On Friday, the municipal manager, Dr Michele Gratz (now appointed for five years) and I attended a Meet and Greet Session in Cape Town where we were allocated a maximum of 20 minutes with each of the ten Provincial Ministers and the Premier to raise matters for their attention. We made full use of the opportunity to continue the discussion relating to the coordination required for increasing economic activity in George to improve job creation. There are already numerous initiatives underway that the Municipality and Provincial departments are involved in.

While we are looking closely at developing the agro-processing sector and expanding tourism event activity as examples, other niches are being explored as well. It is therefore critical that the private sector engage with us on opportunities that can be nurtured and grown. The Economic Growth and Development Strategy is currently under revision and further engagements are being arranged to foster the necessary collaboration.

It is generally accepted that George is experiencing in-migration. Some businesses are commenting that turnover is now 30% above pre-Covid-19 levels. The Municipality has been responding to these increases with increased spending on the capital budget to increase water and wastewater treatment capacity and refurbishment of existing infrastructure.

There is however an important role that George business leaders and residents need to play in their communication with the Municipality on how we can provide the enabling environment to ensure economic growth and the necessary collaboration can take place.

There is a very urgent call to Residents to participate in Census 2022 which has been extended to 30 April so that many stragglers in the Western Cape complete the Census. The Census can be completed very easily on mobile phones by using the following link:   https://getcounted.statssa.gov.za/#!/home

It is essential to complete the Census because this is used to determine the Grants that National Government allocates to municipalities. George has seen rapid growth in its population and if residents fail to register we do not receive our required allocation of funding with the burden shifting to municipal accounts. Comments are welcomed at: supportbusiness@george.gov.za

Outeniqua Marathon op hande en George Munisipaliteit borg R50 000

Issued by George Municipality 25 April 2022

Caption: George se Uitvoerende Burgemeester, Rdh Leon van Wyk (regs) oorhandig ‘n tjek van R50 000 aan Duppie du Preez, President van Outeniqua Harriers ten bate van die jaarlikse Outeniqua Marathon wat die naweek plaasvind.

George se Uitvoerende Burgemeester, Rdh Leon van Wyk het ‘n bielie van ‘n tjek van R50 000 ten bate van die Outeniqua Marathon die eerskomende naweek oorhandig.

Duppie du Preez, President van Outeniqua Harriers, het die tjek in ontvangs geneem. Outeniqua Harriers bied jaarliks die marathon aan en word gebord deur die Munisipaliteit en ander borge. Die marathon vind plaas Saterdag, 30 April 2022. Volgens Du Preez word dié wedloop beskou as een van die heel mooiste wedlope in Suid-Afrika en vind al meer as 30 jaar plaas.

Die wedloop bestaan uit die drie sub-wedlope.

Die 42,2km marathon begin by die George Sportklub om 07h00. ‘n

Gedeelte van die marathon beweeg om die Tuinroete dam verby die Nelson Mandela Universiteit op met die Sewe Passe na Whitesweg, waarna die hardlopers ‘n asemrowende uitsig op die see en Wildernis-mere het wat voor hulle lê, voordat dit eindig by die Commonage.

Die halwe mararthon,  21,1km begin by die Tuinroete Dam om 08h00  en die 10km wedloop begin by die Wilderness Commonage om 08h00. Al die wedlope eindig by die Wilderness Commonage (die oop vlak oorkant die Wilderness Hotel).

Inskrywings kan nog Vrydagaand vanaf 16h00 tot 21h00 by die George Sportklub , Langenhovenweg gedoen word.

Vir navrae bel vir Eileen de Jager 084 404 2695 of Esme Boshoff by 084 499 7753.

Issued by George Municipality, 25 April 2022

The Executive Mayor of George, Ald. Leon van Wyk welcomes Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) extension of the online questionnaire for Census 2022 until the end of April 2022 and encourages the George Municipality’s citizens to take full advantage of this opportunity to complete the census questionnaire.

Statistics generated from the census are a crucial part of any development, especially local government, as this crucial information gives a true reflection of the situation and needs of citizens,” said Mayor van Wyk. “Fiscal allocations and grants are greatly influenced by the data and information emanating from the census; therefore it is the responsibility of each and every citizen to participate in the census and make use of this extended time to help to get the most accurate statistics for the George Municipality’s precinct.”

Stats SA announced on its website last week, 21 April 2022, that it has reopened the online completion of census survey questionnaires by the respondents themselves until the end of April 2022.  “Households that are not counted can go to https://getcounted.statssa.gov.za/#!/home and fill in their name, surname, and cellphone number. After successfully registering, an OTP will be shared which will give access to the census questionnaire. Once the questionnaire is completed, households will get a reference number which they should keep in a safe place for when they are visited by a census fieldworker, or during the Post-Enumeration Survey, which is a quality check for the census project,” Stats SA said in the statement.

“Data collection challenges, particularly in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, which was heavily impacted by the recent extreme weather conditions, led to the decision to extend the census mop-up period to the end of April. All provinces will be able to take advantage of the extended period to ensure that they count as many households as possible,” Stats SA added.

Stats SA is calling on all households to ensure that they get counted in the 2022 Census, either online or by a fieldworker. “The country’s socio-economic dynamics have changed a lot since the last census was conducted in 2011. Government and business need accurate information in order to plan, and the census is the only source of population and housing data at a local level. The more people who participate, the more accurate the data,” said Project Director Calvin Molongoana. “It is critical that every household participates in the census, and makes sure that they get counted”.

Stats SA is appealing to all who live within the borders of South Africa, irrespective of their status, to do the right thing and be counted. The Statistics Act (Act 6 of 1999) and the Protection of Personal Information Act (Act 4 of 2013) complement each other in ensuring that all data collected by Statistics SA remains confidential. Data on an individual cannot be shared with any other agency; any data released by Stats SA is aggregated and confidential to ensure anonymity.

Ends.

Issued by George Municipality on 25 April 2022

The George Municipality is embarking on a pre-paid electricity metering software update for its approximately 49 500 prepaid consumers as the current software will expire in November 2024, not only in George but in the entire Country. Failure to update before the deadline will result in consumers not being able to recharge their meter with the new tokens and therefore will not have power.

Standard Transfer Specification (STS) prepaid meters use encrypted tokens to transfer units purchased onto the meters as per the STS standards and industry guidelines. Each token is encoded with a unique Token Identifier (TID), which has a limited range and will run out (rollover) on 24 November 2024.

After this date, all STS compliant meters will stop accepting credit tokens, unless an intervention takes place.  This implies that all these meters need to receive the TID Rollover Key Change with a new base date before the said date. Failing to act timeously will have a negative impact on consumers as they will be unable to load electricity on the meter.

Households that are in line for the municipal ongoing meter replacement program must be aware that all new meters installed will eventually be updated, but we are working through older stock now. Older stock, even though newly installed, would need to be updated. The new compliant-ready meters are in the municipality stock stores now. Some of the field staff are already updating the meters if they are on-site doing a meter change or site inspection.

As the update unfolds, consumers must ensure that all their old pre-paid electricity tokens must be entered prior to the update being completed, as the old token will not work once the update has been done.

Details about the specific dates of updates in various areas in George will be released in due course. A team conducting the audits from the George Municipality, in conjunction with the teams from the service providers, Alegro and Ontec will be wearing shirts and/or jackets indicating the “Alegro” name as well as ID cards and correspondence confirming and authenticating them being assigned to conduct the audit. Covid-19 health and safety protocols will be adhered to.

Customers may phone the George Municipality on 044 801 9222 or Ontec for verification on 044 873 5474. For more information on the TID Rollover please visit the George Municipality’s website to view frequently asked questions (FAQ): https://www.george.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TID-ROLLOVER-FAQ-English-Updated-Version-May-2022.pdf

Ends.

CAPTION:

A team conducting the audits from the George Municipality, in conjunction with the teams from the service providers, Alegro and Ontec will be wearing shirts and/or jackets indicating the “Alegro” name as well as ID cards and correspondence confirming and authenticating them being assigned to conduct the audit.

There is currently construction taking place at Schaapkop Pump Station to stabilise and rehabilitate the slope on the riverbank to protect the pump station from an encroaching donga and create a safe working space for the pump station contractor to establish on-site.

The source of funding for this construction is the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) funding and the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG) project.

The embankment contains several pipelines including the rising main (pumping line) from the pump station. The pipeline needs to be replaced by a larger diameter pipeline in Phase 2 of the pump station upgrading and therefore provision must be made in the currently installed infrastructure for the new pipeline to prevent demolition/ excavation into the gabions for the new pipeline.

Gabions are being installed as a retaining wall to retain the earthworks slope and the wire needs to be protected against vandalism and theft, so a concrete capping was specified to prevent access to the wires. The contractor has subsequently introduced the use of gunite (spray-on concrete) instead of conventional concrete due to the ease and speed of construction to save time.

Ends.

The George Council unanimously approved the appointment of Dr Michele Gratz as Municipal Manager on a five year contract during the Special Council meeting held on Thursday, 14 April 2022 after following the recruitment and selection process as determined by Municipal Regulations.

In proposing the appointment, Executive Mayor Leon van Wyk referred to the critical role played by Dr Gratz as Acting Municipal Manager in the turnaround process since the beginning of January 2021, of stabilising the administration, making key appointments, ensuring that capital projects were executed on time and that grants were spent in terms of their conditions. Following an engagement with National Treasury in April 2021, the application for the successful Budget Facility for Infrastructure Grant of almost R1,2 billion was launched.

Service delivery standards have improved and continue to receive ongoing attention. The Executive Mayor emphasised the increase in total spending by the Municipality that has commenced from almost R2,2 billion in the year ended 30 June 2020 to a budget of over R3,6 billion for the year commencing on 1 July 2022.

In congratulating Dr Gratz on her appointment, Alderman Van Wyk referred to the common objectives for the five year term, being the next phases of the turnaround to effect internal operational efficiencies, improvement to services, tackling the refurbishment of infrastructure, mitigating the risks of unreliable electricity supply through renewable energy and ensuring an enabling environment for increased economic activity.

During the draft budget that was tabled at the council meeting of 28^th March 2022, a new basis for calculating electricity tariffs was introduced.

To date, George has used a per kilowatt-hour charge for domestic use of electricity. All the neighbouring towns have been using a fixed charge and a variable cost for electricity for some years already. George consumers have often compared local tariffs to those levied elsewhere and seemingly not realised the difference.

There is pressure on municipalities to recognise the “Cost of Supply” which relates to the fixed infrastructure component (i.e. substations, transformers, powerlines, underground connections, maintenance of the network, etc.) and how to ensure these costs are recouped annually. George’s network has a replacement cost of over R2 billion.

The fixed cost component should therefore be shared by the consumers according to the level of usage availability that each consumer requires. An increasing threat faced by municipalities in their distribution is that of business and domestic users who are making use of renewable sources of electricity. It is now imperative that George introduces fixed and variable charges to secure the annual operational costs of the network and then to charge the user for the actual electricity delivered to the premises.

In introducing the new basis of charges, the municipality is looking at ways of reducing the maximum available load capacity (ampere) that ESKOM charges George to supply electricity, which is levied at this peak charge rate. At present all domestic users are notionally rated at 60-amp usage. From 1^st July 2022, this maximum will be reduced to 40 amps. Most households in George only require 20 amps. The new fixed rate tariff will be based on 40 amps. Consumers who need less or more than 40 amps, can apply for adjustments between 20 and 60 amps, which will also result in a monthly tariff adjustment (our house has a trip switch set at 35 amps).

The benefit of reducing households’ share of the peak off-take from ESKOM is likely to decrease the cost of bulk purchases of electricity. This reduction will also assist when calculations are made to avoid Stage 1 of load-shedding.

The envisaged charges will be implemented over 2 – 3 years to phase in the charges that have been designed to be revenue neutral. All indigents and other domestic users using up to 400 kilowatt hours per month will continue to pay a per kilowatt hour charge as at present.

Households and businesses using more than 400 kilowatt hours will migrate to a fixed monthly charge of R75 per month plus a per ampere charge of R4.54 (R181.60 for 40 amps). Costs per kWh for domestic users will amount to R210.04 cents per kWh. These amounts exclude VAT.

Issued by George Municipality on 12 April 2022

The Protea Transformer that feeds power to Pacaltsdorp, Hansmoeskraal and Syferfontein had undergone R2.5 million worth of maintenance in the 2021/2022 financial year.

According to the director of the George Municipality’s Electrotechnical Department, Mr Bongani Mandla, a transformer is the most critical component within the electricity distribution network, its function is to increase the voltage, also known as stepping up the voltage, or they can decrease the voltage also known as stepping down the voltage.

Mandla confirmed that maintenance was necessary for this transformer as one of its components is rusting.  “The trigger for this maintenance, which is funded from George Municipality’s capital budget and loans, was excessive corrosion on the main tank,” he said.  “The Unit was sent to an external service provider and upon intrusive inspection, it was detected that the active components and accessories needed to be refurbished or replaced.”

The average lifespan is approximately 30-50 years dependent on application, loading and environmental conditions. The average lead time for a new power transformer is nine to fifteen months. This refurbishment project will extend the usable life of this transformer by approximately 30-40 years.

The Portfolio Councillor of the Electrotechnical Services directorate Cllr Nosicelo Mbete visited the site as part of her series of visits to Electrotechnical Service capital projects. During her visit, Cllr Mbete commended the department for prioritising the installation and commissioning of this transformer, as it will help improve the reliability of supply to the Pacaltsdorp, Hansmoeskraal and Syferfontein areas.

The 10 MVA Protea Transformer has been successfully commissioned.

Ends.

CAPTION:

Electrotechnical management: Planning, Engineering Services and Distribution

Photo 1: (FLTR) Cllr Nosicelo Mbete (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services), Mr Thembani Mzekeli (Testing and Protection Manager), Mr David Mckenzie (Specialised Electrician), Mr John Cornelius (Chief Engineering Technician), Mr Cuan Edick (Senior Superintendent: Sub-station)

Photo 2: (FLTR) Mr Bongani Mandla (Director for Electrotechnical Services), Mr David Mckenzie (Specialised Electrician), Cllr Nosicelo Mbete (Portfolio Councillor for Electrotechnical Services), Mr John Cornelius (Chief Engineering Technician), Mr Cuan Edick (Senior Superintendent- Sub-station).

Issued by George Municipality, 6 April 2022

The fight against illegal connections is yielding positive results as the George Municipality’s Electro-Technical Department removed 1085 illegal power connections at informal settlements in George in February 2022.

This was confirmed in a report tabled at the Electrotechnical Services Committee meeting on Tuesday, 05 April 2022. The number of informal settlements in George is estimated at 8000, of which 5981 informal settlements shared between Thembalethu and Moeggeploeg have illegal and unsafe electricity connections.

Mr Bongani Mandla, director for Electrotechnical Services emphasized that illegal power connections, no matter how small or innocent-looking, are dangerous and are certainly a death trap.

Mandla assured that his department will continue with the campaign of removing the illegal connections and educating the public about the dangers of illegal power connections. “We are working with the George Municipality’s communications department to assist us with sharing educational information about the dangers of illegal connections,” Mandla said.

“In the next month, we are distributing 15 000 flyers in Afrikaans, English and Isi-Xhosa to the areas most affected by illegal connections, as part of our awareness campaign on illegal connections,” he said. “These flyers comprise information about the nature of the illegal connection, the dangers associated with illegal connections, financial implications, and useful information when one wants to report illegal connections as well as information on a reward attached to reporting illegal connection upon successful prosecution.”

Members of the public may report illegal connections to the George Municipality on 044 801 9222/044 803 9222 or 044 801 6300 (a/h). Report people who make illegal connections to 0860 044 044, SAPS 10111 or the South African Police Service (SAPS) to 10111.  The George Municipality offers R 2500 reward for information that leads to the successful conviction of electrical theft and/or vandalism in a court of law. The witness will have to go on record to the authorities, giving his/her name and contact details to testify, but his/her identity will be protected. Report to 0860 044 044 to be eligible for the reward.

Ends.

George Municipality would like to highlight a recent Supreme court case which upheld the argument that municipalities are entitled to levy penalty rates based on the Municipal Structures Act where a property (home) is being used to conduct a business, if the use is in contravention of the property’s zoning provisions. Municipalities are entitled to levy penalty rates based on the Municipal Structures Act which is the umbrella act under which the Rates Act falls.

Director for Planning and Development at George, Lauren Waring said that her directorate is aware that there are many businesses being operated from residential zoned properties and, where the purpose and nature of the use has changed completely, these owners will find themselves in contravention and can face contravention levies, penalties, fines and even imprisonment.

The zoning of a property determines the primary use and other ancillary uses that the property may be utilised for. The zoning also determines the restrictions or parameters within which the applicable use rights may be exercised or if the consent of the municipality is required for the use. If a property is used outside its zoning, the municipality can change the category of use to unlawful or uncategorised use and increase the municipal rates in accordance with the new category.

If you are contemplating setting up a business in a residential area or from your home you need to understand all the relevant provisions regarding the zoning of your property to ensure that you are complying with the bylaws. Zoning schemes bylaws stipulate what type of buildings and what type of activities can occur in a particular property.

In technical terms, a zoning scheme is a legal document that records all land use rights on properties in its area of jurisdiction. It also includes provisions pertaining to restrictions on such rights and how they can be exercised. Within a zoning scheme, there are certain land uses and activities that can be taken as a right and certain land uses and activities that are only permitted with the local authorities consent. If the land use or activity is not stated, then it is not allowed on that property.

For minor deviations from the provisions of the zoning scheme, one may apply for a Departure. For major deviations for a change in land usage or change in the type of building, one requires a Rezoning. The George Municipality’s zoning scheme allows certain residential business activities as a right on Single Residential properties. These include home occupations (professional practices with no more than 3 people employed), places of instruction up to 6 learners at a time, and a bed and breakfast (not more than 2 guest rooms). Other uses such as a house shop (small retail business), guest houses and creches are permitted with the Consent of the municipality.

Any business that is run from home and does not fall under these land uses / activities, are not permitted on residential properties. The zoning by-laws state that such businesses can only be conducted in areas zoned for business or industrial purposes and not in residential areas. These business activities will require you to apply for either a departure or a rezoning.

How to apply for a rezoning or departure
The Land Use Management Application form is used when submitting a planning application. The form needs to be completed in full and accompanied by the relevant supporting information and documentation. It is important to note that submitting this application does not necessarily mean it will be approved.

Businesses in residential areas tend to generate traffic, parking, noise, and other problems, with some being known to be used as fronts for illicit activities. The concerns and objections of residents will be considered with each application.

The land use application process can take, on average between six and nine months, depending on the level of public participation needed, whether objections are received against the application, and which authority decides on the application. Any business that cause disturbances to neighbours such as vehicle repair workshops, night clubs, manufacturing enterprises, etc will generally not be permitted in a residential area.

George Municipality has an internet-based land use application system to enable the electronic submission and processing of land use applications. This system will be soon be moving to an on-line platform. All application forms, application submission requirements and public participation requirements are available on the George Municipality’s website at https://www.george.gov.za/town-planning/Applications.

All completed applications are submitted via email to town.planning.applications@george.gov.za and applicants will receive SMSs on the progress made on their applications.

Water-Saving messages on the move…The Refuse Removal services have joined the George Municipality’s awareness campaign on water saving by using their trucks to spread the word in and around George. All refuse trucks have been branded with decals containing the message of saving water. These trucks drive past all households and businesses in George collecting refuse weekly.

To witness the display of the branded trucks were, from left to right: Mr Allen Paulse (with the bag in hand) – Director of Community Services, Ms Karin Stoffels – Project Coordinator: Street Cleansing, Mr Sivuyile Mtila – Senior Manager of Environmental Services, Mr Wessel Robertson – Head Cleansing, and Councillor Jean Safers (at the Back of the truck) – Portfolio Councillor for Environmental Services.

Issued by George Municipality

30/3/2022

George Municipality continues to address the safety of the city of George in terms of fire management.  Our Fire and Rescue Services are faced with semi-desert, mountainous terrain on both sides and over the mountain, as well as large tracts of agricultural land, pine plantations, alien vegetation, coastal fynbos, indigenous forest and winding inaccessible roads connecting towns and villages over long distances.

The George Municipal Council a while back, approved a multi-faceted approach by the department to acquire key equipment and additional vehicles over a few financial years to systematically address different aspects of fire and rescue management.

The Fire Fighting team recently hosted a demonstration of the aerial capabilities of the acquired resources at the Garden Route’s first dedicated emergency firefighting airstrip located on municipal property above Denneoord and which opened in December 2017. The airbase consists of a runway, helipad, firebase, taxiway and a water refilling point. In collaboration with Kishugu, a demonstration was given with the helicopter doing precision pick up of water in a “bucket” using the George fire department portable dam.

Water drops were demonstrated according to wind directions and topography and a precision drop was done to demonstrate the versatility of the helicopters as a firefighting resource, as well as how they can assist with the supply of water to the portable dam. The 14 000-litre portable dam is used as an artificial water source from which a helicopter bucket can scoop water or fire vehicles can be filled.

Executive Mayor Leon Van Wyk and Acting Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz were given a brief overview of the Risk Assessment done regarding the Witfontein plantations and the collaborative plan to reduce this risk by the George Fire Department, Cape Nature, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DFFE) and other roleplayers.

The Mayor and MM were given a tour of the 10 km of Fire Breaks and paths that have been established on municipal property above Denneoord.  Fuel reduction controlled burns are planned for approximately 170 hectares of the veld around Denneoord /Garden route dam and 298 hectares of veld above the plantation in the SANPARKS area. The correct weather conditions are required for control burn conditions and the public is assured that more than adequate resources are available to conduct control burns safely with minimum risk. The first control burn was undertaken last week Thursday, 24 March on a 3-hectare block of veld above Denneoord.

Useful contact numbers:
Fire emergencies only: 044 801 6311
All after-hours emergencies: 044 801 6300
General enquiries (office hours): 044 801 6300
Uniondale (office hours): 044 752 1225

Explaining the functions of the portable dam to the Executive Mayor Leon van Wyk and Acting Municipal Manager Dr Michele Gratz is Fire Chief, Neels Barnard with Kishugu helicopter pilot Niel Mostert (in blue flight suit) and Everett Montague, spotter pilot and Airbase Manager (yellow hazard jacket).

Issued: Monday 28 March 2022

After two years of restricted contact with learners, schools in George are slowly opening their doors to carefully planned visits from the GO GEORGE communications team and, of course, the popular mascot Georgie.

With all the necessary Covid-19 safety precautions in place, Georgie and his team set out on a wide tour of pre-primary classes and primary schools during March. They were welcomed with loud cheering and singing, and eager young minds ready to learn about public transport, that all-important Smart Card, pedestrian safety near the buses and how to behave on the bus. The topic of vandalism was also addressed in an age-appropriate manner.

The bus-shaped photo banner with windows to peep through is a firm favourite among the little ones – that is after first giving Georgie a hug, of course.

Any organisation or school interested in a visit from GO GEORGE can phone the GO GEORGE Call Centre on 0800 044 044 to request contact from the communications team.

CAPTIONS:

Grade RR learners from George South Primary School flocking to greet and talk to the GO GEORGE mascot, Georgie. (The wearing of masks is not mandatory for children under the age of 6.)

The 4- and 5-year-olds at Joey’s Babies in Rosemoor were completely intrigued by Georgie and his friendly teammates who came to tell them more about the GO GEORGE buses. (The wearing of masks is not mandatory for children under the age of 6.)

A very safe ride on the bus! George South Primary School’s Grade 4 learners enjoyed peeping through the open windows of the GO GEORGE bus banner.

GO GEORGE has developed programmes to reach different ages of school learners with information about the bus service, how to behave on the bus and how to be safe around the bus. Mascot Georgie has become a favourite among the youngsters, with the bus banner also providing lots of fun, as can be seen with this group of Grade RR learners from George South Primary School. (The wearing of masks is not mandatory for children under the age of 6.)

The Grade 4 learners of Kretzenshoop Primary School listened with great attention to the information about the bus service. They were joined by acting principal, Mr Elton Titus (at the back), to pose for a photo with Georgie and the GO GEORGE bus banner.

The Grade Rs of George South Primary School enjoyed an outdoors visit with the GO GEORGE team, learning about the bus service and how to behave on and around the bus to ensure a safe ride. (The wearing of masks is not mandatory for children under the age of 6.)

Skole verwelkom Georgie terug

Uitgereik: Maandag 28 Maart 2022

Ná twee jaar van beperkte kontak met leerders, maak skole in George stadig hul deure oop vir noukeurig beplande besoeke van die GO GEORGE-kommunikasiespan en natuurlik, die gewilde gelukbringer, Georgie.

Met al die nodige Covid-19-veiligheidsmaatreëls in plek, het Georgie en sy span gedurende Maart ‘n wye toer van preprimêre klasse en laerskole aangepak. Hulle is verwelkom met luide gejuig, sang en gretige jong breine gereed om te leer oor openbare vervoer, daardie allerbelangrike Slimkaart, voetgangerveiligheid naby die busse en hoe om jou op die bus te gedra. Die onderwerp van vandalisme is ook op ‘n ouderdomsgepaste wyse aangespreek.

Die busvormige fotobanier met vensters om deur te loer, is ‘n besliste gunsteling onder die kleingoed – dit is nou nadat Georgie eers ‘n drukkie gekry het.

Enige organisasie of skool wat belangstel in ‘n besoek van GO GEORGE kan die GO GEORGE-inbelsentrum by 0800 044 044 skakel om kontak van die kommunikasiespan te versoek.

BYSKRIFTE:

George-Suid Gr RR (4):
Graad RR-leerders van Laerskool George-Suid drom saam om die GO GEORGE-gelukbringer, Georgie, te groet en te gesels. (Die dra van maskers is nie verpligtend vir kinders onder die ouderdom van 6 jaar nie.)

Die 4- en 5-jariges by Joey’s Babies in Rosemoor se aandag is vasgevang deur Georgie en sy vriendelike spanmaats wat hulle meer oor die GO GEORGE-busse kom vertel het. (Die dra van maskers is nie verpligtend vir kinders onder die ouderdom van 6 jaar nie.)

‘n Baie veilige rit op die bus! Laerskool George-Suid se graad 4-leerders het dit geniet om deur die oop vensters van die GO GEORGE-busbanier te loer.

GO GEORGE het programme ontwikkel om leerders van verskillende ouderdomme te bereik met inligting oor die busdiens, hoe om jou op die bus te gedra, en hoe om veilig rondom die bus te wees. Gelukbringer Georgie het ‘n gunsteling onder die jongklomp geword, met die busbanier wat deesdae ook baie pret verskaf, soos gesien kan word met hierdie groep Graad RR-leerders van Laerskool George-Suid. (Die dra van maskers is nie verpligtend vir kinders onder die ouderdom van 6 jaar nie.)

Die graad 4-leerders van Laerskool Kretzenshoop het aandag geluister na die inligting oor die busdiens. Waarnemende skoolhoof, mnr Elton Titus (agter), het saam kom poseer vir ‘n foto saam met Georgie en die GO GEORGE-busbanier.

Die Graad R’s van Laerskool George-Suid het ‘n buitelugbesoek van die GO GEORGE-span geniet en baie geleer oor die busdiens en hoe om jou op die bus te gedra om ‘n veilige rit te verseker. (Die dra van maskers is nie verpligtend vir kinders onder die ouderdom van 6 jaar nie.)

29 MARCH 2022

On 1 April, the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements will open applications for its Individual Subsidy. Applications only open once a year, in April, and close as soon as the subsidy allocation limit has been reached.  The Individual Subsidy is aimed at residents with a household income of between R0 and R3500, and allows one to: buy an existing house; buy a house on a plot-and-plan basis, or to finish an incomplete house. The subsidy amount is just over R200,000 and is paid directly to a seller, conveyancer, financier or contractor, depending on the case. Successful applicants will receive this subsidy only once.

There are various housing subsides available from the Department that does not require citizens to wait for a government housing development in your area. Assistance provided via the Individual Subsidy allows residents to, for example, identify a house for sale for the subsidy amount, or use it as a top-up, to purchase a home. As there is a limited budget, assistance with this subsidy is only provided once a year and is allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Priority will be given to applicants who are elderly or have special needs (ie. disabled).

“The Individual Subsidy is one of the subsidy programmes that can assist Western Cape residents with a housing opportunity, without waiting for a specific government housing development to be built in an area. The subsidy can be used to purchase an existing house or to build a house on a vacant plot owned by the applicant” commented Ms Phila Mayisela, Acting Head of Department.

To qualify for this subsidy residents must :

• Be registered on the housing demand database (ie. waiting list)  at your nearest municipality;
• Must have been on the housing database for a minimum period of 10 years in Cape Town, and 5 years in areas outside of Cape Town;
• Be a South African citizen or have a permanent residency permit;
• 18 years or older;
• Be married or living with a partner;
• Be single or divorced, and have proven financial dependents living with you permanently;
• Not have owned a property before;
• Earn a monthly household income of R3500 or less, before deductions;
• Not have received a housing subsidy from government before.

Western Cape residents who are still on the waiting list, meet the qualification criteria, and are interested in applying for the Individual Subsidy, are urged to submit their applications from 01 April at the Department of Human Settlements offices in Cape Town. More information, including application forms, for this subsidy can be found on the Department’s website.

-End-

Media Enquiries:

Mr. Nathan Adriaanse

Director: Communication and Stakeholder Relations

Nathan.adriaanse@westerncape.gov.za

OR

Marcellino Martin

Spokesperson for Minister Tertuis Simmers

Marcellino.martin@westerncape.gov.za

At present, George is fortunate in attracting many visitors who are participating in numerous sporting and other events. Over the recent long weekend a major provincial swimming gala has taken place at the Conville swimming pool.

Over the next few weeks we will be welcoming thousands of school learners who will be participating in different events that have attracted entries from across the country who will be utilising our various facilities.

Following the successful Cape Town Cycle event, a comment was made that we should be hosting a similar event here in George. This comment echoes our philosophy to regularly hold events in George that will generate tourism spend for our local economy and add to employment levels. In pre-Covid times, we experienced a trend whereby many businesses generated possibly 25-30% of their annual turnover over the traditional December-January holiday months. This would imply that 70% of turnover would flow over the remaining 10 months of the year at an average of 7% per month. Imagine if we could increase that 7% to an average of 8% per month resulting in boosting turnover for the year by 10%.

Recent events and activities ranging from the Dimension Data Pro-Am golf tournament, horse riding, the Old Car Show to paragliding, swimming, school rugby and other sports to bowls over Easter will all contribute to the economy ensuring that accommodation, restaurant and food establishments benefit from the additional visitors to George spending a few nights here. Many of these events attract not only the participants but also family members. It is vitally important that all our citizens extend welcome our visitors to ensure that they become repeat visitors who spread the word of their memorable experience to their friends elsewhere in the country. George needs to offer first class signature meals in restaurants, great guest house stays and improve our entertainment offering (uniquely we have a theatre and symphony orchestra). Over the recent summer holidays, the Municipality consciously invested millions of rands in setting a high standard of service delivery so that visitors could enjoy their holidays.

We wish to encourage events to be held in George over every weekend of the year to attract visitors to help build tourism occupancy rates. George already hosts many cycling and running events. With some imagination we could turn some of these events into iconic annual events of national significance through some tweaking. Many of our citizens are passionately involved in diverse activities or hobbies that could be developed into regular events or learning experiences, e.g. for crafts, artists, bridge, winter schools.

Some thoughts and ideas on more events and how to progress tourism can be forwarded to supportbusiness@george.gov.za

George Municipality recently partnered with the Africa Business Network of the Finland Chamber of Commerce, the German-South African Chamber of Commerce, the German-Finnish Chamber of Commerce and the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership to host a webinar on 15 March to explore aspects of smart energy, smart building, smart infrastructure and smart mobility.

A smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to ensure operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare. The main goal of a smart city is to optimise city functions and promote economic growth while also improving the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis. The value lies in how this technology is used rather than simply how much technology is available.

Executive Mayor Alderman Leon Van Wyk formally opened the Webinar hosted on 15 March and the event attended by 80 persons, was moderated by Mr Jens Hauser HOD Competence Centre Sustainable Energy, German -South African Chambers of Commerce and Mr Paul Hoffman, Project Manager, Garden Route Development Partnership.

In his opening comments, the Executive Mayor provided a scene-set of George as an intermediary and magnet city in South Africa utilising its natural attractions and relaxed lifestyle in the Garden Route to position itself as a growing business centre. He sketched the key economic sectors and George’s 40% share of the Garden Route’s economy. Some examples of how George already embraces elements of smart city concepts: it aims to secure 20-30% of its electricity from renewable sources within 3-5 years, the city is already fibre optic cable connected, utilises CCTV cameras for safety and security monitoring for public transport bus service, and a mobile app for service delivery complaints and communication. A significant national insurer operates a large online contact centre, thousands of milk-producing cows have SIM cards monitoring their health, the fire services utilise drone technology and increasing use is being made of smart meters and telemetry in the electricity and water networks. It is hoped that these examples will help in facilitating interest and investment from the Germany and Finland.

Ms Lauren Waring, Director Planning and Development noted that the webinar intended to explore the aspects of smart energy, smart building, smart infrastructure, and smart mobility; and to establish meaningful international learning networks which will be key for the economic development of George and which are aligned to the strategic goals of the George Municipality.

International, national as well as local speakers covered topics which included: An overview on Smart Cities – the cities of the 21^st century; Mobility as a Service – The End of Car Ownership? (MaaS Global); Technologies for a smarter built environment (Siemens);  Creating value out of municipal solid waste (Anaergia Africa) as well as case studies on Kone and the City of George.

The George Municipal Spatial Development Framework, 2019 (MSDF)is the spatial representation of the Integrated Development Plan and coordinates and directs growth in the short, medium and long term.  (https://www.george.gov.za/george-documents/spatial-development-framework/municipal/ and fully embraces the Smart City concept.

Smart City Growth is one of the strategies supporting the spatial planning approach in George and various policies and development guidelines are set to facilitate a compact, legible urban form, including a mix of land uses, a range of housing- and transportation opportunities and walkable neighbourhoods, whilst preserving open space, farmland, natural beauty- and critical environmental areas.  The MSDF policies and guidelines are further intent on strengthening and directing development towards existing communities and fostering distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.  Processes relating to land development are designed to involve the community in decision-making and to support integrated and considered development.

The process to review the current George MSDF (2019) commenced in 2021 and the use of smart technologies is crucial in collating inputs received from various involved government departments and agencies and interested and affected parties. Data layers, such as the environmental zones (per example the Coastal Management Line, Critical Biodiversity areas, climate change indicators and many others), Transportation Routes and Planning, Human Settlement development, commercial and industrial development, social- and community facility planning, engineering services planning are coordinated via a Geographic Information system(GIS) to aid spatial planning and to advise land use planning decisions.

The George Municipal GIS Public viewer contains some of the information and can be accessed on the Municipal Website. https://gis.george.gov.za/portal/home/

Dr Kosie Haarhoff, Deputy Director Economic Development noted that the direct beneficiaries of the webinar were public service officials, local government officials and private sector individuals responsible for digital transformation and SMART cities. Four private sector companies presented SMART city solutions to participants:

MaaS Global:
MaaS Global is the world’s first mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) company with a vision and mission to offer a more attractive alternative to a privately owned car. Its Whim mobility app allows for the consumer to plan, book, and pay for their trips in one mobile app.

KONE
KONE is a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, and their focus is to make the world’s cities better and more sustainable places to live.

Anaergia
Anaergia is a global leader in the production of clean energy, fertilizer, and recycled water from virtually any waste stream, offering the widest range of maximizing resource recovery solutions for the municipal, industrial, commercial, and agricultural markets. Anaergia’s integrated solutions create value for its customers in the forms of renewable energy, quality fertilizers, and clean water, while dramatically reducing the cost of waste management.

Siemens
Siemens is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport, and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to cleaner and more comfortable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, they create technology with purpose adding real value for customers.