As at the end of March 2024, the Council would have been in office for a period of two and a half years, with our GROW Strategy yielding many successes, some of which were highlighted in the 2024 State of the Municipality Address (SOMA). I thank our community for their overwhelming support of our GROW Strategy. I intend to honour that support by continuing to place the interests and needs of our people first.
Thank you to our residents for the trust placed in our beautiful Mossel Bay and in our Council and Administration.
Thank you for your investment in our town, for choosing to make Mossel Bay your home, and for building a life here for your family.
Mossel Bay is well known as the fastest-growing municipal area in the Western Cape and can rightly boast to be one of the leading Municipalities in the country, trusted for service delivery excellence. This would not be possible without the support of our Administration and every employees and contractor working to serve our community with diligence.
While we have more residents to cater to than ten years ago, this municipality can pride itself on a stable administration with personnel who truly live service excellence. Our employee’s efficiency is supported by our equally competent municipal leadership. In this regard I want to thank our Municipal Manager, Mr Collin Puren for his leadership and diligent work ethic at our municipality.
I also thank our Councillors for taking a keen personal interest in their wards and the well-being of our communities.
Thank you, one and all for being the foundation and fibre of our growth as a community.
At the outset of this term, we have announced our GROW STRATEGY and we have diligently worked at implementing this plan. This plan is focused on five GROW objectives, namely Governance, Safety, Economy, Social, and Environment.
One of the successes and challenges of the GROW GOVERNANCE STRATEGY has been that Mossel Bay is by far the preferred semigration destination in the Western Cape. Die Burger recently reported that Mossel Bay was listed first, and Great Brak River as fifth, in the top 10 semigration destinations in the Western Cape.
Semigration is becoming a significant influencer of the economy, creating specific hotspots around South Africa and a good measure of the quality of the overall efficiency of the municipality that governs and manages these hotspots. Big drivers of migration trends are better-run municipalities, reduced crime levels, and a slower-paced lifestyle.
Growing a town from approximately 98,000 residents in 2011 to an estimated 140,000 residents in 2024 is not child’s play.
I must be upfront and admit that the influx of people is placing a strain on our infrastructure. However, I thank our Portfolio Chairperson, Councillor Anton Dellemijn and the Director of Infrastructure Services, Mr Dick Naidoo for the infrastructure directorate’s effective planning and programming that over the years have ensured that our town’s infrastructure is regularly maintained and upgraded, and that water security is well managed so that we can confidently grow as a community.
Mossel Bay's infrastructure is well-developed and fully functional. There is more demand for safer living developments such as the Outeniquabosch Wildlife Village and Hartland. Both will soon offer new private schools while in rural Ruiterbos, the new community clinic will provide access to essential health services.
A growing town needs extremely careful planning. I, therefore, thank the Director of Planning and Economic Development, Mr Carel Venter, and his highly competent team for the diligent work they have put into the processing of land use and building plan applications.
The Spatial Development Framework of our Municipality is annually reviewed along with the Integrated Development Plan and the Budget. Mossel Bay adopted the Spatial Development Framework earlier in this term.
According to our Department of Planning and Economic Development, at least 233 more dwellings are required per year to answer the demand. This bodes well for our local economy as many jobs are created in the building and related industries.
The growth rate on which the planning is based is 5% per year and clearly states that semigration is well-considered in this scenario.
We are aware of the financial constraints many of our residents experience and the need for affordable housing. For this reason, we are creating opportunities for more affordable residential and business development on Erf 2001, south of Louis Fourie Road.
In the past year, 532 residential opportunities were approved, and the department issued 676 occupancy certificates for residential developments.
Director Naidoo’s Infrastructure Department uses the Spatial Development Framework as the basis to do master planning which led to the Roads Master Plan that was concluded in 2023.
Effective and sustainable development requires sustainable water and electricity provision.
WATER AND WASTEWATER
The Council has recently approved the Municipality’s Water Supply Master Plan which includes the expansion and upgrading of bulk water infrastructure in the medium and long term to cater for increased water demand in Mossel Bay and surrounding areas. This plan is reviewed and adjusted every five years.
Mossel Bay's municipal area is served by the Wolwedans Dam with a 24 megalitre capacity, the Klipheuwel Dam with a 4.5 megalitre capacity, the Ernest Robertson Dam at 0.5 megalitre capacity, and the Hartebeeskuil Dam, as well as several boreholes.
According to the above master plan and in practice, the municipality does not experience any shortages to supply in demand for water, and the municipality’s water security is further bolstered by a desalination plant that can deliver 15 megalitres of water per day should it be required.
SEWERAGE
Sewerage is conveyed through approximately 512 km of gravity sewer pipelines to 73 sewer pump stations situated throughout the municipal area. From the pump stations, the sewerage is pumped through approximately 41 km of rising sewerage pipelines to seven wastewater treatment plants situated throughout the municipal area. The total design capacity for these wastewater treatment plants is 22.54 megalitres per day. Sewerage water is also discharged by private tankers at these municipal wastewater treatment plants.
Upgrading of plants is underway with the Great Brak wastewater treatment works being upgraded from 1 to 4 megalitres per day, and the Pinnacle Point wastewater treatment works that is being upgraded from 3.7 megalitres to 8 megalitres per day.
ELECTRICITY
In his State of the Nation Address President Cyril Ramaphosa alluded to the end of load-shedding being in sight. This statement was, however, almost immediately followed by the return of stage 6 load-shedding.
To buffer against loadshedding in Mossel Bay, we have implemented energy efficiency projects affecting approximately 9,000 geysers, as well as pump stations and streetlighting. We have installed a 30kVA solar generation system at the municipal Infrastructure Services offices, approximately 1 900 solar water heaters at housing projects, solar street lighting in parts of informal settlements and battery back-up power at various traffic intersections. We have also completed an energy efficiency project for the replacement of approximately 5,000 streetlight lamps of 57 watts with new 37-Watt LED lights, over a period of two years at a cost of R10 million. We are also busy upgrading the 66-kilo volt line near Mossdustria from 30 mega volt ampere to 47 mega volt ampere, to unlock the potential for renewable energy projects. It is estimated that this project will be completed in June 2024 at a total cost of R17million.The Emergency Municipal Load Shedding Relief Grant funding of R5 million from the Western Cape Provincial Government allowed the procurement of three emergency standby diesel generators for critical water pump stations by the end of March 2024. A tender for a 2 mega volt ampere, hybrid photovoltaic solar system with battery storage at the Hartenbos Wastewater Plant was recently awarded at a tender price of approximately R112 million.
We are also proactively planning for a future that will provide sustainable energy, including a 5 to 30 mega volt ampere Independent Power Plant, not limited to solar. Requests for proposals were advertised and 18 proposals were received. The technical evaluation process has been completed and a decision will be taken shortly on the bidders that advance to the next stage of the process. Detail designs for two 1 mega volt ampere installations at Klein Brak River and Great Brak River have been completed An area at Mossdustria was identified for a solar farm and the environmental impact assessment approval is expected by the end of March 2024.A Memorandum of Understanding between Mossel Bay Municipality and PetroSA has been concluded to investigate renewable energy projects.
CORPORATE SERVICES
Regarding our GROW GOVERNANCE STRATEGY, we have also improved the functioning of our ward committees. Our ward committees are being capacitated through visits to infrastructure projects to improve their understanding of governance and budgeting issues. I want to thank the portfolio chairperson, Councillor Nickey le Roux, and the Director of Corporate Services, Annette Potgieter for this innovative manner in engaging and growing our ward committees’ knowledge base.
I also thank our Speaker, Venolea Fortuin for her excellent guidance as patron of our ward committees. Members of the ward committees are vital in our communication network between the municipality and our residents and as such play a very important role.
The Corporate Services department embarked on succession planning & talent management and has had policies approved by the Council. This will ensure that the i
nstitutional knowledge of our loyal personnel, many with up to 40 years of service, will not be lost when they leave the organisation. To continue the well-developed ethos of service orientation, the young and upcoming leaders through this policy will learn from the best. The HR section of this directorate was also the first to implement the government’s new staffing regulations and has since become an example of best practices for other local governments.
In addition to establishing a new corporate identity, we are building our communication capacity and have finalised the new media studio to enhance our communications effort. We are particularly proud of our COLLAB Citizen APP which provides a convenient means to pay your municipal accounts, buy electricity, receive important, in-time messaging, and even offers an events calendar. Residents can now also lodge complaints online and almost immediately receive reference numbers to allow them to track the progress of their complaints.
To help streamline communication the municipality has improved the Call Centre, now situated at the JOC to offer direct access to the safety and emergency services.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
With our GROW GOVERNANCE STRATEGY in mind, the Mossel Bay Municipality strives for financial management excellence. The municipality received another clean audit with no findings for the financial year 2022/23. This was the fourth consecutive clean audit for Mossel Bay Municipality.
At a Special Council Meeting held in March, we approved the Adjustments Budget for the 2023/2024 year. I want to thank our Portfolio Chairperson for Finance, Councillor Mark Furness, and Chief Financial Officer, Orlando Fredericks and their team for their hard work.
In the most recent Municipal Financial Sustainability Index by Ratings Afrika, Mossel Bay was ranked joint-third as the most financially sustainable Municipality in the country.
The entire country is experiencing the effects of the economic downturn and tough financial circumstances. I, therefore, want to thank our ratepayers in Mossel Bay who have managed to maintain an exemplary 94% payment rate despite the financial hardships.
Mossel Bay Municipality is a caring institution, we have many policies and programmes to assist the poorest of the poor in our community through our Indigent Benefits, and our qualifying pensioner residents benefit from the pensioner rebate scheme. I want to encourage residents facing hardships to engage with the municipality.
Mossel Bay Municipality’s GROW SAFETY STRATEGY emphasizes the fact that no society can prosper in an unsafe environment. During this term, we have officially opened the Joint Operations Centre and I thank the Portfolio Chairperson, Councillor Leon van Dyk, and our newly appointed Director of Community Safety, Mr Graeme Lategan for the sterling work being done to enhance safety in all our communities.
In the Joint Operation Centre we accommodate the traffic, law enforcement, and the fire rescue & disaster management services of our Directorate Community Safety and we have successful partnerships with the SAPS, Provincial traffic, Farm and Neighbourhood Watch groups, the Peace Parks Foundation, Rhino Watch Africa, Radio Unit, Correctional Services, Chaplain Services, Drone Operators, Disaster Management for the Garden Route District, Western Cape Liquor Authority, Police Ombudsman and Environmental Compliance Unit.
More than 1,200 people, including various Provincial government groups, have visited the JOC to learn more about facilitating effective Community Safety. We look forward to the central role Mossel Bay can play in the Western Cape’s Community Safety sector.
In November 2023 Mossel Bay Municipality's K9 Unit was officially established in partnership with the Western Cape Provincial Government. Our K-9 Unit currently has 4 well-trained dogs, each with their own handlers from our law enforcement team and has already assisted in the combatting of various crimes, including the confiscation of illegal firearms and drugs.
We have also established partnerships with the private sector for helicopters that we have used during emergencies and for routine community safety work.
Regarding our GROW ECONOMY STRATEGY, Mossel Bay Municipality is the Emerging Events Capital of the Western Cape.
In 2023 alone, Mossel Bay has hosted over 100 events that have attracted visitors and boosted our local economy.
These include the 10th Sports & Recreation Festival, the inaugural Arts & Culture Festival, the IRONMAN competition, the Toughest Firefighter Alive Challenge SA, and Matriekbaai - all for the 2nd year in a row. The Eden Streetmile, in 2023 held its 38th event and is one of the oldest street miles in the country.
I want to thank our municipal personnel who work hard behind the scenes at no additional remuneration to make these events the resounding success they have become.
As tourism is a main driver of our local economy, we are very concerned about the effect of the recent directive of the National Department of Home Affairs, effectively forcing tourists who wish to extend their stay in South Africa to leave the country at the end of February 2024 if their visa renewal outcomes weren’t received by 23 February.
This directive could seriously harm the country’s tourism industry and negatively affect Mossel Bay's economy. Mossel Bay has many long-term foreign tourists who spend the European winter in our town and who contribute handsomely to our local economy.
Mossel Bay is on the receiving end of the national government's decision to cut the Equitable Share to the Western Cape Government. This decision adversely affects job creation and service delivery at a local level. It is affecting our already overstretched provincial schools and provincial healthcare facilities and negatively affects the funding available for housing and infrastructure upgrades.
It is important to keep our economy stable and promote entrepreneurship. In 2023, the Mossel Bay Municipality’s Office for Local Economic Development (LED) applied for funding to implement alternative sources of energy to assist micro and small businesses.
D’Almeida Business Park, the Kwano Business Park in KwaNonqaba, and the Thusong Centre in Adriaans Avenue are beneficiaries of the 120 solar panels provided by the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. This is an investment of approximately R660 000 in D’Almeida, R700 000 in KwaNonqaba, and R510 000 in the Thusong Centre.
This new solar power will ensure better sustainability for the 34 business owners operating at these three sites. Young entrepreneurs at our beehives now have access to sustainable energy, and an opportunity to grow their businesses.
Within our GROW SOCIAL REGENERATION STRATEGY, we have had many successes for which I applaud both the Portfolio Chairperson, Alderman Niklaas Booisen, and the Director of Community Services Elize Nel.
Under the banner of the Make A Difference (MAD) campaign, the Mayoral Committee has regularly met with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations making a meaningful difference in Mossel Bay and looked at where we can partner in the spirit of the Afrikaans saying, “Vele hande maak ligte werk”.
We have amended the policy for the use of Community Halls to make these spaces more accessible to registered non-profit and non-governmental organizations.
In March and November 2023, we hosted our second and third engagements with the growing network of faith-based leaders in Mossel Bay to whom we turn often for advice on addressing social issues and challenges facing our communities.
Within the GROW ENVIRONMENT STRATEGY, a lot of hard work has gone into creating an environment for conservancies to collaborate on creating a safe, cleaner natural environment in Mossel Bay.
The Mossel Bay Spatial Development Framework also serves as the Environment Management Framework. In the past year, the Council has approved an overarching non-profit company to focus on our environment, to forge closer ties with our registered conservancies and environmental organisations and NPOs to place greater emphasis on environmental conservation. Steady progress has been made towards establishing an unencumbered green belt from the banks of the Gourits River to Glentana.
We are blessed with more than 100 kilometers of unspoiled coastline and vast tracts of conservation-worthy biomes within our borders. We owe it to our children to safeguard our environment while creating opportunities for job creation and conservation.
Our Community Services Directorate worked very hard to establish more than 250 food gardens in our communities. With our greening campaign, more than 3,000 trees have been planted in the greater Mossel Bay since we adopted our municipal Tree Policy.
To showcase our natural environment, we have hosted three Mayoral hikes, including the St Blaize Trail with former Public Protector Professor and special advisor to the UN Secretary-General, Prof Thuli Madonsela.
Communities have received increased access to refuse bags and Mossel Bay is likely the only municipality in the district to distribute refuse bags at no charge. The new Garden Route District Municipality Regional Waste Management Facility will be built at PetroSA in Mossel Bay. We hope that this facility will help the region adjust to the increased demand for waste management and decrease the health and environmental risks of waste to our local communities.
A special thank you to our municipal staff of Community Services for consistently ensuring that rubbish is collected effectively, even on public holidays, and especially in communities where there is a higher demand for waste management.
I would have liked to expand on the list of successes of each of the objectives of the GROW STRATEGY, but sadly we simply do not have the time.
Thank you to our residents for their trust and support over the past two years, we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with you in the years to come.
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