PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

        FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS A SOCIETAL MATTER

LINK TO JGDM SITE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THIS PANDEMIC PLEASE CLICK HERE

Since the declaration of the corona virus pandemic as a national disaster by the President of the Republic of South Africa, H E President Cyril Ramaphosa, various state actors, horizontally and vertically, have and are acting within their capacity to develop institutional response plans. These are focusing on the measures to be taken to minimize the potential calamitous impact of the virus on the municipality’s capacity to provide services to the community and sets out bold and decisive steps to be taken to rid communities of this pandemic. In that regard Joe Gqabi District Municipality has been no exception.

The Department of Health has developed national standard operating procedures for the clinical response to the virus and has worked out its response plan for the province and this has then be localized to the District area. At this stage significant training of staff has been undertaken and localised systems developed for responding. The Department of Health will be the lead department in the fight against the disease and will be supported by the Disaster Management Centers.

As it is an international pandemic and declared national disaster (different to all other disasters affecting the district such as drought, fires, etc) the lead and direction will be from the national level in line with international protocols. Only the Minister can pronounce on the new infections.

Awareness programmes have started across the District undertaken by both the Dept of Health and by the District Municipality Municipal Health Services. This is part of education on preventative health. The key message being transmitted is to keep hands clean using soap, not touching others, social distancing, and covered coughing. Hygiene is of utmost importance to try to keep the disease at bay.

Safety and Security sectors have also started planning for their district interventions.

All key government stakeholders in the district will be convening on Friday 20 March 2020 to discuss risks and intervention plans. This will then be consolidated into a district mitigation plan.

All community members, businesses and stakeholders have a responsibility to maintain their own hygiene and protect themselves and others from Covid 19 virus.

Reliable information is on Department of Health, National Institute of Communicable Diseases and World Health organization websites.

Be aware of fake news.

National information sources :

• Hotline : 0800 029 999
• Say HI to 0600 123 456 on whatsapp
• #COVID19

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Issued by Joe Gqabi District Municipal Communications Unit

It is also a time of year when most people take a well deserved break to spend more time with their loved ones.

I want to thank  the council and administration of Joe Gqabi District Municipality  for their hard work during the first 6 months of our financial year.  The challenges to serve our people are ever increasing and circumstances are not always favourable. We are still experiencing very dry conditions is some of our municipalities and the stable provision of water remains a challenge.

Some of our staff members cannot be with their families this Christmas because of their responsibilities towards serving the people, and I salute them for their dedication to service excellence.

To the communities of Joe Gqabi District I wish you all a very merry Christmas.  I want  to express my gratitude towards all  for your support and understanding during difficult situations .

Christmas is sadly also a season of increased deaths on the roads as  impatience  leads to speeding and consumption of alcohol leads to reckless driving.  Please refrain from drunk driving and speeding and obey the rules as they are there to protect you.

Looking back at 2019,  South Africa has had wonderful achievements.  We are truly a nation of excellence.  Our Springbok Rugby team was victorious in bringing back the world cup to South Africa, the  humble Ndlovu choir from Limpopo had the world standing on its feet in admiration during their performance  at   America’s got Talent show and which South African will ever forget the crowning of our Ms South Africa Zozibini Tunzi from Tsolo in the Eastern Cape Province as Miss Universe on the 8th of December 2019 ?  Her character and beauty is a true  reflection of an African.

Let us make 2020 a year of even more excellence!  Enjoy this holiday season.

I thank you

Z.I. DUMZELA
EXECUTIVE MAYOR

WOMEN IN TOURISM PROGRAMME LAUNCHED IN THE JOE GQABI DISTRICT

On the 12th of June 2019 women from the Joe Gqabi District attended the launch of Women in Tourism Programme at Limakatso centre in Aliwal North. This is the first Women in Tourism branch to be launched in the Joe Gqabi District.
The Women inTourism (WIT) is a non-governmental organization which commenced in 2013 as a platform to drive initiatives that support the development and empowerment of women in the tourism sector.
This platform recognized the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs who are often found at the bottom end of the tourism economic value chain, and identified interventions that will assist in realizing the WIT agenda. Its main focus areas include training on personal development, supporting women to develop a competitive advantage in their businesses and provision of capacity building initiatives.
Premised on the principles of Respect; Recognition; Representation and Reward, the Women in Tourism Programme integrates women from diverse backgrounds to converge on a set of common goals and interests that will ensure their success in the sector.
The portfolio councillor for Local Economic Development in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality, Cllr Hlatuka in her welcoming remarks applauded the Women in Tourism programme which elevates the status of women in tourism by providing training, empowerment and networking opportunities that facilitate their competitiveness as entrepreneurs, professionals and leaders.
The Business Development and Funding Opportunities workshop following the launch included presentations by the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, Industrial Development Corporation and the Tourism Grading Council of SA and provided the opportunity to network and share information.
The Eastern Cape Parks Tourism Agency (ECPTA) at the launchdeclared to identify two programmes (smme’s) in the region which will assist women through capacity building, market exposure and contribution.

Small Enterprises Development Agency (SEDA) in their remarks on Business development and funding opportunities encouraged women-owned companies who have been trading for more than two years to approach their offices for assistance with developing marketing material and business plans.

Joe Gaqbi District Municipality Chief Operations Officer, Ms NandipaMshumiencouraged the entrepreneurs to make use of the many opportunities available to them and expressed her gratitude towards all sector departments , Non-Governmental Organisations and other stakeholders for their involvement in developing and empowering women in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality.

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Contributed by Joe Gqabi District Municipal communications unit
25 June 2019

Draft IDP 2019/20

 WATER

The majority of water within the District is utilised by domestic consumers. Sectors such as agriculture rely on borehole water supply systems.

In accordance with its by-laws, the District is providing three levels of services : Basic, Intermediate and Full Service levels. 

• Basic level of service refers to where the community is accessing water through communal standpipes situated at a maximum distance of 200 meters from the furthest homestead. 
• Intermediate level of service consists of yard connections.
• Full level of service refers to house connections

The District took over the function of water service provision  from its four Local Municipalities.  Billing of water is done by the District.

WATER QUALITY 

The District has a continuous programme of daily operational monitoring of drinking water quality and results are shared with the Department of Water on a monthly basis.  All water treatment works are fitted with water quality tesing equipment.  Effluent samples are taken monthly to assess the level of compliance with standards.

Free Basic Services

Indigent households are provided with six thousand litres (6kl)of free water per month.  For more information on free basic services, contact the Joe Gqabi District Municipality (045) 979 3048.

Water Conservation and Demand Management interventions

The Water Services Development Plan (WSDP)  contains water conservation and water demand management strategies. Implementation of these strategies seeks to reduce water wastage and inefficient use as well as introduce measures to effectively manage and sustain service efficiency targets.
Some of the priority requirements include installation of systems that measure and identify key parameters such as minimum night flows and systems that enable detailed and regular water audits and water balances.

The Water Conservation and Demand Management Strategy addresses the following main water conservation issues:

•  Water Loss Control programme
•  Asset Operations and Maintenance programme
•  Catchment erosion prevention and mitigation programme
• Management and rehabilitation of wetlands programme
•  Alien vegetation removal programme
• Accounting and Cost Recovery systems improvement programme
• Capacity building programme
• Public Information and consumer education programme
• Development of bylaws that will support the sustainable management of all wateand sewage related resources
• Institutional arrangement establishment

Please report all  water services incidents and billing enquiries to the District Customer Care Toll Free Number : 0800 201 726

SANITATION

The District has 14 Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW's).  A large proportion of the District's budget is dedicated for the puropose of dealing with the sanitation services backlog.  Significant investments have been made in the area of bulk water infrastructure development to enable provision of waterborne sanitation systems in some areas.

DIRECTORATE : TECHNICAL SERVICES comprises of the following sections : 

• Project Management Unit (PMU) - Lumanyano Wana e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Roads - Manager : Mr. G. Labuscagnie  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Workshop - Superintendent Mechanical : Mr. M. Abrahams  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DIRECTORATE : CORPORATE SERVICES comprises of the following sections :

• Council Support - Manager : Ms. L. Matyesini  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Human Resources and Labour Relations - Manager : Mr. S. Botha  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Legal Services - Manager : Ms. N. Libazi  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Skills / Equity Development and Training - Manager : Ms. N. Nelani  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DIRECTORATE : COMMUNITY SERVICES comprises of the following sections :

• Disaster Management - Manager - Mr. P. Moko e-mail :  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Fire Fighting - Chief Fire Officer - Mr. K. Pitso  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Municipal Health Services - Manager - Ms. M. Saule  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Water Services Authority (WSA) - Mr. S. Pongoma e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Working for Water / Wetlands - vacant

DIRECTORATE : FINANCIAL SERVICES comprises of the following sections :

• Budget and Compliance - Manager : Mr. C. Samuel  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Income and Expenditure - Manager : Ms. T. Ngqongqwana  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Supply Chain Management - Manager : Ms. M. Mlotywa  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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OFFICE OF THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER

• Communications & Inter Governmental Relations - Manager : Mr. M. Gceya e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• IDP / PMS - Manager  :  Mr. T. Phintshane  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Internal Audit - Manager : Ms. A. Mahamba e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Local Economic Development - Vacant
• Mainstreaming - Manager : Mr. M. Dyantyi  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Information Technology - Manager : Mr. L. Gush  e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

External Mission :

To fight poverty through stimulating the economy and by meeting basic needs, improving service delivery quality and capacitating government and communities.

Internal Mission :

• Improve corporate governance and financial viability to support the effective, efficient and economical delivery of core powers and functions and the creation on an enabling environment for economic development.
• Zero tolerance on fraud and corruption.
• Strengthen public participation in decision-making.

An improved quality of life for all residents