JOC 'world class'

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MOSSEL BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ivan Meyer, made no secret of his pride in Mossel Bay during a visit and walk-through last week of the joint operation centre (JOC) which will serve as a hub for integrated services toward securing sustainable safety in the greater Mossel Bay area.

The centre is under construction and due for completion in December.

Accompanying Meyer was a Taiwanese delegation of David Yontso Lin, director general, and Douglas Chang, first assistant director.

Photo gallery: Ministerial delegation visits JOC

Meyer said last Friday he envisaged closer engagement with Taiwan regarding sharing best practices on land reform and the management of Covid-19.

Taiwan has a proven record with successful land reform, which the Western Cape could learn from.

It is ranked among the top five countries in the world for handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Thorough planning
Acting mayor, Alderman Dirk Kotzé, said that among the top 10 risks within the Mossel Bay Municipal area, electricity theft, vandalism, land invasion and public unrest were the most pressing.

Head of Mossel Bay Disaster Management, Joseph Johnston, explained that the JOC is directly aligned with the vision of the municipality. Once completed, Johnston said, the centre will act as a participative planning one stop, centralising a full spectrum of service delivery to the community.

Councillor Leon van Dyk gave a comprehensive presentation on the safety plan.

Among the highlights are negotiations with the provincial office of the South African Police Services to establish a 10111 call centre for the Southern Cape at the JOC, which currently does not exist in the region.

Provincial police commissioner, Major-General Thembisile Patekile is due to visit Mossel Bay on 21 September, for further discussions on the matter.

Sound relationships, partnerships
Van Dyk said the centre was the culmination of sound relationships and partnerships in the safety sector.

"We created something from nothing, due to no budget being available.

"This is the fruit of making the most of private partnerships."

Van Dyk commended Mossel Bay's neighbourhood watches, referring to them as the "backbone of the safety structure" in the municipal area.

Of the 42 existing watches, 75% are accredited with the Department of Community Safety. He mentioned that the internal capacity on law enforcement was lacking, but that this was being given attention.

Van Dyk also pointed out that a primary goal was to integrate systems already in place, which included the 70 cameras owned and erected by local neighbourhood watch and community safety forums, along with the 10 cameras owned by the municipality.

He also elaborated on another private partnership concerning air support and said it was planned to increases rural safety by using drones.

As land invasion poses a definite threat, plans are in motion for Mossel Bay to establish its own tactical and stability unit. Also in the pipeline is a reservist traffic and law enforcement squad.

World class
Meyer encouraged the creation of Mossel Bay as a child-friendly town. "Make this part and parcel of your tourism agenda."

During the site visit to the JOC, situated at the Mossel Bay golf course, which followed the presentation, Meyer said the project was world class. The Taiwanese delegation commended the municipality for its vision and the execution thereof.

Director of town planning and integrated services, Carel Venter (right), elaborates on the JOC at the construction site. From left are Jannie du Plessis (Mossel Bay Advertiser), Taiwan director general David Lin, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture Dr Ivan Meyer and acting mayor, Alderman Dirk Kotzé. Photo: Cornelle Carstens