MOSSEL BAY NEWS - At the most recent monthly meeting of the Mossel Bay Municipal Council, the following have been highlighted.

MosJazz Festival
The Council granted permission for the annual hosting of the MosJazz Festival that will take place from 21 January 2021 to 25 January 2021, the last weekend of the school holidays, at the De Bakke/Santos terrain. Both the beach area and parking area will be cordoned off for the duration of the event.

Council will support the event by providing the following services at no cost to the organisers, Camissa Solutions;

• 900 meters of fencing,
• refuse removal from the communal festival area,
• firefighting services,
• the presence of Life Guards,
• Traffic Department assistance,
• Beach cleaning,
• Electrical consumption charges will be waived.

The refuse removal will be in the form of skips placed at no charge at predetermined spots. These skips will be cleared and removed free of charge, however, no refuse collection will be done inside the De Bakke/Santos Resort, in the festival arena or on the beach – the organisers will remain responsible for the clean-up. Mossel Bay Municipality supports and encourages recycling and all litter must be sorted and placed in the applicable receptacles for the specific type of litter.

Permission was granted in terms of Section 26 of the By-Law relating to the Control of Seashore and Sea for an amplifying system as well as alcohol consumption on the beach, for the duration of the event.

Permission was only granted for the hosting of this event; the hosting of future events will be reconsidered pending the outcome of this event.

Housing for military veterans
The Council noted that the Military Veterans are not catered for in any of the current Human Settlement Projects in the Municipality as the typology does not allow for such type houses.

The Council therefore approved the allocation of several vacant sites that was developed for a Government Subsidised Housing Project between 1996 and 1997 in Highway Park and Civic Park for a Government Subsidised Military Veterans Human Settlement Project.

The Municipality will proceed with a Military Veterans Human Settlements Project application to the Western Cape Provincial Department of Human Settlements to be undertaken on all the 13 identified sites.

The Council also noted that the empty sites are becoming a nuisance to the neighbours due to illegal dumping and has become a safety hazard, often being used for illegal activities. 

It’s becoming a financial burden to the Municipality as it must often be cleared from the dirt and overgrown vegetation and the Municipality cannot continue the clearing of the vacant sites perpetually.

The sub terrain infrastructure already exists and the construction costs and registration of the property to the name of the beneficiary will come out of the housing subsidy reserved for Military Veterans.

Names of suburban extensions
The Council has, following a process of public participation, approved as final the following new names for several suburban extensions. Comments were received from Ward Committee members, from Heritage Mossel Bay, and from individuals.

The comments were noted. Ward Councillor Mark Furness, Ward 6, indicated that ‘Padkamp’ is not an acceptable name for Extension 9, and suggested that a more suitable name would be Heiderand East. This suggestion was supported. 

Suggestions made by Heritage Mossel Bay has historical significance and was supported as it is also practical and in line with the existing associations of place names by residents.

The following was decided:

Ward 8:

• Extension 1 (Portion between Rudi Barnard Street & 4th Avenue) - Santos
• Remainder of Extension 1 - Mossel Bay
• Extension 2 (West of 19th Avenue) - Linkside
• Remainder of Extension 2 - Mossel Bay
• Extension 4 - St Blaize
• Extension 10 - St Blaize
• Remainder of Extension 10 - Mossel Bay
• Portion of Extension 11 - Mossel Bay

Ward 6:

• Extension 3 - Mossel Bay Golf Estate
• Extension 5 - Da Nova
• Extension 9 - Heiderand East
• Extension 12 - Heiderand
• Extension 15 - Heiderand
• Extension 27 - Village on Sea / Ocean Ridge
• Extension 28 - Heiderand
• Portion of Extension 29 - Heiderand

Ward 9:

• Extension 6 - New Sunny Side
• Extension 7 - D’Almeida
• Extension 22 - Fairview
• Extension 8 - D’Almeida

Ward 12:

• Portion of Extension 8 & JCC - D’Almeida & Joe Slovo
• Portion of Extension 11 - De Bakke
• 11Portion of Extension 29 - Heiderand

Ward 13:

• Extension (D’Almeida) - West Ridge
• Extension (D’Almeida) - East Ridge
• Extension (D’Almeida) - Seaview

The Municipality will proceed with putting up appropriate signage indicating the respective suburban names in line with the available budget.

Ruiterbos Village
The Council accepted a recommendation that support the request for a non-lending support from the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) to finalise the Township Establishment Process of Ruiterbos Village.

The Municipal Manager was authorised to negotiate and sign the Grant Agreement on behalf of the Council as well as all documents and notices in connection with the agreement. The signed agreement will be presented to the Council for cognisance.

The formalisation of the Ruiterbos hamlet has been a frustrating process with the responsibilities being shifted between government departments with no progress. 

Since the very start of the settlement no formal township establishment has happened, with the result that no ownership of individual properties has taken place by residents of Ruiterbos. 

The current status is that no erven in the village (not informal settlement) is serviced, and the Environmental Authorisation has vested but the Town Planning Application has lapsed. The land is registered to the name of the National Department of Public Works.

SALGA initiated discussions during the past 12 months with the municipalities concerning the current state and way forward of forest towns. The DBSA indicated through these engagements that they can assist municipalities and the Department of Public Works with planning and township establishment. The Ruiterbos case was presented to the DBSA and they indicated support to the township establishment process of Ruiterbos.

Cooperation with Immenstadt
A joint working committee, consisting of the Executive Mayor, the Deputy Executive Mayor, the Municipal Manager and the Manager Economic Development and Tourism will be established to facilitate the future discussions between Mossel Bay Municipality, the Immenstadt Municipality, and the Western Cape Provincial Government to finalise a possible Twinning Agreement.

The Council also approved a recommendation for the Municipality to collaborate with the Immenstadt Municipality in Germany to promote and develop a mutually beneficial cooperation with regards to tourism, agriculture, trade and investment and the Smart Cities concept. 

Germany is technologically advanced which provides the opportunity for Mossel Bay to learn from them and possibly introduce Smart City technology within the local municipal environment. 

The aim is also to connect the respective Business Chambers to promote investment and trade and possibly attract foreign direct investment. 

Furthermore, the agricultural communities form both municipal areas could be encouraged to benefit from importing/exporting opportunities. Mossel Bay will promote the five Agricultural Zones to exploit opportunities.

Demolition of affected units at Seemeeuvlug
The Council noted a report by engineer Cobus Louw dated August 2020 on the state of Units 37 to 53 in the Seemeeuvlug development in Hartenbos. The Council approved the recommendation that the Municipality proceed with the issuing of notices in terms of the relevant legislation to the owners of the affected units to demolish their unsafe structures within ninety (90) days. In the event of non-compliance, a court order may be obtained by the Municipality to demolish the affected units.

Spatial planning, land use management and development processes
Council took note of the Directions relating to Spatial Planning, Land Use Management, and Land Development Processes that was issued by the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, issued in terms of Notice 431 of 2020 on 7 August 2020. 

Council however approved a recommendation that the Directions not be implemented for the Mossel Bay Municipality as provided for in Section 5.1, for the following reasons;

• the periods are governed by the respective Municipal Planning By-Laws and the Municipality manages applications well within the set time periods prescribed by the Municipal Planning By-Laws,
• The economic recovery and the construction and development industry rely on the rapid finalisation of Land Use Applications. The Municipality should rather expedite applications and not implement the suggested timeframe extensions for Application and Appeals Processes,
• The current operational state of the Municipality permits for the fair and due processing of Land Use Applications and consequently does not require nor necessitates the extension of these timeframes.

Year-end function
Due to the Cost Containment regulations, the Council is not allowed to contribute any funds towards a year end function for the personnel. The municipal offices will, however, be closed from 13:00 on Friday, 27 November to allow the officials time off for the annual year end function.

Council in recess
The Council will go into recess from 11 December 2020 to 15 January 2021. Full authority was delegated in terms of the applicable legislation to the Executive Mayor, Alderman Harry Levendal, in consultation with the Municipal Manager, Adv Thys Giliomee, to make decisions during the Council’s recess period.

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