MOSSEL BAY NEWS - At a special council meeting on Wednesday morning, 18 March, to discuss, among other things, the implications of President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement of a State of Disaster regarding Covid-19 (Coronavirus), the full council agreed to go in recess up to the date the state of disaster is lifted.
Delegated authority was awarded in terms of the relevant legislation to the executive mayor, Alderman Harry Levendal.
The mayoral committee in consultation with the municipal manager, Adv Thys Giliomee, will make decisions during the recess period.
Should a lockdown be declared, the delegated authority will rest with the executive mayor in consultation with the municipal manager. Delegated authority was also awarded to the municipal manager to implement arrangements and ensure measures are put in place to effectively deal with the effects of the state of disaster on both the employees of the Mossel Bay Municipality and the community they serve.
However, the full council will meet on 31 March to deliberate and approve the budget and integrated development plan.
Directly after the special council meeting a mayoral executive meeting was held.
Health and safety
• Municipal meetings are postponed to prevent more than 100 people meeting in municipal venues.
• All IDP meetings and the Mayoral Teas are postponed.
• Municipal personnel are prohibited from travelling outside municipal borders. Special permission is required when travel is necessary and unavoidable.
• Where personnel need to travel in groups, masks and gloves must be used, while the driver has to ensure the cabs are sanitised daily.
• The municipal human resources department will facilitate the necessary staff training and manage the precautionary safety and protective measures necessary to safeguard the employees through the necessary supply chain processes.
Community halls
• The bookings of community halls is cancelled for this period of the state of disaster.
• Stringent measures of control and prevention should be taken with regards to gatherings of 100 people and more when using municipal facilities.
• Visitors will be requested to register when entering municipal facilities as required, to help with tracing.
• Senior communication and marketing officer Nickey le Roux will be disseminating information on official municipal communication channels, with the assistance of the recognised media in Mossel Bay and the Southern Cape region.
Telegram
Council approved the use of social media for the instant and effective distribution of information. Council invited residents to join the Mossel Bay Municipality news site on Telegram (Mosselbaai Nuus/Mossel Bay News) to be assured of easily accessible, reliable, and confirmed information not only on Covid-19 but also on other municipal news.
Residents who have not yet furnished the municipality with a valid email address are requested to do so by sending it to admin@mosselbay.gov.za.
The municipality will, apart from formal media releases, use emails and social media to communicate important messages as widely and effectively as possible.
No exercises, matches or social sports events will be allowed at any municipal sports facilities until 31 March 2020 (and the date may change according to the disaster state statement). Currently, libraries are still open but visitors are urged to comply with the requirements for social distancing.
Fake news
Residents are requested to access credible news sources for information on Covid-19 and to refrain from passing on unvetted information that often turns out to be false.
The mayor and municipal manager will be appraised of a detailed contingency plan that will be informed by the municipal disaster risk management plan as well as the contingency plans by the Department of Health and provincial government, the entities responsible for healthcare.
Council was again reminded that the Garden Route District Municipality, provincial Health and national Department of Health are responsible for healthcare and that Mossel Bay Municipality does not have a mandate in this regard.
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