Standing fltr, Mr. M Stratu (Director at Community Services) | Mr. R Smith (Head of Department at Corporate Services) | Mr. C Schliemann (Acting Manager: Town Planning and Development)

Seated fltr: Mr. F Lotter (Chief Financial Officer) | Mr. M Booysen (Executive Mayor of Bitou Municiplaity) | Mr. A Paulse (Bitou Municipal Manager)

Bitou Municipality has since the dawn of democracy never been able to achieve a clean audit outcome. The significance of a clean audit is that there are no material misstatement in the finances and no material findings on performance objectives or legislative non-compliances. The said audit outcome is the ultimate sign of good governance and of a capable institution. Bitou has now achieved the ultimate.

The municipal manager, Mr. Allen Paulse indicated that he has, since his appointment in September 2012, set himself the goal to achieve a clean audit within his contract period of 5 years. He stated that “My initial estimates were that this would only be possible to achieve in 5 years given previous audit findings around governance, compliance, performance management, finance and internal control deficiencies experienced at the time. My first priority was to set the scene to source the right and appropriate skills to fulfill our constitutional duty of efficient and effective service delivery to the people of Bitou. To this end suitably, professional qualified appointments were made which now bears the testimony of this achievement.”

The Executive Mayor Memory Booysen further stated that he is delighted but not surprised with this achievement. He said that, “we have,since the DA came into power in 2011, worked very hard to establish a credible municipality, run by skilled professionals. Under my leadership this municipality is focused on service delivery to the people of Bitou, good governance and excellence. The achievement of the clean audit outcome is the cherry on the cake.”I really want to thank the municipal manager, and his team which includes all the workers of Bitou for this achievement.

Bitou local municipality underwent a very stringent process in order to provide 70 ward committee members and 13 cllr’s with an opportunity to broaden their knowledge.

The Communication and Public participation unit, sought service providers to provide accredited insight to participants on the following Unit Standards

1. Municipal Processes and Ward Committee Participation and
2. Plan and Prepare meeting communications.

This was successful conducted by The African Development Group over the three days from 20 – 22 November 2014. This training was skilfully crafted in order to provide maximum understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in Local Government.

On the last day all learners were awarded with a certificate of attendance and depending on the assessment and moderation process of all Portfolio’s of Evidence, the successful learners will be awarded with a SAQA accredited NQF Level 5 qualification.

We believe that if you equip the mind then you empower the human being.

Bitou Municipality in conjunction with the Department of Social Development (Plettenberg Bay Office), FAMSA, Kadak officially launched the annual 16 days of activism of no violence against women and children, on Tuesday 25 November at Harkerville Farm, Plettenberg bay.

The campaign is held once a year to help prevent violence against women and children and it aims to raise awareness of the NEGATIVE impact that VIOLENCE and ABUSE have on WOMEN and CHILDREN and to PURGE society of ABUSE PERMANENTLY.

Sylvia Willie from the Department Social Development said “I encourage all those who are living in fear and experiencing these kinds of abuse to come forward and report these gender based violence”. She further urged the community members to stop being victims.

Bitou Municipal Speaker A. Olivier, Bitou Gender Officer Ms. S Mtshamba, Famsa Official R. Madeloyi, Department of social Development Officials Ms. S Willie and Lholo.

Bitou Municipality’s executive mayor comforts van der Byl family after 2 months of waiting

Finally the late Mrs. Louise van der Byl was laid to rest at her home by her loved ones on Saturday 22 November 2014.  The deceased was one of the 84 unlucky South Africans who died when a multi storey guesthouse attached to the Synagogue Church of All Nations, run by Nigerian preacher TB Joshua, collapsed in Lagos on September 12 killing 116 people, 84 of them believed to be South Africans.

The Community of the Crags was very somber as proceedings went underway; the eldest daughter of Mrs. Louise van der Byl did the eulogy referring to her mother as “a queen that will be dearly missed”. Bitou Municipality Executive Mayor Cllr Memory Booysen with his delegation paid their last respects on behalf of the municipality and to show their sincere support to the grieving van der Byl family in their time of mourning.

Bitou Municipal Waste Management section rolling out the first set of recycling bins that will be placed at strategic points within the Municipal Area and will serve as drop off points for recyclable material.

The department envisage to create 22 drop off points.

Monday the 10th of November marked a few serious celebrations at Formosa Primary School in Plettenberg Bay. The ELSEN Unit and Resource Center of the school did not only have their Open Day, but also celebrated their 5th anniversary.

Among the guests attending the ceremony were the newly elected Western Cape Education Minister Debbie Schäferon her very first official visit to the Southern Cape.

Other guests include our Executive Mayor Cllr Memory Booysen, WCED Officials from George and Oudtshoorn, parents of ELSEN learners, many local friends and supporters, as well as Mrs Ivana Segall attending all the way from England, and 3 guests all the way from Belgium namely Suzanna Meeuws, as well as Remi and Lieve de Backer of “Born in Africa”, and the Verschuren family all the way from the Netherlands.

As a means of congratulating this Special Needs unit for the work that they do in the Bitou communities, our Executive Mayor decided to make a generous contribution towards the event.

The Formosa ELSEN Unit and Resource Center has celebrated several highlights and achievements over the past 5 years and would like to thank the Mayor as well as Bitou Municipality for their loyal support over the past few years.

We would also like to invite any person wishing to get involved by volunteering or assisting with anything for these little ones, to contact them via their website namely www.elsensa.co.za.

The municipality has on Monday 3 November 2014 received a Notice to Strike from SAMWU. SAMWU has in its notice identified two grounds for the strike. One being the alleged dismissal of the Community Development Workers [CDW’s] and the other is the withdrawal of municipal transport for workers between their respective homes and place of work.

The municipality went in 2013 through a restructuring process with the aim to make its organizational structure lighter through the elimination of non-key posts. The post of the 14 CDW’s were taken off the organogram. The municipal council went further and through a placement process offered the affected officials alternative positions. The positions offered to the affected officials were refused by them. These officials exited from the municipality in October 2014. SAMWU has now listed the position of the CDW’s as one of the reasons for the strike.

The municipality has since 1997 provided transport for certain municipal workers at no cost to them. The cost of transporting workers on this basis till now was carried by the ratepayers. Council has apart from a cost perspective also considered the safety/insurance issue. The municipal council on 16 October 2014 decided to withdraw the transport it provided to municipal workers with effect from 1 December 2014.

SAMWU has in its notice indicated that it will strike indefinitely from 10 November 2014. At this stage we are preparing ourselves for the strike. The No Work No Pay principle will be applied. The municipal services will be affected if the strike proceeds as contained in the notice. However, the municipality is putting contingency measures in place to minimize the impact of the strike. We are therefore calling on the public to work with us and be patient during this period as it is inevitable that municipal services will be affected.

Issued by Kholiswa Masiza on behalf of
Bitou Municipality

The Western Cape Marina Investments (PTY) Ltd submitted an application to the Western Cape Government, Department Environmental Affairs and Development Planning [DEADP] to extend the lapsing period contemplated in terms of Regulation 67 of GN No. R543 for a further 2 years.

DEADP has turned the application down due to applicant’s inability to substantiate fully why they did not comply with legislative requirements as communicated to them by the Department. The applicant was further informed that if they wish to proceed with the proposed development that they must submit a new application in terms of the EIA regulations promulgated under the National Environmental Management Act, 1998.

The Executive Mayor of Bitou Municipality Cllr Memory Booysen addressed the residents of Kwanokuthula to state the facts with regard to the allegations around the selling of RDP against the two municipal officials. The public meeting was held at the KwaNokuthula Community hall on Thursday the 30 October 2014.

The mayor only raised two issues during this meeting. The one being the investigation of the handing over of houses which he instructed to be conducted since he took mayor ship in 2011 until this current year.The other issue was the confirmation that the two officials who are accused of bribery and fraud have been suspended with immediate effect, and the disciplinary hearing is underway. The Mayor further stated that in his commencement as a Mayor of Bitou, he dismantled the then Housing committee.

The Executive Mayor further said the Housing Committee of Bitou Municipality did not follow and apply the Municipal housing policy in all the previous years, because if they did none of these incidents could have happened. The mayor further said that. “I am standing here in front of you, as the Executive mayor of Bitou Municipality and I do have an authority to hand over houses and appoint any councilor to do so in my absence, but none of the housing committee officials have an authority to do so”. He urged those who bought the houses to come forward. He stated that those who come forward will not be prosecuted. Those who do not come forward will be prosecuted.

A follow up meeting with regard to this matter will be announced after the disciplinary hearing.

Notice is hereby given in terms of section 49(1) (a) (i) read with section 78(2) of the Local Government: Municipal Property Rates Act, 2004 (Act 6/2004), hereinafter referred to as the “Act” that the second Supplementary Valuation Roll(s) lies open for public inspection at the various municipal offices and libraries within the municipal boundaries and in addition at: www.bitou.gov.za from 31 October 2014 to 08 December 2014.

 Bitou SV02 Certified

An invitation is hereby made in terms of section 49(1)(a)(ii) read with section 78(2) of the said Act that any owner of property or other person who so desires should lodge an objection with the municipal manager in respect of any matters reflected in, or omitted from, the valuation rolls within the above-mentioned period.

Attention is specifically drawn to the fact that in terms of section 50(2) of the Act an objection must be in relation to a specific individual property and not against the valuation rolls as such. The form for the lodging of an objection is obtainable at the various municipal offices and libraries within the municipal boundaries and on website at:www.bitou.gov.za (see links below)

This notice was published for the first time on 30 October 2014.

For enquiries please telephone: The Project Manager Mr Freddie Janse Van Rensburg: 044 874 5095 / 076 768 0453 or email: freddiejvr@vodamail.co.za

The completed form must be returned to The Municipal Manager on or before 08 December 2014.

Forms for the lodging of an objection:

• Form A Residential SV2
• Form B Business SV2
• Form C Agricultural SV2

A.A. Paulse
Municipal Manager
Bitou Municipality
Private Bag X1002
PLETTENBERG BAY
6600