Climate Change Indaba becoming an important tool This is an important tool for environmental and disaster management entities. The GREF Climate Change Indaba takes place in the George/Wilderness area on 8 June 2021. Source Monday, 17 May 2021, 10:06 The Groot River near Van Wyksdorp before the rain.
GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - Severe rainstorms lashed throughout the first week of May through the Southern Cape, and although much damage was reported, and farmers and communities in low-lying areas had to be evacuated, the rain did bring relief to areas that were severely affected by drought for close to a decade.
Towns like Ladismith received heavy rains that made a huge difference to empty storage dams, whilst the rivers near Van Wyksdorp flowing towards Gourits River mouth showed impressive volumes for the first time in many years, and no doubt saved what was left of depleted aquatic species in the
LETTER FROM THE WILD: Loving the country roads of our beautiful country
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Bankrupt municipality’s R735-million electricity plan raises hopes and eyebrows
First published in
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Plans by the Little Karoo municipality of Kannaland to enter into a R735-million, 25-year electricity provision deal with a private company are being challenged in court. The bankrupt municipality has been under administration by the provincial government for four years.
ANC and Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa) councillors in the municipality, which covers Ladismith, Zoar, Calitzdorp, and Van Wyksdorp, are fighting a financial recovery plan imposed by the Western Cape provincial government.
Among other things, they want to enter into a R735-million deal with private company Inovasure. But according to papers before the court, the municipality has debts of R91-million, of which 90% is overdue. The Kannaland municipality’s entire annual budget of R174-million is currently unfunded.
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Everything is falling apart in Kannaland: water supplies, sewage, rubbish collection. Even the Ladismith city hall is in a mess in this Little Karoo municipality marked by strange political alliances and in-fighting.
The municipality includes Ladismith, Zoar, Calitzdorp, and Van Wyksdorp. A brief trip by
GroundUp to Ladismith and Zoar revealed serious municipal service failures, particularly related to waste. The Ladismith city hall is itself a representation of the state of the municipality. The exterior is half-painted and had broken window panes. Councillor for the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (Icosa), Jeffrey Donson (who was in 2008 convicted of indecent assault and statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl while he was erstwhile Kannaland mayor on an ANC ticket) said the job had taken two months and workers hired to repaint the building sat around while waiting for more paint to be delivered, but it couldn’t be ordered due to the state of municipal finances.
Beaches are closed but we have rivers, lagoons says Mossel Bay mayor Hendri Pelser
Mossel Bay in the Garden Route. Picture: Supplied The Garden Route accounts for 5,292 of active cases and has accounted for just over 20,000 of the 873,679 infections since the outbreak started.
After being declared a coronavirus hotspot, the Garden Route is not taking the closure of its beaches lying down.
The Garden Route District Coordinating Forum will now lobby national government and the National Coronavirus Command Council to allow beaches in the area to reopen and only close on the same days as those in KwaZulu-Natal, which are 16, 25, 26 and 31 December, as well as from 1 to 3 January.
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