EMERGENCY MUNICIPAL LOAD SHEDDING RELIEF GRANT – SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY TO PROCURE BACK-UP ENERGY SUPPLY

The Western Cape Government, via its Department of Local Government, identified certain additional projects to be funded in terms of its Emergency Municipal Load Shedding Relief Grant for the 2022/23 financial year for the purpose of allocating funding to Municipalities, within the Western Cape Province, to procure and install emergency diesel generators to be used for water treatment, water distribution and wastewater systems during times of prolonged load shedding and to mitigate the impact on the provision of basic services.

A total amount of R 2 950 000 (VAT Inclusive) was allocated to the Saldanha Bay Municipality.

The Municipality is in the process of procuring generators from the emergency funding that will strategically be placed at the following service points, namely:

  • Hopefield Oaksweg Sewer Pump Station
  • Hopefield Waste Water Treatment Works
  • St Helena Bay Blueberry Hill Water Pump Station
  • Saldanha Bay Manatoka Sewer Pump Station

The Municipality will also be procuring additional generators with its own funding.

In terms of the project status, the tender for the supply of the emergency generators has already been awarded. The order for the supply of these generators has been placed. The first generators are expected to be delivered to the Municipality by the end of May 2023.

Prolonged power outages cause operational challenges for municipal water supply.  During extended periods of power outages or load shedding, some areas may experience low water pressure or a temporary disruption in water supply.  In addition, interrupted electricity supply to pump stations increases the risk of sewer spillage.

As part of Saldanha Bay Municipality’s mitigation measures, existing and additional generators that can supply electricity to reservoirs and pump stations, will enable a continuous potable water supply service to consumers and maintain the sewerage system.

However, it is important to realise that temporary generator capacity has limitations.  Therefore, despite the efforts that are made to prevent a complete disruption in service delivery, consumers are requested to reduce their consumption where possible during abnormal circumstances where prolonged periods of power outages or load shedding are experienced.  During such times, consumers are requested to please use less water so that storage levels can be conserved.

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY OPENS STATE OF THE ART, CENTRAL FIRE STATION

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY OPENS STATE OF THE ART, CENTRAL FIRE STATION

The new Fire and Rescue Services facility adjacent to the Saldanha Bay Airport, was opened by Executive Mayor, André Truter on 3 August 2023 during a special unveiling ceremony.  The event marks the achievement of a significant milestone in the history of Saldanha Bay Municipality.

The R12 million building was designed and is strategically positioned to allow an even faster and more efficient response to fire and rescue emergencies that occur in the municipal area.   The world-class facility accommodates 15 operational fire fighters, four reservist fire fighters, management and administrative support personnel, as well as a fleet of 11 dedicated vehicles, that include, amongst others, two fire engine major pumpers. Provision is also made for the necessary office space, a well-equipped control room, board room and customised storerooms.

In addition, the main building houses comfortable sleeping quarters for the firefighting and rescue personnel who rotates on a 24-hour, three shifts basis. Facilities include a well-equipped, modern kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms and a fitness room to ensure that personnel stay refreshed and prepared to respond to emergencies.

At the heart of the relocation of the Fire and Rescue Services, lies the Municipality’s desire to continue to deliver on the objective to promote innovation and modern technology that will enhance service delivery as well as maintaining its Community First approach, throughout.

To report a fire in the Saldanha Bay Municipal area, contact the 24-hour Fire and Rescue Service on tel. (022) 713 1815.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWLY ENACTED EMPLOYMENT EQUITY LEGISLATION PROFOUNDLY DAMAGING TO SOUTH AFRICANS

UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWLY ENACTED EMPLOYMENT EQUITY LEGISLATION PROFOUNDLY DAMAGING TO SOUTH AFRICANS

Over the past 29 years, the ruling party put in place a web of racial requirements through, inter alia, constitutional provisions, legislation and white papers that dismally failed the intended beneficiaries.  Just like race-based empowerment and affirmative action policies failed to work in the past, it is undeniable that the enforcement of the Employment Equity Amendment Act [EEAA] will also not solve poverty and inequality – instead, it will cause more harm than good.

This piece of legislation, described by the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, as a ‘more aggressive strategy’, unashamedly imposes race quotas on businesses. No matter the circumstances or availability of qualified employees, the Minister is allowed to “set numerical targets for any national economic sector”, including “targets for different occupational levels, sub-sectors or regions within a sector” to achieve “equitable representationat “all occupational levels in the workforce”. Companies, sectors and regions will be forced to adopt and achieve the affirmative action ‘targets’ set by the Minister of Employment and Labour, who also has the prerogative to differentiate the quotas per region and profession as he deems fit.

The EEAA and regulations will drastically change the procurement rules applicable to state entities.  Businesses who fail to meet the racial targets set by the Minister, or successfully justify the grounds for failing to do so, will not be allowed to provide goods or services to any organs of state. In addition, companies who have existing contracts with state entities, run the risk of having these agreements cancelled if the racial targets are not met. In essence, this legislation will prevent businesses from participating in tender processes from the start and allow a limitless race premium over value-for-money.

Non-compliant businesses face fines of up to R1,5m, or 2% of their annual turn-over, whichever is greater, for a first ‘offence’. For a second or repeat offence, a fine of up to R2,7m, or 10% of their annual turnover, whichever is greater. These hefty fines will undoubtedly bankrupt most businesses which in turn will increase unemployment.

Sadly, this legislation will prohibit the employment of specific racial groups in certain provinces and sectors, which is expected to result in as much as 600 000 people losing their jobs simply because they reside and work in the “wrong” areas.

Racialisation of labour, procurement and government legislation has already crippled the SA economy. Therefore, any legislation or practice implying the superiority of one race over another cannot be tolerated in a country who will be celebrating 30 years of democracy next year.

As a community and citizens of this beautiful country, we need to stand together and reject the implementation of more aggressive race-based legislation, just like we did in the dark days of apartheid. Let us not forget that the government of this country has a constitutional obligation towards all its citizens to right the wrongs of the past.

More than 30 organisations and political parties have decided to unite and stand up against this new race law.

As the Executive Mayor of Saldanha Bay Municipality, I call on all residents who believe in a non-racial South Africa with fair access to jobs and opportunities to stand in solidarity and unite against this unconstitutional legislation.

Let us be reminded of the powerful words of the late President, Nelson Mandela: “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”

I thank you.

EXECUTIVE MAYOR: SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY

COUNCILLOR ANDRé B. TRUTER

Baobab FIBRE Project Progress

Baobab FIBRE Project Progress

THE FUTURE IS NOW!

Saldanha Bay Municipality and SBM Smart City (Pty) Ltd are pleased to report that all major network-build milestones have been reached in terms of its Baobab fibre project.  All seven towns in the municipal area are now provided with world class Open Access Fibre Network services. This extensive network provides every citizen in the area with an opportunity to access the Internet and all its associated services. The fibre installation work in gated estates are on-going and is progressing well. To date almost 6,000 residences in gated estate have access to the Baobab fibre network and its services.

The Baobab end user community has reported that they appreciated the freedom to select from different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and that they enjoyed the increased telecommunication speed and reliability of the new network.

Local labour and SMME companies were involved and significantly contributed during the building and completion of the network installations in the various towns of Saldanha Bay Municipality.

The five local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) suppliers have also been successful in attracting and signing up an impressive number of new clients on the Baobab fibre network. Currently more than 10,000 subscribers are connected to the network with more than 1,000 contracted end users who are in the pipeline for services to be installed.

Information about the project is regularly distributed via various media outlets, local radio stations, social media and the Saldanha Bay Municipality’s official website. Promotion of the project will continue throughout 2023.

Residents and visitors to the area will also notice the increased activity around the display of SBM Smart City outdoor billboards and some co-branded outdoor billboards.  There are on-going activations in shopping malls, where individuals can enquire about and learn more of the project, the services and products available to them on this network.

The SBM Citizen Application (App) with its Smart City functionality is also gaining traction with end users; almost 2,000 individuals have already downloaded the application to their mobile devices and started to use the App functionality. The project team is making another appeal to SBM employees ánd residents to download the application and use the functionality not only to engage with each other but also to engage with Saldanha Bay Municipality.

The project team is happy to report that 11 local schools have already joined the Baobab project and signed up for their free Internet service.  We would like to encourage those schools who have not yet made use of this opportunity, to follow suit.

Various new projects are being executed, leveraging the now installed fibre network. Should any party require more information about any aspect associated with the Baobab fibre project please contact: Baobab@sbm.gov.za for information and assistance.

Contributed by Micaela Williams-Van Wyk

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY ENABLES THE DIGITAL CITIZEN IN SOUTH AFRICA

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY ENABLES THE DIGITAL CITIZEN IN SOUTH AFRICA

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY ENABLES THE DIGITAL CITIZEN IN SOUTH AFRICA

The Saldanha Bay Municipality has accepted the challenge to prepare its municipality for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and, in so doing, to enable its residents to benefit from opportunities and improvements.

The municipality has commenced with the process of establishing an optical fibre network that will provide all its residents with open access to data networks. At this stage, the Saldanha Bay Municipality is the only municipality in South Africa addressing the problem of accessibility to a data network in the community.

The Boabab Fibre project has now formally started and substantial progress has been made with the establishment of the open access fibre infrastructure (already installed in Langebaan, Saldanha, Vredenburg, Jacobsbaai, Hopefield and Paternoster).

In July 2022, the Saldanha Bay Municipality introduced its Digital Citizen app, which is integrated with the open access network in order to digitally provide its utility services to prospective users and residents. The app has received a lot of attention to date and is used by more than 1 071 residents.

The SBM Digital Citizen was conceptualised by Amoeba TSC to integrate seamlessly with Saldanha Bay’s municipal systems, with the focus on connecting every household in the municipal area.

The app is a comprehensive platform for liaison between residents, the municipality and service providers and includes the following functions: communication between residents and the municipality, a helpdesk, an emergency button, service purchases, repository for documents, facility management, utility management and a digital wallet. Homeowners can also connect their properties to the app. Furthermore, the app contains many more functions to make the lives of our residents hassle-free.

The SBM Digital Citizen can be downloaded from Google Play Store, Apple App Store and Huawei App Gallery. Residents are welcome to visit www.sbmsmartcity.co.za or www.sbm.gov.za for further information.

Baobab Smart City Project: Launch of the Saldanha Bay Municipality Digital Citizen App

Baobab Smart City Project: Launch of the Saldanha Bay Municipality Digital Citizen App

Baobab Smart City Project: Launch of the Saldanha Bay Municipality Digital Citizen App

On Thursday, 02 June 2022, the Saldanha Bay Municipality in its continued commitment to be innovative and at the forefront of technology, has launched its Digital Citizen App and effectively put the Municipality in the palms of its residents.

The Digital Citizen App forms part of the Baobab Fibre project, which is focused on connecting every single household in the municipal area.

The App is a comprehensive engagement platform between the citizens, the Municipality and service providers with communication, an emergency button, help desk, utility management, services shopping, digital wallet and payments, document repository, events, photo gallery and facility management functionality.

“Technology is not the solution on its own but is rather an enabler and catalyst to be utilised in innovative ways to achieve socio-economic development in and for our communities,” says Executive Mayor, Councillor André Truter.

The Digital Citizen App is one of two key building blocks for the Saldanha Bay Municipality, the first of which is the installation of a single Open Access Network.

“This open access network provides a digital highway to our Municipality that unlocks access to a multitude of Internet Service Providers and provides the access medium, to enable the rest of the building blocks”, adds Councillor Truter.

The Baobab Fibre Project is embedded in the overarching framework of Saldanha Bay Municipality’s open access infrastructure, focusing on solving the provision of Fibre-to-the-X for all in the community.

This creates an open, equitable and transparent platform for the private sector and Municipality to provide value-added services on the back of the fibre network and platforms,” says Executive Mayor, Councillor Truter.

As interest in smart cities continues to grow, driven by a range of social, economic, and technological developments that are impacting cities around the world, more are committing to programmes for sustainability, innovation and economic development that depend on technological investments.

“Choosing the correct partners and providers to deliver these programmes is of critical importance for the future of Saldanha Bay Municipality.  An effective telecommunications network and related services is one of the essential enablers of such a smart Municipality vision,” concludes the Executive Mayor, Councillor Truter.

The Digital Citizen App will be available to download from the App Store and Google Play Store on 01 July 2022.

EMERGENCY MUNICIPAL LOAD SHEDDING RELIEF GRANT – SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY TO PROCURE BACK-UP ENERGY SUPPLY

The Western Cape Government, via its Department of Local Government, identified certain additional projects to be funded in terms of its Emergency...

SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY OPENS STATE OF THE ART, CENTRAL FIRE STATION

The new Fire and Rescue Services facility adjacent to the Saldanha Bay Airport, was opened by Executive Mayor, André Truter on 3 August 2023 during...

UNCONSTITUTIONAL NEWLY ENACTED EMPLOYMENT EQUITY LEGISLATION PROFOUNDLY DAMAGING TO SOUTH AFRICANS

Over the past 29 years, the ruling party put in place a web of racial requirements through, inter alia, constitutional provisions, legislation and...

Baobab FIBRE Project Progress

THE FUTURE IS NOW! Saldanha Bay Municipality and SBM Smart City (Pty) Ltd are pleased to report that all major network-build milestones have been...