George Municipality Municipal Manager Trevor Botha hereby confirms essential services delivery implications for the George Municipal area during the Covid-19 lockdown (midnight 26 March 2020 – midnight 16 April 2020).

GENERAL

All George Municipality administrative offices are closed, but essential services continue as stipulated below.

All after-hours George Municipality emergencies: 044 801 6300

Garden Route Disaster Management emergencies: 044 805 5071 (all hours)

PROTECTION SERVICES

Fire 24-hour emergency services operate as usual.

Fire emergencies only: 044 801 6311

All after-hours emergencies: 044 801 6300

The Traffic Department Office, Driving Licence Department, Motor Vehicle Registration and Vehicle Testing Stations will be closed. Driving Licence and Learner Driving Tests for this period will be postponed and applicants will receive SMS after lockdown to confirm new dates. The municipality awaits confirmation from the Western Cape Department Traffic Department regarding extensions of expiry dates on licences and related matters.

Traffic and Law Enforcement Officers will assist with visible policing and support emergency units as required.

CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES

Delivery of essential water and waste water services continue as usual.

Emergency street repair and stormwater problems caused by intense rainfall will be addressed by standby personnel.

Please report water leaks and burst pipes, sewerage blockages, leaks and spillages and urgent road and stormwater issues to:

044 801 9262/6 (7.45am-4.30pm)

044 801 6300 (after hours)

Contact information for water and sewerage emergencies in Uniondale/Haarlem will be communicated to residents directly.

Estimated response times are 24-48 hours from recorded time of complaint at the above numbers.

Civil Engineering Services administration offices will be closed during lockdown.

ELECTROTECHNICAL SERVICES

George Municipality will make every effort to provide uninterrupted electricity to communities that are legally connected to the network during the lockdown period.

Planned maintenance will be on hold and therefore no planned power outages have been scheduled for this period.

Please report power outages, broken street lights and faulty traffic lights to:

044 801 9222 (7.45am-4.30pm)

044 801 9202

044 801 6300 (after hours)

Contact information for electricity emergencies in Uniondale/Haarlem will be communicated to residents directly.

Estimated response times for low voltage electricity should be within 24 hours from recorded time of complaint at the above numbers, high voltage electricity faults could take longer.

Estimated repair time for street lights are 5-10 working days from recorded time of complaint at the above numbers.

Electrotechnical Services administration offices will be closed during lockdown.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Refuse removal remains as per the usual schedule (please see below) and includes the collection of green and blue bags. Refuse removal on public holidays in the lockdown period will be as follows:

10 April Good Friday – refuse will be collected on Thursday 9 April

13 April Family Day – refuse will be collected on Tuesday 14 April

Collections start at 7am and may extend into the night to accommodate the double schedule.

Refuse Removal Days

Monday: Blanco, Riverlea, Heatherpark, Heatherlands, Glen Barrie, Kraaibosch, Groenkloof, Blue Mountain Village, Herold’s Bay, Victoria Bay

Tuesday: Levallia, Rosemoor, Conville, Protea Park, Parkdene, Ballotsview, Borchards, Lawaaikamp, Thembalethu, Wilderness, Touwsranten, Constantia Kloof

Wednesday: Camphersdrift, Fernridge, Denneoord, Bo-Dorp, Blommekloof, Tweerivieren, Hoogekraal, Hoekwil

Thursday: Dormehlsdrift, George South, Le Grand, Bos en Dal, Groeneweidepark, Sinksabrug, Herold, Geelhoutboom, Eselsjacht, Hansmoeskraal, Jonkershoek, Rooirivierrif, Pacaltsdorp, Rosedale, Waboomskraal

Friday: Glenwood, Loerie Park, Eden, Genevafontein, Denver Park, Bergsig, Eastern Extension

Applicable business: Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Report uncollected refuse to 044 801 6300 (black bags) or 044 878 0688 (blue and green).

Waste dumping at the landfill site will be strictly controlled and only two vehicles allowed on site at any time. Only businesses on the essential services list will be allowed and limited to two loads a day.

Only municipal vehicles, the blue bags service provider and businesses on the essential services list will be allowed into the transfer station and only two vehicles allowed on site at a time and limited to two loads a day.

Street cleaning crews will operate in and around the CBD and entrance roads to the city at selected hours, seven days a week.

Public toilets are closed until further notice as per the national directive.

Illegal dumping will be attended to as per the usual schedule. The municipality appeals to communities to remain safe and not dump illegal waste, which can be hazardous to their health.

The municipality awaits national feedback regarding restrictions at cemeteries. 

Sport facilities are closed, and security remains in place to protect facilities. The municipality has made a facility temporarily available for social welfare purposes.

The municipality continues to support 130 municipal soup kitchens. Strict social distancing and hygienic practices apply.

The municipality is working with the Western Cape Department of Social Development to address matters arising with people living on the streets.

Libraries remain closed until further notice.

Community Services administration offices will be closed during lockdown.

CORPORATE SERVICES

The following Area Offices personnel will be available during office hours (7.45am-4.30pm) to assist with urgent essential service delivery matters applicable to their particular areas during lockdown. Please contact 044 801 6300 after hours.

Blanco: Marshel Abrahams 044 803 9275 or 065 907 6647

Conville: Maria Fiegeland 044 803 9261 or 078 610 9482

Pacaltsdorp: Evangeline Thorne 044 803 9286 or 073 834 2256

Protea Park: Ivino Torny 084 097 2471

Rosedale: Berenice Arries 073 071 0849

Rosemoor: Garth Meyer 044 801 9379 or 083 661 3655

Touwsranten: Walter Damons 044 803 9280 or 078 372 5843 

Thembalethu: Thembakazi Matseke 044 803 9448 or 082 704 3491

Corporate Services administration offices will be closed during lockdown.

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

For basic services (water and sanitation) emergencies in informal settlements, please phone 044 801 9183 and/or 044 802 2026.

For water leakages (indigent cases), please phone 044 801 9453.

For assistance with emergency structures following disaster (fire, flooding etc), please phone 044 802 2029.

Human Settlements administration offices will be closed during lockdown.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

No essential services applicable. All administration offices closed during lockdown.

Issued by George Municipality