Junior Councillors Taken on Tour
Overstrand’s Junior Town Council was taken on the first leg of their yearly orientation tour of municipal infrastructure and facilities last week Wednesday (18 April 2012).
Sites in the vicinity of Hermanus was visited during the afternoon to gain more knowledge about municipal service delivery from the officials in charge.
The second leg on 2 May 2011 will cover the Gansbaai area.
The group of junior councillors from Hermanus High, Qhayiya Secondary (Zwelihle), Hawston Secondary and Gansbaai Academia first visited the Solid Waste Transfer Station, the Material Recovery Facility and Walker Bay Recycling, where they were briefed by Mr Johan van Taak, manager of solid waste management planning at the municipality.
At the Zwelihle Taxi Hub development they were met by Miliswa Mantyi, economic development officer, who spoke to them about municipal initiatives like that to promote entrepreneurship and to create job opportunities. Here some of them enjoyed cooked mealies straight from the pot of one of the entrepreneurs working on the site.
The smells experienced at the next visiting point – the waste water treatment plant – were not so pleasant, but the construction work currently in its final stages to upgrade the plant impressed them never the less. Patrick Robinson opened their eyes for the career opportunities of a water engineer at municipalities.
The following drive through the vineyards and farmlands of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley was used to discuss the role agriculture and tourism is playing in the economic development of Overstrand.
At the De Bos Dam the effect of the current drought situation could be clearly seen and why it is necessary to promote water saving measures as far as possible.
The tour closed with a briefing at a brilliant viewing spot from Rotary Drive to explain the current and future road projects in Hermanus. Director of Infrastructure and Planning, Mr Stephen Muller, handled this personally and made the youngsters excited about the plans for public transport that is now in the pipeline.
The group was also accompanied by Mr Theo de Wet, from the Enlighten Education Trust who manages the Junior Town Council, Mr Fanie Krige, Communication Manager, and Ms Noluthando Zweni, communication officer.
Source: Whale Coast FM