Dog owners are not co-operating and many continue to disregard the conditions which the Municipality set for allowing dogs on certain beaches for a trial period until 30 November 2014.
According to a report  submitted to the Municipality by the organisation which monitors the situation many dog owners do not keep their dogs on leashes as required and do not clean up where the animals have fouled the beaches.
The dog owners are requested again to abide by the rules as the co-operation of dog owners in this regard may be a factor when Council considers the extension of the  concession to next year.

Eskom has acknowledged that it has capacity problems and that it is under huge pressure to supply in the national demand for electricity. The possibility of more frequent load shedding and of longer supply interruptions in the months ahead can therefore not be excluded.

Consumers supplied by the Municipality are therefore requested to use electricity sparingly in order to help reduce the national demand and switch lights and appliances off unless it is absolutely necessary to have them on.

The Municipality will endeavour to notify consumers timeously by e-mail or SMS or public announcement of possible interruptions and also publish schedules received from Eskom on the Municipality’s website at www.mosselbay.gov.za. However, it should be noted that the Municipality is absolutely dependent on correct and timeous information from Eskom, which determines the frequency and length of the disruptions. When load shedding took place recently notifications were not received at all or too late for the Municipality to inform the public in time.

Consumers are also asked to be patient when phoning the Municipality during the interruptions. The Municipality receives numerous calls on occasions such as this and calls are automatically diverted to a queuing system until a switchboard operator becomes available to take the next call.

The Executive Mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderlady Marie Ferreira, tabled a total draft budget of R904,4 million for the 2014/2015 financial year at the Council meeting on 27 March 2014. This represents an increase of 2,4% over the revised total budget of R883,5 million for the current financial year.
 
The total 2014/2015 budget is comprised of a capital budget of R123,2 million and an operational budget of R781,2 million. The operational budget includes departmental and non-cash transactions in the amount of R95,5 million. If this amount is subtracted the operational cash budget for 2014/2015 amounts to R685,7 million.
 
The Mayor announced that, with the exception of electricity tariffs, the proposed increase for services rendered by the Municipality as well as property rates is 6% across the board.  The proposed electricity tariff increase is 7,39%, which is in line with the guideline increase for municipalities for the 2014/2015 financial year as approved by the National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
 
The plight of the poor has again received attention and it is proposed that the monthly subsidy for households registered as indigent or poor is increased from R381,88, plus VAT, per month to R404,79, plus VAT per month. Indigent households will continue to receive 50 kWh of free electricity per month. As in the present financial year they will also not pay for sewerage and refuse services and do not pay property rates on the first R50 000 valuation of their properties.
 
All households, including indigent and poor households, will continue to receive 6 kl of water and 20 kWh electricity free per month.
 
The total monthly income limit of a husband and wife at which pensioners will become eligible for a discount of 50% on their property rates is increased from R9 000 to R11 000 per month. The limit to qualify for a discount of 30% is increased from R12 000 to R14 000 for the 2014/2015 financial year.
 
Improved benefits are also proposed for pensioners as far as sewerage services are concerned. The 40% discount for the current financial year is increased to 50% and the monthly income limit to qualify for this is increased from R9 000 per month to R11 000 per month. The monthly income limit for pensioners to qualify for a discount of 30% is increased from R12 000 to R14 000.
 
The Municipality will again be dependent mainly on service charges to balance the operational revenue budget of R 685,7 million, after the exclusion of capital transfers and other non-cash and departmental income to the value of R 121,3 million.
 
Excluding departmental and other internal charges, the main contributors are the following:
 
-           Electricity charges                                          R 283,3 million.
-           Water charges                                                            R 81,3 million.
-           Sewerage charges                                          R 34,5 million.
-           Refuse removal charges                                R 30,6 million.
-           Other                                                               R 29 million.
 
The main categories of expenditure from the cash budget for 2014/2015 will be the following:
 
-           Employee-related costs of R 201,7 million, which at 29,4% of the cash budget is   marginally below the national norm of 30%.
 
-           Bulk purchases of R 223,7 million, or 32,6% of the cash budget.
-           Other general expenses of R 98,1 million, or 14,3% of the budget. This category   includes an amount of R 28,2 million in respect of housing top-structures, which is     derived from Provincial Human Settlements Funding.
 
The 2014/2015 Capital Budget will be financed mainly from internal funding sources, ie the Capital Replacement Reserve, in the amount of R77,6 million, R19,8 million in Municipal Infrastructure Grants, ie MIG funding, and R13 million in Human Settlement Funding.
 
The major allocations in the Capital Budget are as follows:
 
-           Streets and Stormwater                      :  R 35,4 million.
-           Electricity Services                            :  R 24,4 million.
-           Sewerage Services                            :  R 17,9 million.
-           Water Services                                  :  R 17,5 million.
-           Human Settlements                           :   R 13 million.
 
The draft budget, together with the draft revised Integrated Development Plan that was tabled at the same meeting is now available for public inspection and comment at the municipal offices and libraries in Mossel Bay, D’Almeida, Hartenbos, Herbertsdale, Great Brak River, KwaNonqaba and Friemersheim as well as on the Municipality’s website at www.mosselbay.gov.za.
 
Comments or representations must be in writing and addressed to the Municipal Manager, Mossel Bay Municipality, Private Bag X29, Mossel Bay 6500. It can also be e-mailed to admin@mosselbay.co.za or faxed to (044) 606-5062. The deadline for comment and representations is 12:00 on Friday, 2 May 2014.
 

The Mossel Bay Municipality continues to maintain excellent drinking water quality standards as evidenced by the results achieved in terms of the SANS 241-2013 standard for the Department of Water Affairs’ 2014 Blue Drop evaluation. Three of the Municipality’s biggest water purification plants received scores of 100%, while the other four achieved between 93% and 99%.
The tests measured microbiological, chemical and physical compliance. The Little Brak River, Sandhoogte and Ruiterbos plants received scores of 100% each, while Great Brak River and Friemersheim scored 99% each. Herbertsdale scored 97% and Lodewyks Tank scored 93%. The Little Brak River, Sandhoogte and Great Brak River plants together serve most of the Mossel Bay municipal area.
With the exception of the Herbertsdale plant, which scored 96%, all the plants achieved scores of 100% for microbiological compliance. The lower percentage scored by Herbertsdale was due to the higher pH content found in the water of one of the three boreholes that feed the pump station.
The scores were all also achieved despite the added complication of having to purify Cape Brown Mountain Water. The water derives its colour from organic material in mountain streams. Although there is nothing wrong with the water and it is drinkable, the colour is removed because of public scepticism about the quality of the water.
The plant at Great Brak River is the biggest plant by far and is able to purify up to 45 million litres of water a day. It helps the Municipality to cope with the increased demand during peak seasons.
The processes and plants receive ongoing attention in order to improve them further. Processes are monitored telemetrically and the latest technology in switchgear is installed. The volumes of water that are lost during the purification processes as well as silt reduction has also been reduced significantly.
The Municipality also requests the public to bring any water problems of a continuous or repetitive nature to the attention of the Technical Services Directorate of the Municipality.
Members of the public who are interested in joining short guided tours of the Municipality’s water purification or waste water treatment plants are welcome to contact Eric Louw at telephone (044) 606-5270 or Geoffrey Bredenkamp at (044) 606-5268.

CAPTION

The table below shows the scores achieved at the various water purification plants.

The tags, which are used to seal the plastic bags in which bread is sold, is made of high density polystyrene. It is suitable for recycling and can be used again to manufacture products such as seedling trays, frames, skirtings, cornices and coat hangers.

For every 247,5 kg of tags that is collected a wheelchair is donated to a needy person. Sasko, Kwikloc and CE Mobility have also become involved in the project and each donates another wheelchair for every wheelchair which is donated because of the collection projects.

Special containers have been placed at all municipal cashier points as well as at libraries so that the public can deposit their bread tags there.

This country-wide project was started approximately six years ago by Ms Mary Honeybun of Noordhoek in the Cape, and is now co-ordinated by the Polystyrene Packaging Council of South Africa. Approximately 400 wheelchairs have already been donated to needy persons through the project.

CAPTION

Belinda Nel and Jason Damons with some of the bread tags that have been collected so far. Much more is however needed.

“The 2014 Dias Festival has been a success by all indications and it is estimated that the attendance was approximately twenty per cent more than the 20 000 people that visited it last year. It was also noticeable how many of the people came from Mossel Bay’s neighbouring towns,” said the Executive Mayor, Alderlady Marie Ferreira.

“The festival was opened by the Western Cape Premier, Ms Helen Zille, and apart from Fiësta and the SABC, even the Chinese national television service was present to give coverage to the festival. This was probably a first for a South African town festival,” she said.

She said that apart from the first day when the wind was fairly strong at times, the weather played along nicely and festivalgoers could really enjoy the large variety of exhibitions, stage performances, the airshow and stalls catering for all tastes.

The live performances on stage were a highlight this year and apart from performers such as Emo Adams, Lloyd Cele, Heinz Winckler, Monique and Gerrie Pretorius, the Indonesian folk dancers, the gumboot dancers and the reel dancers from Wupperthal were outstanding.

The cultural concert where the gumboot dancers, Khoi dancers, a local brass band and Indonesian as well as Portuguese folk dancers performed, was another highlight. The street parade was also bigger than last year.

“I would also like to thank all who made a contribution to the festival, or who attended it, sincerely for their support and the way in which they contributed to realising the festival theme of “Where Cultures Meet.” Thank you once again,” said Alderlady Ferreira.

The Standard Bank Airshow at the Dias Festival from 30 January 2014 to 2 February 2014 promises to be another spectacular event with the famous Flying Lions formation aerobatic display team being joined by top South African aerobatic pilots such as Nigel Hopkins, Patrick Davidson, Barry Eeles, Charles (Boris) Urban, Dick Henry and Harry de Villiers.

The Eqstra Flying Lions, which have been operating since 1999, are regarded as an essential act at every major air show across the country, flying the world-renowned Harvard AT6 aircraft or ‘Texan’ in their shows.

Sponsored by Eqstra Holdings Ltd, the team consists of renowned pilots Scully Levin, Arnie Meneghelli, Ellis Levin, Stew Lithgow and Sean Thackwray. Ellis Levin and Sean Thackwray are both Airbus captains with South African Airways.

Nigel Hopkins, the 2013 South African National Aerobatic Champion and also a former chairman of the Sport Aerobatic Club of South Africa, is also a member of Team Xtreme, another well-known formation aerobatic display team flown by South Africa's top aerobatic pilots.

He was ranked second overall at the 2010 Advanced World Aerobatic Competition (AWAC) in Poland. In 2013 he was the only South African competitor at AWAC in Dallas Texas, where he was placed fourth in the 4-minute freestyle contest. He also won the Grand Aero Challenge in Hungary in 2010. He is an Airline Training Captain with SAA, flying the Boeing 737-800.

Patrick Davidson is another former South African champion and was also a member of the Advanced Aerobatic Pilot team to compete at AWAC in Nyiregyhaza, Poland, in 2012, flying the Sukhoi 31. Although the youngest member of the team, he was also one of the most experienced, having competed numerous times in the national arena.

Charles, alias Boris, Urban previously competed in the Yak 52 world championships, then at AWAC 2010, and again at AWAC 2012 as a member of the South African team. He competed in an Extra 300L at the latter event.

Barry Eeles, the current chairman of the Sport Aerobatic Club of South Africa, was also a member of the South African team at AWAC 2012. He competed in a S-Bach 342.

Harry de Villiers, an attorney, was the assistant team manager of the South African team at AWAC 2012, while Dick Henry is another very experienced pilot with more than 30 000 hours of flying under his belt.

The Cape Regional Aerobatics Championships also form part of the Dias Festival programme and will take place at the Mossel Bay Airfield on 31 January 2014 and 1 February 2014.

PICTURE CAPTION

Nigel Hopkins

The Flying Lions formation team will entertain festivalgoers three times as part of the Standard Bank Airshow at the 2014 Dias Festival in Mossel Bay. The show will be held from 30 January to 2 February 2014.

They will do their spectacular evening display from 19:45 to 19:55 on Friday, 31 January 2014, the same night that the Festival will be opened officially by the Western Cape Premier, Ms Helen Zille. Their night display was one of the highlights of the 2013 Dias Festival.

Their second performance will be from 12:00 to 12:20 on Saturday, 2 February 2014. Like last year, this will take place over the bay in front of the Santos Caravan Park. The park, which will be the main festival arena for the 2014 Festival, will be an excellent vantage point for watching the team performing in their Texans as their World War II Harvard T6 aircraft are also known.

Their third and last appearance at the 2014 Dias Festival will be at 13:00 on Sunday, 2 February 2014, when they do a final fly past over Santos Beach on their way home.

Two of Mossel Bay’s four Blue Flag beaches, namely Santos and Little Brak River, were each awarded five stars by the International Blue Flag organisation following an unannounced inspection by the organisation in December.

The organisation carries out two inspections at beaches which are operated as Blue Flag beaches during December and January annually. One inspection is done by appointment and the other is an unannounced inspection. The star rating is based on the points scored at the unannounced inspection.

The other two Blue Flag beaches, De Bakke and Hartenbos, each received four stars. To get five stars a minimum of 21 points out of 25 have to be achieved. Both these beaches missed five stars by one point.

Because of cost and logistical considerations the Mossel Bay beaches, in line with 35 out of the 41 Blue Flag beaches in South Africa, are operated as such in December and January only. All six Blue Flag beaches in KwaZulu-Natal, however, function as Blue Flag beaches throughout the year.

Blue Flag status is a coveted international quality standard and participating beaches have to meet 32 criteria, which are set by the International Blue Flag organisation. Blue Flag status was awarded to 3 849 beaches and marinas in 44 countries.

The countdown to the 2014 Dias Festival has begun and from 30 January 2014 to 2 February 2014 Mossel Bay will again be the scene of three days of activities in the streets, on stage and in the sky over the bay.

Like its two predecessors of the new generation of Dias Festivals, the 2014 Festival again promises something for almost every taste – and the best of all is that entry to the festival arena at the Santos Caravan Park will again be free to ensure that the festivities are accessible to all. To add to the lustre of the festival, it will be opened officially by the Western Cape Premier, Ms Helen Zille.

The action will begin on Thursday night, 30 January 2014, with a cultural concert, in line with the festival slogan of “Where Cultures Meet,” in the Bartolomeu Dias Museum. This concert will focus strongly on bringing local cultures together and involving the local communities. However, it will also have an international flavour this year with Portuguese, Indonesian and Chinese dance and theatre groups performing at the festival.

The Dias Festival has since 2012 become synonymous with airshows and flying competitions. This year the Eqstra Flying Lions in their Harvards will again be one of the main attractions of the Standard Bank Airshow with their daring stunts. Several other types of aircraft that will whet the appetites of aircraft enthusiasts will also be in action. The show will include skydiving performances, including a big flag and a small flag jump. The Western Cape Aerobatics Championships will take place in Mossel Bay over the same weekend.

Festivalgoers will be able to see a host of South Africa’s top singers on stage, free of charge. They include Emo Adams and the Take Note Band, Lloyd Cele, Heinz Winckler, Monique, David Fourie, Crushanda Forbes, Wickus van der Merwe and Gerrie Pretorius. They will be supported by some promising local talent as well as, among others, Chinese, Portuguese, Indonesian, African and Gumboot and Riel dancers.

The SA Police Service will again play a major role at the festival with a variety of static displays and practical demonstrations of their capabilities. The SA Police Band as well as the mounted section will participate in the street parade on Saturday, 1 February, while the band will also give several performances, including with local brass bands at the Harry Giddey Park and the festival arena on Sunday, 2 February when they will play classics.

The all-action motorsport gymkhana at De Bakke parking area is expected to draw crowds from far and wide to see some of the Western and Eastern Cape’s top participants in this popular sport in action.

The street parade on 1 February down Marsh Street and along Church Street and George Road promises to be another colourful event with local schools expected to play a much bigger role this year. The parade will also include several bands, the Indonesian, Chinese and Portuguese folk dancers, motorcycles floats and veteran cars and tractors.

There will again be a doggy parade, this time on Diaz Beach on Saturday, 2 February 2014.