Overstrand Municipality, working with all relevant stakeholders, is geared up to deal with incidents of possible disaster as heavy rainfall and abnormal strong winds are expected later tonight.

All emergency services, including Fire and Disaster Management, as well as the offices of all area managers, are working together on contingency plans ahead of tonight’s storm.

Additional staff is also on standby to support/assist where possible and needed.

Loud hailing in all informal settlements will start shortly, and SMS texts alerts will notify residents of expected gale force winds and heavy rainfall.

The past week has been a busy one for Overstrand’s Law Enforcement Department as they continue with its clean-up operation geared towards removing abandoned vehicles from the municipality’s streets.

For the rest of the month, Law Enforcement in conjunction with the Special Task Team, Traffic Services, and SAPS will also target vehicles parked on sidewalks in residential areas that can be seen as wrecks being used for spare parts.

“Vehicles that are completely stripped or burned can not only be an eyesore but can take up valuable parking spaces in crowded residential areas,” says Johan du Toit, assistant chief:  law enforcement.

A written warning was given to the owners before the vehicle was impounded and owners will have to pay hefty release fines to obtain their vehicles. If the vehicles are not retrieved, they will be sold at auction. 

Outrage over ‘new sign’ that says no dogs on Onrus Beach

A newly erected ‘no dog on beach sign’ seen over the weekend at Onrus Beach, has angered dog walkers who have been using the facility for decades to exercise their pooches, and will be removed today.

This still applies: Dogs must be kept on a leash

While dogs will still be allowed to enjoy the beaches, their movements will be more restricted to comply with the municipality’s by-law on Dogs and Cats.

Section 6(2) and (3) of the above by-law are clear both in context and literal interpretation: “No person may or cause to allow any dog to be in a public place unless it is kept on a leash.” Note that public spaces include any beach, road, path, bridge, footpath or garden; and any other place under the control of the municipality.

Friday, 26 May 2017 marked the launch of Whale Coast Conservation’s (WCC) Butt Bin Project.  The event, held at the Hermanus Tourism Kiosk above the Old Harbour, saw WCC’s Manager of Communication, Dr Anina Lee unveil its Butt Voting Station aimed at drawing attention to the campaign’s core message of urging smokers in public spaces to dispose of cigarette butts more responsibly.

Following Dr Lee’s demonstration on the voting system, attendees were encouraged to place their butts in the ballot slot of their choice. With more people inclined to vote ‘Yes’ against tough action being taken against litter bugs, it’s anticipated that section would fill up a lot faster than the ‘No’ column. To that end, WCC’s General Manager,  Rob Fryer stated:  “Soon we’ll be installing a bigger  2m x 300ml transparent tube into which the ‘stompies’ from all the Butt Binns in the area will be placed.  The visual display of such a mass build-up of butts will further serve to create heightened awareness of the extent of the problem.”

“Discarded cigarette butts in the environment are a health hazard because they contain toxins which trickle out into the soil, ground water, rivers and sea rather quickly. When this is taken in by animals which are then eaten by other animals and humans, these toxins move along food chains until found in all parts of the food web.