Success-Booklet-English-2021

Success-Booklet-English-2021

SERVING THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCE

2016 - 2021

Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality Alderman Conrad Poole

CITY OF EXCELLENCE What a time to be part of the team that is running Drakenstein Municipality! This Municipality is brimming with potential and is alive with possibilities. The Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) facilitates all municipal planning and implementation in Drakenstein. This plan is a strategic tool that guides the activities of local government in consultation with residents and stakeholders. The IDP has a number of key objectives and deliverables: firstly, it guides all public and private development planning within the Drakenstein municipal area; secondly, it is the basis for municipal budgeting and resource allocation; and thirdly, it is the articulation of the needs and wishes of our community. As a result of the implementation of the IDP, various achievements were attained. As Executive Mayor it gives me great pleasure to celebrate some of our success stories with you. A clean audit for the last financial year, massive investment in infrastructure, improving road access and traffic flow, reducing water losses, innovative engineering, awards won, pro-poor initiatives, and a bursary programme for disadvantaged students are just some of the examples of what we are doing to enhance Drakenstein. Together with our community, we continue to realise our vision of building a city of excellence in Drakenstein – in a focused, steadfast manner.

PROFILE OF DRAKENSTEIN

Drakenstein is a secondary city, situated in the Cape Winelands district. Its main town, Paarl, is an urbanised centre, strategically located 60km from Cape Town. Outside the urban centres of Paarl, Wellington and Mbekweni, there are Saron, Gouda, Hermon and Simondium as well as more than 2 300 farms. Drakenstein covers an area of 1 538 square kilometres and has a population of 305 281 . There are 74 161 households and 41 informal settlements. It is a politically stable municipality with 33 wards and 65 councillors. Drakenstein offers historical charm, culture, architectural heritage, wine and fruit farms, breath-taking scenery, and an assortment of cycling and nature trails. The magnificent countryside, good wines and friendly people welcome you to an area where a feeling of tranquillity still transcends modern day living. The primary languages spoken in Drakenstein are Afrikaans (72.5%) , isiXhosa (16.2%) and English (4.9%) . It is Drakenstein Municipality’s responsibility to create an enabling environment that supports local democracy and enhances service delivery. In all our efforts we will ensure that all available resources are utilised optimally and that value for money is achieved.

MAKING OUR CITY BETTER, TOGETHER

Since 2016, Drakenstein Municipality has - in partnership with our residents - made progress towards our vision of becoming a city of excellence. The key facets of our long-term vision are economic dynamism, quality of life for all, a strong well-governed municipality, and financial stability.

Our mission is underpinned by seven Key Performance Areas (KPAs), namely:

Good Governance; Financial Sustainability; Institutional Transformation;

Physical Infrastructure and Services; Planning and Economic Development; Safety and Environmental Management; and Social and Community Development.

Guided by the six values of Transparency, Excellence, Responsiveness, Accountability, Accessibility and Integrity, we have made significant progress, worked hard to keep our promises, and made sure that every Rand goes towards quality service delivery - especially for those who need it most. The hands-on management by a walkabout approach is proving very successful. With a renewed sense of urgency, focus and energy, Drakenstein Municipality will ensure that the needs and challenges of the Drakenstein community are being addressed at an accelerated pace. This is the importance of our Vision 2032. It embraces our community in participatory development, ensuring that requirements and objectives are being met to the highest standards.

TOP SUCCESS STORIES

INFRASTRUCTURE Drakenstein Municipality has spent R1.55 billion on infrastructure. This include R454 523 290 on roads and electricity infrastructure; R408 727 779 on water networks, water treatment works and reservoirs; and R689 938 125 on wastewater treatment works, sewer network upgrades and solid waste infrastructure. Investing in infrastructure helps drive development, job creation and growth in the region.

IMPROVING ROAD ACCESS AND TRAFFIC FLOW

Using R28 million of its own funding, Drakenstein Municipality has extended Van der Stel Street, Paarl, to provide residents and the business community with significantly improved road access and traffic flow. The Municipality also contributed some 20% of the projects’ cost shown in brackets to the upgrading of the below:

Stokery Road, Wellington (R32m)

Berg River Boulevard (North), Paarl (R108m)

Jan van Riebeeck Road, Paarl (R21m)

R454 523 290

Oosbosch Street Class 1 dual carriageway (R129m)

R408 727 779

Other road improvement projects to the value of over R300 million include those in Slot van die Paarl, Windmeul and Haaskraal, while parts of the R44 and R301 are also being upgraded (to the estimated combined value of R486 million ).

R689 938 125

REDUCING WATER LOSSES

This is one of the most important ways to improve the resource efficiency of water supply services. The water loss percentage in Drakenstein Municipality is 16.92% , one of the lowest in South Africa. The national average is 37% .

16.92%

INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING

The Leliefontein pump station, the first of its kind in South Africa, is an example of how municipalities can use low-cost, off-the-shelf equipment to generate clean power, using potential energy in their existing infrastructure. The same equipment is used to pump water and to generate electricity by reversing the flow through the pumps.

“PAINT MY STORY” PROJECT

Giving community members a sense of pride, Drakenstein Municipality started a R5.4 million “Paint my story” project to beautify municipal flats. A total of 301 rental units have already been painted in different cheerful colours, using paint that is durable, fire retardant and reduces interior temperatures.

TOP SUCCESS STORIES

PRO-POOR INITIATIVES

Drakenstein Municipality realises that many people are struggling to make ends meet in today’s tough economic circumstances. As such, it adapted its Indigent Policy to ease the burden for poor and vulnerable residents.

21 243 indigent households receive free basic electricity.

Currently 20 032 indigent households receive free refuse removal and sanitation, and free basic water.

SERVICE DELIVERY

GOOD GOVERNANCE

Access to piped water

Access to electricity

99.5%

94.5%

Refuse removal

Sanitation

99.6%

98.4%

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND AWARDS

GOOD GOVERNANCE Drakenstein Municipality has entrenched a cultureofgoodgovernanceandaccountability. By consistently following and adhering to legislation and sound financial principles, we achieved 12 consecutive unqualified audit opinions since 2011, of which six were clean.

THE MOST FINANCIALLY HEALTHY MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

National Treasury’s The State of Local Government Finances and Financial Management as at 30 June 2018 report rated Drakenstein Municipality as the Number One most financially healthy city in South Africa and in the Western Cape. This report evaluates finances of the country’s municipalities according to a set of criteria which include: cash as a percentage of operating expenditure; the persistence of negative cash balances; and the degree of overspending of original operating budgets.

CLEAN AUDIT

THE GREENEST MUNICIPALITY AWARD 2019 An environmentally conscious city caring for the planet and the next generation, Drakenstein Municipality pioneers cutting-edge sustainable management practices. In 2019, Drakenstein Municipality walked away with the Greenest Municipality Award in the Western Cape for consistently trailblazing smart sustainable practices. It also won awards for theMost Improved Municipality for Climate Change, and the Most Improved Municipality for Waste Management.

GOOD GOVERNANCE AND AWARDS

GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE

CESA NATIONAL INNOVATION WINNER 2019

The construction of the Municipality’s Solid Waste Management administrative building is the first municipal building in Drakenstein where sustainable green building principles have been implemented. These include energy-efficient lighting and motion sensors, water-saving fixtures, solar hot water geysers, rainwater harvesting and zero-water landscaping.

The Leliefontein Pump-As-Turbine (PAT) Station, deemed the first of its kind in South Africa, was named the CESA (Consulting Engineers South Africa) National Winner 2019. Leliefontein uniquely uses the same set of pumps to pump water and generate electricity by reversing flow through the pumps.

The Leliefontein project is the perfect example of how municipalities can use low-cost, off-the- shelf equipment - such as centrifugal pumps and induction motors - to generate clean power using potential energy in their existing infrastructure.

SINCE 2016 DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY HAS ALSO...

SERVICE DELIVERY

Handed over 1 749 title deeds to residents. informal settlement list now have electricity service connections. 1 2 3 Installed a total of 1 393 smoke alarms in informal settlements.

Provided 2 357 electricity service connections in informal settlements , equalling capital expenditure of approximately R56million. Over 40% of people on the recognised

SINCE 2016 DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY HAS ALSO...

GOOD GOVERNANCE

4 5 6

Strengthened its ongoing commitment to cut red tape and improve the ease of doing business by expanding its already impressive bouquet of automated services. These now include: electronic stamping of approved building plans; electronic invoicing of various income streams within Building Control; and the automation of requests for, and issuing of, copies of building plans.

Reduced controllable deviations in the tender process from R63 million in 2016 to R27 610 in 2020. Deviations are existing procurement regulations that allow a municipality to dispense with the prescribed process of tendering in certain instances.

Adopted and implemented a new logo and corporate brand which represent excellence empowered by unity: The dark blue ridges in the outer frame symbolise Drakenstein’s mountain ranges; the lighter blue crescents represent the Berg River as well as the Drakenstein Valley nestled between the mountain ranges; the smaller green crescents signify growth, development and agriculture; and the figure in the centre embodies achievement and excellence.

7 8

Been sharing the latest municipal news by establishing a vibrant and content- rich digital newsletter , called Vars . It contains video clips, municipal and community-focused articles, photographs, tender announcements and job opportunities, as well features and profiles on members of the community and municipal staff members. The Communication and Marketing team also grew the municipal Facebook page to over 27 000 followers, and established an Instagram platform and YouTube channel for the Municipality.

Expanded on strategic WhatsApp groups for each municipal function to ensure that all role- players can react in real time to any developing, critical or extraordinary situations in any of the service delivery functions. Accountholders can now also send pictures of their water meter readings to the Municipality via WhatsApp, as well as register their water meter readings online at http://www.drakenstein.gov.za/meter-readings.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

9

Provided more than R1 million to NGO partners to spend on food security for residents during COVID-19 lockdown Level 5. Three municipal buildings were equipped and staffed to provide accommodation, ablution facilities and three meals a day to over 170 homeless people during the lockdown.

SINCE 2016 DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY HAS ALSO... Been running 11 officially registered municipal soup kitchens across Drakenstein where vulnerable members of the community are provided with daily meals. 10

11 12

Provided farming or gardening implements to 100 beneficiaries in the One Household One Hectare food security programme, as well as established food gardens at rural schools and provided portable vegetable gardens to 14 families in need.

Awarded a total of 184 bursaries to matriculating pupils, including 24 specifically to pupils from rural schools. Twenty-nine rural matrics were assisted to acquire their Code 8 drivers’ license as part of a project to improve their chances for employment, while 43 unemployed rural youth were assisted to acquire a Code 10 drivers’ license.

Increased the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) grant allocation by 228% through better quality reporting and achieving targets set by the Western Cape Government, resulting in approximately 500 more jobs being created in each financial year. 13

14 15 16

Established or upgraded four libraries , including the R130 million Groenheuwel “House of Learning” as well as Chicago Library, Klein Drakenstein Library and Simondium Library.

Empowered 2 000 children from across Drakenstein through the “Learn to Swim” programme, in partnership with Princess Charlene of Monaco and South African swimming legend Ryk Neethling.

Officially been declared as a safe travel destination that has world-class health and COVID-19 hygiene protocols for safe travel in place. The Safe Travels stamp enables travellers to identify destinations and businesses around the world which have adopted World Travel and Tourism Council health and hygiene global norms and protocols.

[email protected]

www.drakenstein.gov.za

@DrakensteinMunicipality

@drakensteinmunicipality

080 131 3553 toll free