Crime, using of weapons and drug abuse is becoming a problem in schools, that is why Bitou Public Safety Officials and other stakeholders performed an inspection at Plettenberg Bay Secondary School this week. 

Stakeholders present included the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association, Bitou Traffic Officers, Bitou Law Enforcement Officers, and ADT where they searched for drugs and weapons using a detection dog.

Bitou Law Enforcement Inspector, Sindelwa Mkitha, said more of these operations were planned to make schools around Bitou safer. 

Food items expired over four years ago, others with no expiry dates were some of the discoveries made by Bitou Public Safety Officials as they pounced on shops in the CBD on Tuesday.

This blitz follows similar operations on Friday and at the weekend in Witterdrift, Kranshoek and Crags. These operations saw an illegal tavern owner arrested and alcohol worth thousands of rands confiscated as they were trading without a legal permit. 

Thousands of rands worth of liquor and expired food items were confiscated by Bitou Public Safety officials in collaboration with key law enforcement partners, including SAPS. 

This health and safety blitz is part of a campaign of keeping residents safe. 

On Friday, operations began in Witterdrift where two shops were inspected with a health inspector from Garden Route District Municipality. 

Expired food items including baby food, cool drink, chips and spices were confiscated and sent to the Bitou transfer site. 

The Bitou Junior Town Council was elected and the following learners were elected;

1. Cllr. Storm Theodosi as the Speaker, 2. Cllr. Sune’ Coetzee, the Deputy Mayor and Cllr. Faith Scholtz as the Executive Mayor of the Bitou Junior Town Council. Other Junior Councillors were elected in the various portfolios.

The Junior Councillors also made their voices heard in relation to the National Shutdown. They also presented various projects that they plan to initiate during their term of office.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is offering the following employment opportunities.

1. Assistant Project Coordinator

2. Municipal Outreach Officer

3. Democracy Education Facilitator

4. Area Manager

Please apply online via the IEC website

https://www.elections.org.za/pw/About-Us/BrowseJobs

Circulated by Bitou Municipality Communications on behalf of the IEC

BITOU MUNISIPALITEIT (WC047)

Kennis geskied hiermee dat die Munisipale Raad besluit het dat die volgende eiendomme nie deur die Munisipaliteit vir sy eie doeleindes of vir die verskaffing van 'n basiese vlak van munisipale dienste benodig word nie (wat impliseer dat hierdie eiendomme moontlik vervreem kan word):

(a) Erf 1496, Kranshoek;

(b) Erf 993, Kranshoek;

(c) Erwe 8766, 8767, 8768, 8774, 8775, 8778, 8779, 8781, 8783 en 8785, Plettenbergbaai (New Horizon);

(d) Gedeelte van Erf 256, Plettenbergbaai;

(e) Gedeelte B van Erf 1725, Plettenbergbaai;

Sunday, 26 March 2023 at 19h49

Stage 1 loadshedding will be implemented from 16:00 today until 05:00 on Monday. Thereafter, Stage 2 loadshedding will be implemented from 05:00 until 16:00 on Monday followed by Stage 3 loadshedding.

*Plettenberg Bay will be affected as follows:*

SUN, 26 MARCH 2023

No further loadshedding

I received an inspiring email on 13 March 2023 from Mr. Henrique Strydom, a grade 11 scholar at Wittedrift High School. He expressed his concerns about the poor condition of the cemetery in Park Lane. This is a cemetery where generations of Plett residents have been laid to rest.

Very interestingly, he did not only complain about the condition, but saw it as a project that he wanted to pursue as part of the 20 hours of community service that he has to do for Mr. and Miss Wittedrift High School.

On March 18, 2023, the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) hosted the second Safer Schools Conference in Plettenberg Bay in collaboration with 7 b-municipalities, the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, and the South African Police Services (SAPS) and several school representatives – including learners and principals. There were also a few community organisations present, such as neighbourhood watches and community policing forums.