GEORGE NEWS - An urgent Special Council Meeting held this afternoon by the Garden Route District Council dealt with a request for assistance to the people of Kannaland, as well as to several other B-municipalities in the Garden Route, where a severe water shortage and electricity issues due to load shedding have been reported.

Council resolved that the GRDM will take steps as necessary to handle crises with water and electricity, and resolved that the request for the declaration of the Garden Route District as a local drought disaster area be investigated and reported back to Council.

District MM Monde Stratu said he received a call from the acting MM of Kannaland Keith Jordaan yesterday (7 December), alerting him to a water crisis in Kannaland that was affecting the lives and livelihoods of the residents of that area. He requested certain interventions from the district. 

“After that I was also contacted by the Head of the Department for Local Government, under which disaster management falls in the province, Mr Paulse, who asked us to take certain steps to intervene in the process.”

Head of Disaster Management Gerhard Otto said the tabling of the item is being done proactively, and that Knysna, Oudtshoorn and Hessequa also asked for assistance with water shortages. 

He said he foresee that load shedding will be with us at the higher levels for at least the next six months, since Koeberg Unit one will be shut down on Saturday.

“When the MM called me last night, I did an assessment of what is needed in Kannaland and realised that back up electricity generation is in need for not only Kannaland, but for the entire district.”

Well below normal rainfall was received in the district for the last four months.  Some rain is expected for the coming week and the week thereafter, and it does look a bit more promising for the end of December and January.

The generators needed are not readily available – everyone in the country needs them. They need to be manufactured, said Otto. Rental options are being explored.

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