GEORGE NEWS - New details have emerged about the last-minute preparations for the national Heritage Day celebrations initially announced for George before being moved to Oudtshoorn.
DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers provided further details in a media release last week.
At the time, Minister Gayton McKenzie’s Department of Sports, Arts and Culture said George Municipality and the Western Cape Government had been “unable and unwilling” to make the necessary arrangements at short notice. It praised Oudtshoorn for accepting the event despite having even less time to prepare.
Simmers now disputes the suggestion that George simply declined to accommodate the event. According to him, the initial correspondence from McKenzie was dated 18 September and reached the office of Mayor Browen Johnson on 19 September.
National department officials approached the municipality about venue availability only after 11:00 on 21 September, Simmers said. The formal event application followed later that day, shortly before close of business - just three days before Heritage Day on 24 September.
Logistics
Simmers said an event of this size ordinarily requires an application for a Population Certificate at least two weeks in advance. The process includes police risk categorisation, safety planning, insurance, medical and security arrangements, engineering and electrical compliance and traffic management.
According to Simmers, these requirements were not in place. Rosemoor Stadium and several community halls had also already been booked and paid for by other users.
He said the national department further requested municipal policing, emergency medical services, disaster management, fire and safety services, environmental health, horticulture and cleaning services, despite no provision having been made for the expenditure in George Municipality’s approved budget.
The national celebration had originally been planned for KwaZulu-Natal before George was identified as the new host at short notice. It was subsequently moved to Oudtshoorn, where President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the national celebration.
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