GEORGE NEWS - It will be at least another month before we will know for certain if Monde Stratu, until recently the municipal manager of the Garden District Municipality (GRDM), will fill the post again.
During a Council Meeting held on Monday 21 February, Council unanimously agreed, for the second time, to appoint Stratu as MM. However, apart from contractual negotiations, his appointment still needs to receive the green light from MEC Anton Bredell.
On quite a different matter, Council resolved to provide support to the family of a top achiever from Thembalethu who, despite growing up in a very humble home, managed to achieve seven distinctions in her matric exams last year and was under the top performers of the district.
Top post to be filled
Stratu's contract came to an end in February. For the interim, Executive Manager of Planning and Economic Development Lusanda Menze was appointed as acting municipal manager.
Mayor Memory Booysen said the post of municipal manager has been advertised and that the interviewing process has been concluded. "Stratu is the recommended candidate. We made our recommendations to Bredell's office [Office of the Minister of Local Government] and are now awaiting word from him," said Booysen. Bredell's recommendations will have to serve before Council, and the next meeting will only be a month from now. "It might even take longer," said Booysen.
Similar to 2017, the GRDM Accounting Officer position (MM) was advertised nationally. This time, about 35 applicants applied, of which three were shortlisted for the top spot.
The Garden Route District Municipality council elected DA Councillor Betsie van Noordwyk as whip. Van Noordwyk is also a ward councillor at Hessequa Municipality.
Support for top student
Booysen reported back to Council on the extraordinary achievement of Khanyisa Tata, a matriculant of 2021 at Imizamu Yethu High School in Thembalethu, who achieved seven distinctions. She shares an eighth place on the district's top candidate list. For this excellent achievement, Tata was awarded the Director's Award at the prestigious Eden and Central Karoo Education District (Ecked) Awards Ceremony on Thursday 17 February.
Booysen's recommendation that GRDM should support the Tata family during Khanyisa's studies at the University of Johannesburg, was adopted by Council.
"We will visit her parents and have a one-on-one discussion about their situation. We want to make sure that she is supported and that nothings prevents her from reaching her goals," said Booysen.
Khanyisa is currently studying through a bursary.
Khanyisa is the youngest of five children and matriculated in 2021 as top student at Imizamo Yethu High School in Thembalethu. Photo: Michelle Pienaar
Khanyisa Tata's mom, Nonkqubela Patricia Tata, walks to receive the Director's Award in her daughter's honour, under huge applause. Photo: Michelle Pienaar
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