Kim Roberts

KMRRA Latest Newsletter

“Dit is die maand Oktober, die mooiste mooiste maand.”

This is a line from a poem I learnt at school and it always comes to mind at this time of the year.

Since I last wrote so much has happened on one hand, and nothing has happened on the other. By the former, I mean the wonderful efforts by community members in improving our environment and by the latter, the efforts by GKM to come to the party.

My most recent communication was on September 30. I sent a letter to the Office of the Premier, as well as ADM and COGTA, listing our frustrations which show that the officials running GKM are either incompetent and or disinterested. I asked for assistance in holding these officials accountable for their failure to do their jobs.

I have, to date, had no acknowledgement of receipt of this letter, let alone any satisfactory reply.

We are also waiting for results from our consultant, who has apparently made some headway. He has yet to provide us with something concrete. Still, the legal route that the rest of the “Collective” chose to follow has also not produced the desired result, so we will continue to wait.

At times it is hard to keep a sense of humour and I often wonder why I am not just at home baking cookies. Like Waldo, I feel a bit lost.

30 September Letter

Correspondence with GKM

The main subjects:

Transfer Station, Recycling & Refuse removal

Caravan Park & Leasing

Spatial Development Plan & Gymkhana

Rezoning regulations

Roads

Stray animals

Street Lights

Lack of communication

I remain positive

Still, in spite of the frustrations with the municipality and other governing bodies, Kei Mouth remains a wonderful place to live and we can only hope that the new elected councillors are more interested in service delivery.

Be sure to make your vote count!Our thanks go to Friends of Cwili Kei, Nature Nerds, The Kei Mouth Fire Fighting Project, The Bowls Club, The Country Club, NSRI, TW Student Project, Park Run officials, WESSA Green Coast and Sustainable Seas Trust for the active roles they play in our community.

Read on for more about these projects.

In addition, I would like to express our appreciation of the work done by the staff of the Cwili clinic, who ran the vaccination programme so professionally. It was very helpful not to have to travel for these shots.

Last but not least, well done to all in the tourism sector, for continuing through this difficult year, attracting, feeding, entertaining and accommodating visitors to our village. May you all have a very busy festive season.

It would be wonderful to see crowded beaches again.

Friends of iCwili Kei

This group of volunteers continue to work with KMRRA to clear public spaces of overgrown bush. Thanks to the community for their support in making sure the volunteers get some refreshment at the end of the morning.

We have also had donations for equipment and fuel costs and now, thanks to a further donation from Kei Revival group, we have started a weekly workday, cutting grass and improving roads.

Gymkhana Before
Gymkhana After
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Volunteers' Tea Break

Nature Nerds

This group of volunteers have done a superb job of clearing the Butterfly Reserve. With the recent rains we have had, the area has turned to a wonderfully green field of regrowth.

Kei Mouth Fire Fighting Project

Whilst this started as a KMRRA initiative, working with KWAG, we do not have the resources to run it and hence, it will be now be managed by KWAG. We will continue to support them, particularly with any negotiations with GKM or ADM.

All in all this project has been a great success and from 27 July 2021 to 4 September 2021 they have:

Assisted with 8 fires
Used 8000 litres of water
Spent 23 hours fighting fires
Had 43 volunteers present at fires
Spent 130 man-hours

Bowls Club & Country Club

These clubs do a lot to bring a bit of fun to the local residents by offering entertainment such as Evening bowls, and Sing-a-long evenings. Local business also sponsors these events. There is always something fun to do in Kei Mouth

NSRI

Monica Maroun, has been hard at work getting NSRI Station 47 established in Kei Mouth. Thanks to Billy Lawrence and Whispering waves, NSRI now have a temporary home at Whispering Waves including use of their pool for training of lifeguards.

NSRI are aiming to have local, trained lifeguards who have a good knowledge of our local conditions on Morgan Bay and Kei Mouth beaches from 15th Dec 2020 to 9^th Jan 2021.

This means that the lifeguards must be paid equivalent to what they could earn in East London and other areas. The difference we have to make up is approximately R50 000. If anyone wishes to donate directly to this cause please contact Monica. Use this link for more information:

You can also use the following QR codes for Snapscan or Zapper.

Download the app. SnapScan is available for free on iOS and Android. …
Sign up & load cards. You’ll need a South African sim and an ecommerce enabled debit or credit card to set up the app.
Create a pin. Create a pin to authenticate payments for added security.
Use the app to pay wherever you see a SnapCode displayed.
Just scan the code, enter the amount and make your payment in a snap.

Click for more info

TW Student Project

The TW Students are learning the value of recycling, turning waste into something beautiful, useful or fun. Some of their work is on display and For Sale at The Handy House. They also do a great job keeping our recycling depot tidy. They are also involved in other aspects of community and recently assisted with International Beach Clean-up Day.

International Beach Clean-up Day 18 September

This year’s International Beach Clean-up Day was a joint effort with Our WESSA Green Coast and The Sustainable Seas Trust. The preparations for clean up day started on Thursday & Friday, 16 & 17 September with TW Students joining Sustainable Seas Trust staff at iCwili Primary School to teach the children about recycling. They spent 3 hours at the school on each day. The day started with a presentation, followed by classroom activities and a colouring competition.

On Saturday 18 September, we had 76 Cwili learners join us, along with a few adult volunteers, Sustainable Seas Trust Staff and TW Students. The day was a great success with a total of 328 Kg of rubbish collected. A Grade 3 group collected the most with 6 bags weighing a total of 55Kg.

A Big Thank You once again to all who supported this day with prizes, hot dogs and fruit for the helpers. They were most appreciative.

Working with GKM

Revenue Department

This seems to be the only department in GKM where things are happening. Well done to Mr Lwana, the CFO, for trying to sort out the mess he inherited.

The department have made several trips to our local offices, where they have assisted ratepayers with account queries. It is a slow process, as this information still has to be captured by Sebata, and sometimes the updates fall through the cracks. The CFO has also offered a COVID relief initiative which has helped several ratepayers in this difficult time.

KMRRA attended a meeting in Khomga on 7 October, to meet the newly contracted professional valuer, Mark Lindstrom. He has been tasked with dealing with the objections and omissions to the General Valuation Roll as well as the Supplementary valuation Roll 1. He is currently drafting SV 2 . This should be completed in January 2022, and therefore, CFO will be in a position to assess the rate in rand that will be applied in the next financial year for his draft budget in March. We will be sending out an additional letter in this regard.

Transfer Station & Recycling Depot

We have been offered a generous donation from Edge to Edge to fence of the transfer station. After several messages and emails, we finally met with Mr Mnkile on 5 October, to ask for permission to go ahead. I am still waiting for his response. Meanwhile the transfer station continues to be a health hazard and a disgrace.

Again, we are awaiting permission from GKM to build a neat structure on Municipal ground to house the recycling until it is transported to East London. All materials and labour costs will be covered by donations. Yet, GKM cannot seem to make a decision and give us a green light….

Caravan Park

In June we were informed that the caravan park would be leased. In my ward committee meeting last week, Councillor Kantshashe confirmed this. However, in the meeting with Mr Mnkile, he informed me that he had been instructed to cut the grass and to get the park ready for the holidays. Sadly, it would appear that GKM will fail the community yet again and the caravan park will remain empty.

Ward Committee Meeting

On Wednesday, 6 October, we held our final meeting of the current committee. After the local elections, a new committee will be formed. While the meetings have not had the effect that they should have, ie, addressing the needs of the community with the councillor who then holds the municipality accountable, they are valuable as a source of information and understanding of what is happening in different areas of our ward.

When the time comes to form a new committee, if anyone would like to serve on the new committee, please contact us. The job entails writing a monthly report and attending a monthly meeting where issues are raised and discussed with the councillor. We will hold a public meeting where the candidates will be elected as soon as the new councillor advises us.

What’s on

There is always a lot happeining in Kei Mouth, Morgan Bay and surrounds.

We would love to know what’s happening and keep the community and those visiting Kei Mouth Up to Date. To this end we have added the functionality of Community Events to Kei Country.

If you have an event that you would like to showcase on Kei Country- all you need to do is:

Go To Submit an event
Register to Create an account on www.keicountry.com
Fill in the form
We will check that all is good and publish the event
Once published anyone going to kei country will see the event on the calendar as below.
If you need help Whatsapp / Call Monica for a step-by-step lesson – 074 042 2996

Events Calendar

Kobtober

Image courtesy of: http://www.rushofblue.com/dusky-kob/

With Kobtober in full swing it has been great to hear of reports of some nice Kob being caught in the Kei River and nearby surf, on both bait and artificial lures.

Along with the kob many other species, both freshwater and salt, also become more hungry as summer reveals itself.

As Kei Country comes into it’s own as an angler’s paradise, please remember to consider the future by limiting your catch and taking no more than you need, while treating the environment with respect.

For an ethical shore-based guided fishing tour contact Great Kei Adventures.

Visit Great Kei Adventures

For an ethical off-shore based guided fishing trip contact Wild Coast Fishing Charters.

Visit Wild Coast Fishing Charters

KMRRA Latest Newsletter Read More »

From the Chair’s desk

2 Comments / From the Chair, KMRRA / Kim Roberts

The first quarter of 2021 has flown by and we have had a few extremely busy months. We have attended meetings, written letters and made many phone calls. However, I believe we are making progress with a variety of issues.

There is so much activity happening in the Kei Mouth area that many of us are unaware of and hence the launch of our Kei Country website is so exciting. Our thanks to Monica Maroun for all her work in making this happen. I believe it will be of great value to residents and holiday-makers alike.

Thanks goes to:

Library re-opening

A lot of effort and emotion went into getting the library and Hazel Jeffries Shell Museum re-opened. We succeeded, albeit a few days later than desired. A big thank you to librarian Melusi Sotomelo and his assistant Loli, the students from TW Student Project, Monica Maroun, Deborah Robertson-Andersson, Elise and Eckhart Haber, Cheryl Forword and Gary Roberts for all your work and to Spar Savemore Kei Mouth for the donation of sanitizer and cooldrinks.

WESSA Green Coast

Our thanks as well to Dr Deborah Robertson-Andersson of Chrysalis Nature Training and the WESSA Green Coast Award committee for putting together a comprehensive WESSA Green Coast report

The very comprehensive Kei Mouth Green Coast Report for the period 28 September 2020
to 19 February 2021, 54 pages long, was submitted and makes very interesting reading.
Click below for the full report

The full report

Recycling

Our thanks goes to Roz Sarton who initiated and continued to drive the Kei Mouth Recycling initiative.

We sadly bid “au revoir ” to Roz Sarton who continued to drive the recycling initiative till her last day in SA. She has trained the students from the TW Student project to continue working with Johan. Thank you to all those whose contributions cover the cost of taking the recyclables to East London. Click below to find out how it works and how you can contribute.

Find out more about this

Ward Committee representative

On 1 March, we were overwhelmed by the show of support from the residents who attended a public meeting to elect myself as a ward committee representative. It was a clear indication that the residents of Kei Mouth can pull together when needed.

Voters’ Registration

Through the process of electing our new ward committee we also learnt that it is possible to check, confirm and update your address. You can also check your registration details and find your voting station. You can download the app on your phone it is: IEC mobile app. You can also visit the website from here

IEC

Fire-fighting trailer

We would like to thank Anthony Selby for his ongoing work to make our village safer by spearheading the drive to obtain a first response fire-fighting trailer.

This, together with the lack of co-operation and resources available from ADM, prompted the formation of a combined KMRRA/KWAG fire sub-committee. KMRRA have allocated R10,000 of our funds to this project and the fire committee has also raised money through a raffle and further donations. They hope to have the first trailer up and running by June this year. We would like to thank all involved in this worthwhile project. Information regarding this project and details should you want to contribute to this project, can be found under Firefighting tab on keicountry.com

NSRI

NSRI visited Kei Mouth in March and have committed to beginning the practical training for life guards with the aim of having NSRI trained lifeguards manning our local beaches.

A big thank you also goes to Monica and Deborah and the NSRI committee, who are assisting volunteers to complete application forms and to sign up on the learning platforms. To date there are over 30 people who have signed up. Chrysalis Nature Training is also offering Wi-Fi access for NSRI online training on Wednesdays from 16:00-18:00.

KMRRA membership

Our membership drive has resulted in more ratepayers joining our organisation, however, the Association is also open to residents and we encourage them to join us as well. Please send emails to ratepayers@keimouth.co.za to let us know of any issues that you may have and we will do our best to support you in getting answers.

The more members we have, the more bargaining power we have.

Find out more here

Vision and Mission

It was recently brought to our attention that we have not shared our Vision and Mission Statement with our members, therefore I have included it in this newsletter. Any comments or input would be appreciated and taken into consideration.

Vision Statement

The Vision of KMRRA is to be a knowledgeable and pro-active, independent body for Ratepayers and Residents in Kei Mouth, including Cwili township, advancing the interest of the community by working together with associated organisations and with all the spheres of government to enhance our environment and to ensure responsible, transparent and accountable governance and efficient service delivery.

Mission Statement

The KMRRA is a non-political, community driven, non-profit organization representing and promoting the interests of Kei Mouth residents and ratepayers through improved effective communication and collaboration. We aim to ensure municipal services are delivered an economic, effective, efficient, transparent and accountable manner and to promote the development of Kei Mouth, ensuring the sustainability of the natural environment.

Dealing with GKM

Local GKM Workers

While we are encouraged by the efforts of local GKM workers, in particular Zuko (Ronnie) Patuluka and the acting supervisor, Mr Gqanabisa, who are busy managing the clean ups around the village, we continue to face the frustration of trying to resolve the ongoing issues , including the transfer station, state of the roads, removal of alien vegetation and firebreaks, and last but not least, the caravan park.

Transfer Station

This continues to be unmanaged, disgraceful and a serious health hazard. In spite of promises made to KMRRA and MBRA alike, and our assisting GKM in getting quotes to clear the station, no actions have been implemented yet. We will continue to put pressure on the GKM municipal manager and Mayor in this regard.

Rates accounts

At the meeting on 5^th March, arrangements were made for officials from the REVENUE OFFICE TO VISIT THE COASTAL villages on a regular basis to deal with account issues in person. On 25 March, GKM officials from the Revenue Department spent the day in Kei Mouth. In order to streamline the process, KMRRA collected the queries on behalf of our members and our thanks goes to Monica Maroun who helped them process over 18 queries for various ratepayers.

If you still have problems with your accounts, including updating account information, opening new accounts, not receiving account, pensioners rebate, please contact Olive at ONgwanya@greatkeilm.gov.za

A reminder that applications for pensioners rebates have to renewed on an annual basis by 31 May. Application forms can be found by clicking the button below

Pensioners’ Rebate Application form

Public toilets

When we brought the appalling state of the public toilets to the attention of the local GKM staff, they had them cleaned and removed the rubble. In return, KMRRA will pay for the plumbing to be repaired. This will go a long way in resolving the concerns of the long queues of people outside the Post Office waiting for payment of grants.

Valuation Roll and increase in rates

On March 5, representatives from the Collective of Ratepayers Associations had a positive meeting with the CFO of GKM. GKM are aware of the problems with the valuation roll and are trying to sort out the issues with the valuers, Sizanani. They are also aware that many objections were emailed directly to Fanelwa Fikeni and, therefore, were lost as she was dismissed. Hence, they have extended the period to lodge objections until the end of lockdown. KMRRA have requested ratepayers to send us copies of their objections so we can follow up on their behalf. Several ratepayers have already received adjusted valuations. We have also been informed that ALL valuations that are 10% or more than the previous values of 2014 will automatically go for review at the APPEAL BOARD which is scheduled to sit from 20 – 22 April, probably in Chintsa, but this is to be confirmed.
You can contact Pumla in this regard at PNdolose@greatkeilm.gov.za
The objection forms are available on keicountry.com under downloads.The second issue was the increase in the rates tariff which was erroneously implemented. Our thanks to Ray Brown of Morgan Bay who is looking at the figures in this regard. It is an ongoing struggle to get the information required and hopefully, we will still be able to find a way to fix the mistake without having to go the legal route as this is extremely expensive. However, we are prepared to do this if necessary.

Ward Committee and other meetings

Kim Roberts attended a ward committee meeting chaired by Councillor Kantshashe at the beginning of March. Ward committee meetings are held monthly and members report on what is happening in their wards. It is very informative and good to hear about issues that we have in common with other wards. It is also a good opportunity to inform the councillor about any grievances.
Kim also attended a virtual DA meeting to discuss the collapse of the GKM with John Steenhuisen and Mlinda Nhanha in the hopes of getting more information on how best to hold officials accountable for lack of service delivery. The answer given was to attend meetings and put pressure on officials. In light of this, Kim also attended a virtual Ordinary Council meeting, chaired by the Mayor, where they went through the report on the Integrated Development plan. It was a tick box process and not an opportunity to have input. She has also met briefly with the project manager for the surfacing of roads in the village and expressed concern over the lack of public participation in the selection of roads to be surfaced. While we wish there was less time spent on meetings and more time spent on getting the work done, we encourage all ratepayers to attend these meetings so we can place more pressure on officials to deliver the services we pay for. Also visit their website, greatkeilm.gov.za or Facebook page, Great Kei Municipality to keep track of notices and tenders. Deborah Robertson-Andersson and Dominique Lees attended the Amatole Offshore MPA stakeholder meeting. They both felt that is was a tick box exercise with no opportunity for public participation, however, there is a very interesting website about this unique stretch of coast. You can visit the website at https://www.marineprotectedareas.org.za/amathole-offshore-mpa

Court order pertaining to stray animals

Agri Eastern Cape and Komga Farmers Association recently obtained a court order against GKM to enforce bylaws pertaining to keeping of animals in residential areas. More information in this regard can be found on http://www.agriec.co.za/blog

TW Student Project

The TW Student project is designed to to uplift communities by giving school leavers options and hope. Students work for a stipend, while

they are taught skills that may help to supplement their income. They are encouraged and supported in furthering their qualifications. In return, they are expected to “Pay it Forward” and help others, thereby spreading hope and happiness.

The TW students are taught about the importance of conservation and assist with the KMRRA recycling initiative.They recycled old newspapers into “paper clay” to make the “Easter” items to sell at Yellow wood market. The experience was very successful, learning not only how to make and present the items, but also financial implications of cost and net profit.

From the Chair’s desk Read More »