GRDM prepares for a busy year ahead
GEORGE - Two staff members of the Provincial Department of Human Settlements (WCDOHS) were welcomed by District Mayor Memory Booysen during a virtual Garden Route council meeting on Tuesday.
Shehaam Sims and Joel Mkunqwana have joined the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) to assist them with their new task to fasttrack certain housing developments in collaboration with the provincial department (read more about this on p. 10).
"I know that they are already rock stars. Following last week's press conference, my phone has already been ringing off the hook - probably theirs as well," said Booysen. He said they have been very busy behind the scenes since the announcement of the Memorandum of Agreement between WCDOHS and the GRDM last Friday.
He reiterated that this agreement will not take away the role or mandate of local municipalities they are partnering with, because they want to make sure that everyone benefits. "In particular, I refer here to those who want to be beneficiaries in the human settlements space - we want everyone to benefit regardless of their status in life."
Booysen also spoke about the official opening of the Garden Route Food Pantry last week Friday (read more about this on p.13). He said the R1,3-million initiative was triggered by the after-effects and unintended consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, and will span over a period of three years.