Lede van Overstrand se Junior Stadsraad kry tydens hul oriëntasietoer van die area, goeie blootstelling van die munisipaliteit se betrokkenheid by sake wat mense se daaglikse lewe raak
Die program word namens die munisipaliteit deur Enlighten Education Trust bedryf en Unity Mtomile is die bestuurder daarvan. Riana Steenekamp, media-koӧrdineerder van die Munisipaliteit Overstrand het die toergroep vergesel op Dinsdag, 10 Mei toe Stanford en Gansbaai se fasiliteite besoek is.
Unfortunately time did not allow for a historic walk through the central core of Stanford, featuring an assortment of renovated cottages, and proclaimed as heritage site. But we manage to drive pass the original market square dating back to 1785 as well as the graveyard, the Communal Sport Centre and Community Hall (also known as Die Stoor), Die Oog Domestic Water Source and the informal settlement at Die Kop.
In die bus, oppad Gansbaai toe, het areabestuurder Petronella Ferreira verduidelik dat Stanford een van die min plekke is waar daar nog ‘n werkende leiwaterstelsel aangetref word. Sy het tong-in-die-kies vertel dat die versoeking soms vir sommige dorpenaars groot is om ekstra water uit die leivoorstelsel te gaps en nie hou by hul leiwaterbeurte nie.
But the afternoon belonged to the penguins of Gansbaai where the Dyer Island Conservation Trust established a world-class African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in 2015. Here they care and rehabilitate injured and oiled birds. There are also facilities for visitors to observe the birds.
“Until the Sanctuary was established these rescued chicks from Dyer island had to be transported more than 200km to SANCCOB. Subsequently, these birds were released in the Cape Town area and had to make the perilous swim of 160km around Cape Point and back to the island”, explained operations administrator, Pinkey Ngewu.
Did you know:
- It takes 90 – 100 days to save a single penguin
- Cost R1 000 to save a single penguin
- 420 sardines are consumed per African penguin during their stay
- On Dyer Island, the population has fallen from 25 000 breeding pairs in the 1970s to only 1 500 pairs today.
Gansbaai received an award for ‘The Best Destination for Responsible Tourism’ and we therefore had to make a quick stop at the Gansbaai Tourism Bureau - home to the Marine Big Five (whales, sharks, seals, penguins and dolphins). We also did the ‘touristy drive’ through Kleinbaai to see the Shark cage diving boats.
By die Gansbaai-sportkompleks het die junior raadslede die sintetiese veld beproef en gekyk hoe verskeie sokkerspanne daarop oefen. Die Gansbaai-sportsentrum in in 2007 gebou as ‘n vennootskapprojek tussen Barclays/ABSA, Munisipaliteit Overstrand, die Premierliga, Grootbos-stigting en die Departement van Kultuursake en Sport. Spesiale krediet kom sentrumbestuurder Carol Devitt en Areabestuurder Kat Myburgh toe vir die goeie instandhouding en gesonde bestuur van die sentrum.
