It was a busy day for Overstrand Municipality’s Law Enforcement Rapid Response, Marine and Land Invasion Units while conducting By-law enforcement, crime prevention and boat patrols as well as road policing in the Greater Hermanus and Gansbaai areas on 13 March 2023.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for a national shutdown on 20 March 2023. Overstrand Municipality has been alerted that the Land Party will join the EFF on the above proposed shutdown with a protest march in Hermanus.

The proposed date for the protest is also on 20 March which is not a public holiday and normal activities are expected to continue as usual, including all municipal services. It is expected that the march will follow the usual route from Zwelihle to the CBD and/or the New Harbour.

Overstrand Municipality acknowledges the right of everyone to participate in protests and exercise their rights to express themselves. This includes political parties and their affiliates.

Overstrand Municipality has appealed to all residents to be on the look out for the destructive shot hole borer beetle, which has spread to Somerset West, Stellenbosch and is now also in the southern suburbs of Cape Town and spreading at an alarming rate.

By Friday, 24 February 2023, a total of 168 sightings of the pest were reported in Newlands, Rondebosch, Mowbray, Claremont, Kenilworth, and in Observatory along the Liesbeek River. In the Helderberg area, 3 900 infested trees have been sighted since 2019 to date.

In an attempt to keep this infestation in check, Overstrand Municipality appeals to all residents to be on the lookout for it and to check trees for signs.

The Municipality has been keeping a watchful eye on the trees and has responded to many calls from the public to investigate. To date, the shot hole borer has not been spotted in the Overstrand.

The top five most vulnerable trees include:

1. Box elder maple (Acer negundo),
2. London Plane (Platanus acerifolia),
3. English Oak (Quercus robur),
4. Liquid Amber (Liquidamber styraciflua) and
5. Coral trees (Erythrina sp).

These species are all reproductive hosts of PSHB; in other words, trees in which PSHB can successfully reproduce, and which eventually die due to the infestations.

Please take note that the Indigent Support Subsidy granted to all registered indigent households expires on 31 May 2023.

Indigent households must urgently register and/or re-apply for subsidies.

Overstrand Municipality will be assisting residents in need with the application process on the indigent database on certain Saturday mornings at community halls across the Overstrand. Support will also be available during the week at any of the municipal offices.