The Hermanus and Gansbaai Traffic Department will not be open on Monday, 21 December 2020, as previously stated due to staff testing positive for COVID-19.

The buildings are being disinfected and the Hermanus and Gansbaai registration and licencing offices will re-open on Monday, 28 December 2020.

Once open, safety measures and protocols governing the observation of social distancing, sanitation and wearing of masks will be observed.

Please note driving licensing tests and learner driving licensing tests that would have taken place during the week of 21 - 24 December 2020 are postponed.

The new dates will be communicated to the relevant applicants as soon as possible.

Over the last few days, people have reported nurdle sightings on the Onrus beach. Millions of these plastic pellets are being found in the sea and on the beaches, causing serious problems within the marine ecosystem.

Residents are being asked to find time to collect as many nurdles as possible‚ particularly from the high-water mark. They are tiny - around 2-5mm, which make it difficult to spot them. It is also quite difficult to pick them up and therefore it helps to take a sieve and container or packet with you when going for a walk on the beach.

They can be handed in at the Law Enforcement Safety kiosk, situated in the parking area. Please do not discard in Municipal waste bins, as these pellets will end up in landfills where they will become a problem to the scavenger animals that look for food.

Overstrand Municipality’s Protection Services Directorate officially launched its festive season safety plan on Tuesday, 15 December 2020, in Hermanus.

The general message was that the December holidays will bring new challenges to keep residents and visitors safe during the holiday season, while adhering to the new COVID-19 restrictions that President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday to curb the infection rate.

Mayor Dudley Coetzee’s address focussed on the impact COVID-19 had on Protection Services who have been rendering an essential service since the beginning of the pandemic and added that as 2020 draws to a close, the corona virus had reared its ugly head again.

The Mayor confirmed that Overstrand beaches will remain open between 09:00 – 18:00. “We were given the privilege to allow our beaches to stay open so that they can be enjoyed – please be responsible and heed to COVID-19 health and safety advice,” he added.

A very big thank you to the local business owners who took the initiative to transform this Norfolk island Pine tree (Araucaria heterophylla) in Swallow Park for the holiday season.

Your time and effort to create these displays for everyone to enjoy is much appreciated.