mdga, Author at Marina Da Gama

Portfolio Reports November 2023

26 November 2023

EVENTS – Valerie Benson

Marina Children’s Christmas Party –Saturday 16 December 2023 at 1:15pm

Have provisionally booked Father Christmas (David Muller) pending costs
Have asked Boudje Giljam to put up his stakes in the vlei for Father Christmas’ pedalo to anchor on
Parents to drop off their children’s presents at the MDGA office week of 11th to 14th December 2023 (15th December 2023 is a public holiday)

Marina Christmas Carols – proposed date Sunday 17 December 2023

Band has been practising and will be ready to perform on the 17th December 2023
Confirmed Don Crawford from Eastlake Island as the piper for the Marina Carols. He has played at them before.
Status of MDGA music equipment, speakers etc being checked with band leader today 20.11.2023
Have asked Boudje Giljam to put up his stakes in the vlei for the boats to anchor on
Have asked Peter Cawood to put up the lights at the bridge as usual and checked that there will be power provided by 4 Rusten Close
Edie lights info has gone out with the Carols info in the last Marina newsletter
MDGA Gardeners will prep and clean both of the above areas the Tuesday before.
Will send through expenses through treasurer, vice char and chair for approval, i.e. sweet bags for Marina children, Father Chrismas’ fees, magician fees and Three Kings and band refreshments

PARKS AND GARDENS – Valerie Benson

POS have finally been mowed after weeks of requesting council to cut the lawns

Council has not been collecting the garden refuse generated by the MDGA Gardeners every Tuesday regularly despite repeated reminders from Robbie and I. Eugene advised that his key staff member who organised this was not available for a few weeks. I am therefore investigating what it would cost to have a private contractor do this twice a month should council’s service not improve. The private contractor would only be used in the case of council not doing the collections regularly.

Uitsig Peninsula

Along with help from two local residents, Koemi Rowe is slowly repairing and extending the existing sprinkler system to get it to cover more of Uitsig Park which is great news. For several years now, only one third of the park had working sprinklers. The area from Uitsig Road to the section on the park where the swings are is now covered. Any further isn’t possible as the pump pressure isn’t great enough. The part of the park from the water to the swings used to be watered from council mains but that stopped with the drought. Will chat to council to see if this can be reactivated.
The MDGA Gardeners tidied up and cut back trees at the end of Oudevlei Road
Koemi has a key for the pump electrical box that drives the sprinklers. She will leave second key with me just as a backup. Someone is switching off the sprinklers just after she puts them on so she has locked the box now.

Park Island

MDGA Gardeners concentrated on tidying up, especially at the entrance, de Lille Square and the POS along Eastlake Drive, weeding and cutting back the encroaching reeds, collecting litter etc. 8 bags of donated vygies from PI reserve were planted on the corner of PI Way and T’Wagen behind the boat. Cherry has arranged for a local resident to water there and another lady, the gardens at the entrance by the guard hut.
Gardeners collected branches/cuttings/ palm fronds from the mowed areas and stacked at the Michele pump house and at the corner of Michele and T’Wagen for collection. They also cut back the reeds in front of the benches overlooking the waterway at the Thibault Park. On the way back, they tidied up/swept the street under the ficus tree where the paths go up to the pedestrian bridge.

Cannon Island and Eastlake Island

All garden refuse finally collected by council on CI and Eastlake Island after several weeks
MDGA Gardeners are due to work in this area tomorrow 21.11.2023

Koemi, Andie and Cherry will be providing Staffa and his team with an informal Christmas lunch on their last Tuesday in December, i.e. 12^th December 2023, from their own funds. They don’t want the MDGA to fund this lunch as it is something they want to do personally to thank the MDGA Gardeners.

SAFETY AND SECURITY – Robin Carlisle

1.Crime and security

Saps Sector 3

NO ISSUE(S) FOR DISCUSSION ISSUE(S) MENTIONED BY ISSUE(S) DISCUSSED RESPONSIBLE PERSON 6.11 (Sept) Pamphlets Captain Knapp will send pamphlets (importance of reporting crime) to CPF for assistance with distributing them. Capt Knapp 8.3 (Sept) Street children/ day strollers Hodsons mentioned that a variety of vehicles are being used to drop the youngsters off, not only the light blue bakkie mentioned previously 8.6 (Sept) Festive Season Planning Festive season operational planning will be held on the 26 October 2023 directly after the Joint Operation meeting. Local security companies, Law Enforcement, representatives from the CPF and traffic were invited to attend. Col Lourens 8.3 Municipal Electricity Depot adjacent to Harcourts HG There is still a lot of activity in the grounds of the electricity depot which is accessed via a broken gate leading on to Harcourts property. Col Lourens has visited the site in the early mornings on a number of occasions. Heide Goodman approached Harcourts and logged C3’s for cleansing and for illegal occupation – both were “closed” by the system despite nothing having been done. PI Mkwazi says he has not been informed of the situation via the C3 reporting system and is therefore unaware of the issue. Cllr Kuhl is requested to take control of the situation Cllr Kuhl
	7. NEW MATTERS			7.1 SAPS Report: Crime Overview (Trends and Arrests) 7.2 Report from Law Enforcement
NO	ISSUE(S) FOR DISCUSSION	ISSUE(S) MENTIONED BY	ISSUE(S) DISCUSSED
7.1	SAPS Report	Lt Col Lourens	7.1.1 Spike in property related crime, particularly in the MID area of Sector 3 wher multiple incidents of house and business robberies and theft of and out of motor vehicles have been reported. Muizenberg Community Watch is in the final stages of reorganising itself and will commence patrolling in early November. All security companies working in the MID/ME areas will be asked to report their opinions as to why property related crimes are occurring in the area. The CIB will be holding operations on the Muizenberg beachfront (Striped Horse to small circle) 7.1.2 Vrygrond and Hillview are still experiencing gang related criminality 7.1.3 The mobile station is deployed 5 days a week 7.1.4 Criminal gangs are targeting visitors to the area. In order to alert business owners to such activities, it is imperative to reactivate business forums in the affected areas (Kalk Bay and Muizenberg). The MID has such a forum and will add SAPS to the WhatsApp alert group. Gail Daniels will set one up for Kalk Bay. The two groups need to be in contact 7.1.6 Festive Season WhatsApp group is o be established for the 2023/2024 season
7.2	LE		7.2.1 The current complement of officers is 12. This will increase during the festive season 7.2.2 The festive season operational plan is being finalised. The VOC will be run from the Muizenberg Civic Center 7.2.3 Suggest that all role players put pressure on Cllr Kuhl to be accountable for the presence of the people living in Muizenberg Park. Much of the crime in the area stems from this area
8	GENERAL
8.1	Neighbourhood Watches	Various	8.1.1 Lakeside Community Watch: CPF will do an intervention as the watch has problems 8.1.2 Bay Watch: the harassment order hearing will resume on 21 November in Muizenberg Court 8.1.3 Marine Estate: held a well-attended AGM 8.1.4 The DB/MCW WhatsApp group was deleted		CPF/SAPS CPF DM
8.2	CSC	Various	8.2.1 Francois Niemand reported that security officers were having difficulties in getting cases open at the CSC 8.2.2 Brenda Goldswain suggested that Mr James Booi be investigated as he appears to be interfering with policing matters whilst on duty at the CSC
8.3	IEC Dry Run		This is scheduled for Sunday 29^th, with registration of voters occurring on the 18 and 19 October
	Operations	SAPS	1) With 5 November falling on the weekend, a high alert will be in place over the entire weekend and will focus on the sale and letting off of fireworks and the customary antisocial behaviour associated with Guy Fawkwes celebrations. NWs in the affected areas will be engaged in this operation 2) Rugby World Cup final game: 28 October. There will be additional deployment in the perceived problematic areas
	People living on the streets	SAPS	The number of people living on the streets/mountainside of Muizenberg is increasing rapidly as the festive season approaches. Cllr Kuhl is requested to be present at the next meeting to outline what steps are being taken to a) prevent the numbers increasing and b) to remove people who are permanently camped in Muizenberg Park		Cllr Kuhl
6. ADJOURNMENT			Meeting adjourned at 11:00

Note that the MID area of our sector remains the most crime infected. Whilst no murders were reported for this period, other crimes are increasing.

Note also the complaints on the negative attitude of reception staff to accepting crime cases and reports. We will monitor the promises of a marked improvement.

Good news is the successful re-establishment of the Muizenberg Community Watch and the Marine Estate Neighbourhood Watch.

Lakeside security group is still non-functional.

–Marina Da Gama Crime

Of great concern is two vehicle thefts during October, bringing to three the MV thefts under our watch. This is more than was recorded in total in the two years when we operated the Marina Guardians. MV theft now becomes our key priority.

Cannon Island	Cannon Island Way	Theft of M/V	11.10.23	15h00	Yes Muizenberg	Theft of M/V happened on 10.10.23 at 21h52. Owner only missed vehicle on the 11th
Battle Ridge	Battle Ridge	Theft Common	23.10.23	04h25	Yes Muizenberg	Bicycle stolen out of open garage.
Uitsig	Coot Dr	Att HB	24.10.23	Unknown	No	Received report on 24.10.23 about two persons that was in yard about 2 weeks ago. No forced entry, nothing stolen
East Lake Island	East Lake Island Way	HBT	Unknown	Unknown		Garage broken into whilst they were in Germany. Tools, bicycle and gas bottle stolen.
East Lake	East Lake Dr	Theft of M/V	30.10.23	20h12	Yes Muizenberg	Vehicle was parked in road infront of house.

Perimeter Cameras.

83 triggers received. 18 followed up, and 2 escorted from the Marina

MDGA subsidisation of the security precints.

The issue of MDGA subsidising the safety costs – or portion thereof – of certain precints and not of others is clearly not sustainable. I have come to the conclusion that all precints should be subsidised according to a formula and a procedure to be established by the Excom. At least three of the precints are currently struggling to fund their existing security assets. I would recommend an overall figure of R200000.00 PA– approximately R150.00 per household.

This amount to be allocated by number of households as a proportion of 1300 for each precint but retained by MDGA. Once the Marina Guardians are re-established, they can be approached by precints with request for avaiable subsidy which in turn will depend on a number of conditions including the existence of a well-functioning safety committee; at least 50% of residents contributing money or sweat equity to safety undertakings, the purpose of the subsidy, etc. If approved by the MG, it will be submitted to the excom for decision. Allocations not used by precints will accrue in their account.

If agreed, the contribution to repairing the North wall would be the first subsidy.

From the date of implementation, all moneys paid out as safety subsidies (ie cameras on the north wall and in Battleridge) would be debited to the precints` allocations.

4.Re-integrating the safety operations in the Marina.

Traditionally, the precints were Battleridge; Fishermans Quay; Cannon Island; Eastlake Island; Park Island and Uitsig. The gated lanes and precints prefer to manage their own safety operations. The essential principle in guarding is the autonomy of the precints. The Marina Guardians is therefore an open and voluntary operation where all those involved in precint safety can meet to share experiences; suggest new developments, and where stronger precints can assist weaker ones to more efficient levels of operations. The proposed subsidy would strongly incentivise better precint safety operations.

I am currently gathering names of volunteers and researching existing structures in Uitsig. Any help would be appreciated.

5.Rationalising camera management and all Safety costs

I have asked Jonathan to assist me assess the breakdown of safety costs for the last two years. I understand that he has new and most important responsibilities, but I do need his help here.

WATERWAYS – Ralph Richards

Zandvlei Mouth – Open 24^thOct, Closed 31^stOct, Open 17^th Nov, Closed 28^th Nov, Open 7^th Dec, Closed 15^th Dec.

Progress of New Weed Harvester – Delivery set for 30^th November. Training first week in December, thereafter, commissioning and adjustments. I predict full operation around the end of January 2024

Kingfisher 0peration – Sighted in Cannon beat 26^th October and Cannon Beat and Cannon Cove 31^st October.

Dredging – Starts 24^th January 2024

Nets and Grids in Sand River – 13 bags of litter collected 3^rd Nov, 4 bags 13^th Nov, 2 bags 15^th Nov

Water Quality

Parameter	Average
e-coli	No results received from CoCT
Chlor0phyll (algae)
Salinity

Boat Patrols by Reserve ManagemenDone weekly – Nothing untoward in October/November

Cleaning of Coral Worm – Some cleaning planned under bridges 21^st to 28^th November

Sewage Spills – Vrygrond road, 30^th Oct – no effect on the Marina.

Liaison with Stakeholders

Boudje and Cherry Giljam 20^th October
1. Discussion to meet and liaise with Stakeholders.
1. A concern was raised as about the lack of public interaction and input in the specification of the construction of wetland upstream from the of Sand River mouth.
1. Recommended that this be noted in the public comments of the ZEMP.

Aneeqah Rejaldien and Warrick Du Toit (CoCT) 2^nd November.
- Met with two employees of the CoCT responsible for cleaning the litter nets at the mouth of the Sand River.
- Discuss my role as the Waterways representative of the Marina da Gama Association and to come to an agreement of co0peration with respect to the litter nets at the mouth of the Sand River.
- Informed them that one of the actions of the waterways representative is to inform the residents of Marina da Gama as to the state and condition of the waterways.
- The amount of litter in Zandvlei, the opening and closing of the mouth, sewage spills and water quality are but some of these actions.
- The outcome of these actions are measured (if possible) and communicated to residents via a fortnightly newsletter, posting on the MDG Waterways WhatsApp group and reporting back to the Marina da Gama Executive committee.
- They offered to send photographs of the amount of litter collected at the Coniston Road grids and litter nets at the mouth of the Sand River (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).
- This will help in gauging the litter pollution loading that has been lessened and reduced into Zandvlei and can then be communicated to the Marina da Gama residents.
- The work that is performed by the City to mitigate pollution loading will also be communicated and highlighted through this.
- They were thanked for the meeting and their cooperation in helping to keep the Zandvlei and Marin da Gama waterways in an environmentally acceptable condition.
- The website needs to be rebuilt. I can’t currently change any pages or upload any more documents because the website isn’t supported anymore and uses outdated technology.
- Numerous quotes have been requested, one has been forthcoming so far.
- All the old newsletter documents on the website have been saved to the cloud and the rest of the documents will follow. This is to free up space on the current website.
- Newsletters have been sent out on time.
- Facebook has been changed to information only. Comments have been turned off.
COMMUNICATIONS – Lise Carswell
The website needs to be rebuilt. I can’t currently change any pages or upload any more documents because the website isn’t supported anymore and uses outdated technology.
3 quotes have been received and will be discussed in the Excom meeting.
All the old newsletter documents on the website have been saved to the cloud and the rest of the documents will follow. This is to free up space on the current website.
Newsletters have been sent out on time.
Facebook has been changed to information only. Comments have been turned off
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES LIAISON
I have been interacting with Songezo regarding the Bob Cat to clean the bottom of the canals as last attended to in 2016
Songezo and I will be meeting to iron out a plan of action as this will entail removal of the nets at the end of Mullet Close . I’ll have to liase with Mike Ryder as he installed the nets

Portfolio reports October 2023

25 October 2023

Archcom – Paul Higgins

Archcom meeting was held on 10 Oct 2023, attended by Gordon Hart, Lise Carswell, Ulf Martz and me.
Two new plans were submitted, and both were approved.
Two Standards issues were commented on for Robbie / Connor.

Waterways – Ralph Richards

Zandvlei Mouth	Closed 17^th October, Open 24^th, Closed 31^st
Progress of new weed harvester	Commissioning early December
Kingfisher 0peration	3 sightings 4^th and 5^th Oct
Dredging	Starts January 24^th
Nets at Sand River mouth	Cleaned every second day – Nothing to report for October
Water quality	Parameter		Date	Value	Limit
	e-coli		19^th Sep	26 MPN/100ml	< 1000 MPN/100ml
	Chlorophyll (algae)		5^th Oct	99 µg/l	< 100 µg/l
Boat patrols by reserve	Done weekly – Nothing untoward in October
Cleaning of coral worm	Manual clean 10^th Oct under Park Island bridge
Sewage Spill	Emanating from Pollsmoor, entering the Westlake River and then into Zandvlei – 9^th Oct. CoCT team at the location and reducing further pollution. Reported by Cllr Carolynne Franklin
ZEMP	Attended draft report presented 11^th October
Water depth	No information from ZENR Management. Will follow up
Liaison with Stakeholders	Urban Liveable Waterways Presentation	21^st Sep	To get a better understanding of the project and how it will affect Marina da Gama.Show support for the initiative.Make further contacts
	Reserve Manager	6^th Oct	Make contact with Kyran Wright and discuss the waterways portfolio. Some extra contacts were provided. Information such as opening and closing of the mouth, dredging dates, commissioning of new Harvester and cleaning of coral worm was provided. Requested to contact him on a regular basis for information on the Pop-up and monthly report.
	Draft proposal of the ZEMP	11^th Oct	To get a better understanding of the project and how it will affect Marina da Gama.Show support for the initiative.Make further contacts.A summary and my interpretation of the ZEMP is in the pipeline.

Communications – Lise Carswell

The website is falling apart and it isn’t possible to update certain pages which are showing outdated information.
Proposal to the Excom to close down the facebook page or at least make it only for Excom to post.
Newsletters sent out on schedule.

Conservation and engagement – Caitlin Melidonis

Past Month’s Activities

Full moon walk took place on Park Island on 31 September with six residents in attendance. Four grysbok were sighted along with a barn owl, night herons, bats, chameleons and many spiders!
Attended the presentation of the Estuary Management Plan for Zandvlei – Marina residents are still able to comment on the document online and have been encouraged to do so in the latest MDGA newsletter.

Issue/s requiring attention

Drafting and circulation of information sheet about injured wild animals (who to call, what to do etc.)

Additional dates for a second full moon walk and bird walk before the end of the year to be discussed with Nature Reserve Staff

Events – Valerie Benson

Marina Children’s Christmas Party – proposed date Saturday 16 December 2023
Have provisionally booked Father Christmas (David Muller) pending costs
Need to check status of MDGA music equipment, speakers etc

Marina Christmas Carols – proposed date Sunday 17 December 2023
Have contacted Mike English and original Carols band and advised proposed Carols date which they are happy with.
Confirmed Don from Eastlake Island as the piper for the Marina Carols. He has played at them before.

Marina Halloween Walk – Sunday 29 October 2023 from 4pm to 6pm
18 houses all through the Marina will be handing out sweets for the Marina Halloween Walk.
Every child is to be accompanied by an adult on the walk at all times
Those residents wishing to participate in the walk can obtain a map from me in exchange for a bag of sweets which will go to Where Rainbows Meet in Vrygrond. I will be handing out maps at Eastlake Island shopping center on Sunday 29 October 2023 between 3pm and 4pm.

COUNCIL – Demetri Qually

At its October meeting, Subcouncil 19 has supported the proposal to reserve a portion of land to the east of Capricorn Park for use as a Temporary Relocation Area (TRA). This is in order to be able to relocate the people who illegally invaded Nature Reserve land and thus restore its conservation status.

The report can be viewed here

https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/Meet-the-City/city-council/meeting-calendar/subcouncil-meeting-detail/subcouncil-resolution?MeetingItemId=150894

Municipal Infrastructure – Ulf Martz

Past Month’s Activities

The last month’s activities revolved around liaison with the City of Cape Town officials regarding the re-instatement of the collapsed wall, the planning of alternative access routes to ZENR, Meeting with The New World Foundation director, and inquiry into the CoCT fence installed at its pump station on PGD.

Collapsed Boundary Wall

Sections of the northern boundary wall had collapsed after a storm. The matter had been addressed and communicated to the City of Cape Town officials, and with the assistance of Valerie Benson, the City of Cape Town (CoCT) implemented temporary fencing to close off the area due to security concerns. However, the temporary fence was removed leaving an open passageway through the wall, which poses a security risk.

Further communication between the MDGA and City officials and councillors ensued.

Whilst the onus of reinstating the section of boundary wall falls on the property owner, in this case the CoCT, they appear to be reluctant to build a new wall.

The whole section of the wall also poses a safety risk as parts of it will fall. It is recommended that the existing wall be demolished and rebuilt to structurally sound standards. This will need to be done by the City of Cape Town, as the wall is on their property and poses an Occupational Health and Safety risk to the public.

The wall was poorly constructed (or repaired) in the first place, with no evidence of structurally sound best practices, and the wall has rotated off the vertical, which could be a result of poor workmanship, or that no adequate foundations have been provided. Additional signs of structural failure are evident.

Recommendations would be for the City of Cape Town to take ownership and repair the wall to structurally sound standards.

Whilst the boundary wall does not rest with the Infrastructure Portfolio, it is recommended that the MDGA through its collaborative efforts with the various stakeholders and primarily with the council, to drive the reconstruction of this section of wall.

Further sections of the wall had collapsed posing further risks to public safety.

Mitigating measures have been considered whereby quotations for a ClearVu© fence be erected, just south of the boundary wall so that it will not be seen as a replacement of a permanent wall, which would still rest with the CoCT to re-install, to MDGA design codes.

It is further noted that the fence is foremost proposed as a security deterrent and not seen as a replacement of the wall.

It is also recommended that the proposal (and quotations) be presented to members via an OGM, for their “buy-in” and approval, via a resolution.

Water and Sanitation

The city has fenced off its pump station of PGD.

Issues requiring attention.
Further engagement with the City of Cape Town to escalate the repair work that needs to be done at the northern boundary wall, via the MDGA office.

Whilst a city official has notified the MDGA that they (City) have no objection to the MDGA erecting a fence on their property, this will need to be formalised in writing and signature.

To re-initiate the engagement with the City of Cape Town to bring the M4-M5 road link forward and not leave it under long term planning as published in the District Development Framework Plan. This should be part of the conditions imposed by the TIA for the imminent densification of Vrygrond.

Additional engagement with the CoCT/ Province regarding the proposed access through Oudevlei Road and the Special Needs School/ ZENR access road.

Resolution on the way forward with all Marina da Gama Boundary Wall, in terms of Standards and Council DAMS compliance.

Parks and Gardens – Valerie Benson

Meeting with Park Island CID Garden Portfolio holder (Euvrard Loubser), Park Island garden representative (Cherry Giljam) on 2^nd October 2023 and subsequent meeting with Park Island CID Chairman (Boudje Giljam) on 12^th October 2023

Met with the above parties from Park Island CID to discuss the recent planting of Thibault Walk Park and its impact on local ball games. The Park Island CID made the decision and approached council for permission to put up signage on the park re organised ball games and the planting of succulents to protect the grass in the relevant public open space.
Met with Park Island CID Chairman, Boudje Giljam, to discuss how Park Island CID would work in conjunction with the MDGA going forward. Park island CID has plans for their own POS and have a budget to add to the MDGA budget in terms of the MDGA Parks and Gardens. Information as to their plans to be made available to the MDGA in advance of each Tuesday that the Marina Gardeners are present.

Meeting with Cannon Island / Eastlake Island and Uitsig Peninsula garden representatives – Monday 16 October 2023 Met with the Marina garden representatives for Uitsig Peninsula and Eastlake Island/Cannon Island, today 16.10.2023 re the following:

Eastlake Island CID and Park Island CID – how they function alongside MDGA as they also have budgets for Parks and Gardens along with a budget for other portfolios – I advised that the Eastlake CID would only probably be active next year as it takes a year to 18 months to be approved. We are working alongside Park Island CID to smooth out the way forward seeing as it is new to both of our organisations. No changes to the way things operate at present is foreseen though. Park island CID’s Parks and Garden budget would be in addition to the MDGA budget for the portfolio.
Mowing of Public Open Spaces in the Marina – council has not mowed regularly so grass seeds are out of control. I have emailed the Parks department at council to raise this
Signage to protect our flower beds from pets running through them, destroying plants and leaving deposits in the beds – asked Andie to get quotes for 4 signs for three islands
Andie mentioned that there is a bluegum tree in Cannon Island that has branches dangerously long. I have raised this to the council Parks department
The Uitsig and Cannon Island/Eastlake garden represents will provide a small Christmas lunch for the Marina Gardeners as they did last year as a thank you. They voluntarily do this out of their own pocket and wish to continue in this way this year.
Council Parks department taking a long time to collect the garden refuse once the Marina Gardeners have been on a Tuesday. I have raised this to the council Parks department but we will also get quotes from local Marina residents who would be able to transport the refuse timeously away during the course of the same week that the Marina Gardeners have worked.

SAFETY AND SECURITY – ROBIN CARLISLE

Crime.

Muizenberg SAPS –

No Muizenberg or Sectoral crime figures were reported for this period up to 27.9.2023.
No murders had been committed, but there was a sharp increase in house breaking, thefts of and from vehicles.
The meeting was conducted by Lt Colonel Lourens in the absence of Captain Knapp. He encouraged safety activists to contact him om 0823009280 in the event of serious problems.
We were introduced to the new station commander – Colonel Johnston. She has done much of her recent policing in the False Bay area.
The police station now has a solar backup, and is able to operate24/7.

The meeting discussed a number of matters: –

widespread complaints about the actions of desk staff who refuse to accept criminal charges laid by the public
an increase in gang activity with the Vlakkers coming to the fore in Sea Winds and the 26 & 28 gangs in all sectors.

Marina

Three crimes were reported for the month of September, 2023: –

East Lake Drive – House Break and Theft (HBT) at 0640 on 9.9.23;

East Lake Marina Pub & Bistro – HBT – between 2200 and 0200 on 14.9.23

East Lake Marina Café – Common Theft (TC) – unknown time on 20.9.2023.

All crimes were reported to Muizenberg SAPS

LPR Triggers

Many triggers but mostly of no use to the Marina. One vehicle (not from the Marina) recovered.

Cameras.

The Oudevlei LPR has been handed over to Philsec Systems for repairing water damage, corrosion at a quote of R2932.50.

It is currently being re-aligned by DB, Philsec and Navic.

There is at least one more camera (Eastlake LPR) requiring repair for water damage.

North Wall.

There was much fussing about the north wall collapse. I have attended on site with Robbie and a reputable Clear view erector.

His quote is R50848 for 31.78 m of 1.8m high Clearvue – antresite including all posts. The quote includes erection, posts in concrete footings.

Robbie and Connor have obtained other quotes so we can finalise this matter.

I have sent a detailed bundle to all members of Excom showing that we can proceed

STANDARDS – vacant

Surrounding COMMUNITIES’ Liaison – Lathif Gafoor

* Songezo promised earlier in the year that you would reconnect with me regarding the removal of the build up of debris from the canals later in the year when the erratic water levels in the canal has stabilised

* Abdullah Parker / Alistair Lee would recall the subject of the “piping” system which I raised at a ZPAAC meeting earlier in the year

* the system was devised and installed in the canal by a student from UCT in his masters project

* it was an extremely effective system in capturing the debris but the tubing has now collapsed and the system needs to be revisited. Alistair undertook to do the investigation in having the project reinstated. I trust that Alistair has had some success in having the system resuscitated

* Alistair also promised to look into the outsized bobcat which according to Songezo is rotting away unused. This was procured to clean the canals but could not be lowered into the canal as it was of the incorrect width

* Kyran at the last ZPAAC meeting you promised that the grass along the pathway in question would be cut within two weeks. It’s now past the sell by date. Could we have some feedback.

* will the boomgate be installed soon as the project is now long overdue

Treasury – Jonathan Walters

The expenses for the month were the standard monthly payments, though a new inverter is needed for the administrative office as the previous one is now dysfunctional, three quotes will be discussed and then the necessary unit can be purchased.

I have met with the designated debt collector to ascertain the exact procedure for the collection process. My concern was not having sufficient notes on the reports to keep track of each case but he has gladly obliged to modify the reports accordingly for more clarity.

A request was made to assess the maintenance expenses pertaining to gardening and security, to budget and evaluate. An updated income and expenditure statement for the recent month will be secured from the bookkeeper shortly and added to the archive for the website.

In the meanwhile, here is the information pertaining to the security and gardening that can be discussed in the meeting:

Average monthly gardening fixed expense for maintaining the gardens throughout the Marina = R11900. Two gardeners are recruited (under Friends of Park Island) and a further six through Staffa Hussein.

The average security monthly fixed expense is R14345, consisting of the Deep Blue subscription, plus the monitoring and maintenance of cameras through two companies, Navic and 5th Dimension.

Portfolio Reports August 2023

23 September 2023

ARCHCOM – PAUL HIGGINS

Archcom meeting was held on 08 August 2023 attended by Gordon Hart, Lise Carswell, Ulf Martz and me.

Four plans were examined, 2 were approved & 2 need minor changes before approval.
2 No-objection to departures to city building bylaws were received from the city.

Brief discussion on the fees and Archcom will refund the member the deposit & inspection fee.

Communications – Lise Carswell

Website
I had a meeting with Chris Bishoff our web and communications guy. He is worried that our website is at capacity and becoming very slow.

1 – We have way too many documents on the Official Document page. We have started a Google Drive page where old documents (ancient Excom minutes etc) will be saved. These can then be accessed via a link on the website. I have started moving files across. Marcia has the log in details.

2 – our website sits with Xneelo. This affords us a number of email addresses. We could set up emails for the portfolios that do a lot of communications, like for example chairman@ etc. This would allow those taking over a portfolio to have all the relevant information and not start from scratch each time.

3 – The website is heavily coded and clunky. Chris proposed a rebuild and this was already on the cards when I took over the portfolio. The new website would be template driven and without getting too technical, this would allow us to be able to upload documents and information ourselves, costing less and without having to wait for someone else to upload documents

New Residents pamphlet
Cost to update the new residents pamphlet is R450 per hour. The changes we need will not take more than 1 hour. Can I go ahead and make the changes?

Blog
We are reviving the blog. This gives us more interesting content on the website, keeps things fresh and allows people to go back and read older articles like, for example, the ones by Gordon Hart, which will be relevant going forward.

Conservation and engagement – Caitlin Melidonis

Past Month’s Activities
• “Conservation Corner” content supplied for MDGA newsletter. Fun facts about the wildlife on the reserve and useful information will be supplied to residents in every newsletter going forward.
• Confirmation received from the Nature Reserve regarding the following activities which Valerie kindly advertised on social media:
o Full moon walk on Park Island – Thursday 31 August
o Bird Walk on main reserve – Sunday 10 September

Issues requiring attention
• Appointment of Waterways Portfolio representative – suggestion to advertise in next MDGA newsletter and Whatsapp and Facebook groups to request applications for this important position on the excom.
• Drafting and circulation of information sheet about injured wild animals (who to call, what to do etc.)
• Additional dates for a second full moon walk and bird walk before the end of the year to be discussed with Nature Reserve Staff.

EVENTS – VALERIE BENSON

Marina Children’s Christmas Party – proposed date Saturday 16 December 2023

Have provisionally booked Father Christmas (David Muller) pending costs

Need to check status of MDGA music equipment, speakers etc

Marina Christmas Carols – proposed date Sunday 17 December 2023

Have contacted Mike English and original Carols band and advised proposed Carols date which they are happy with.

Confirmed Don from Eastlake Island as the piper for the Marina Carols. He has played at them before.

Marina Open Gardens day – proposed date 10 September 2023

The Marina Open Gardens poster has been sent in for the next Marina newsletter on 15.8.2023. Seven gardens are confirmed for the day.

Municipal Infrastructure – Ulf Martz

Past Month’s Activities

Due to extreme weather conditions, flooding has occurred, as well as failures of some infrastructure, such as the boundary wall on the northern periphery, see below for further details.

Collapsed Boundary Wall

Sections of the northern boundary wall had collapsed after a storm. The matter had been addressed and communicated to the City officials, and with the assistance of Valerie Benson, the City implemented temporary fencing to close off the area due to security concerns.

Further communication between the MDGA and City officials and councillors ensued.

Whilst the onus of reinstating the section of boundary wall falls on the property owner, in this case the CoCT, they appear to be reluctant to build a new wall.

PARKS AND GARDENS – VALERIE BENSON

The Marina Gardeners’ team, led by Staffa, works every Tuesday on a rotational basis in the various areas of the Marina. Park Island, then Uitsig Peninsula, then Cannon Island and Eastlake Island.

Each area of the Marina has a local resident guiding the Marina Gardeners on the relevant Tuesday. Andrea Pycroft represents Cannon Island and Eastlake Island, and Koemi Rowe is the Uitsig Peninsula representative.

I met with Cherry Giljam and Nola Davidson on Wednesday 9^th August 2023. They have offered to be the Park Island resident volunteers replacing Silvia Stringer. Cherry wants to focus on tidying up and beautifying the entrance to Park Island as their first project before moving onto to other areas. Nola and Cherry were due to meet on Sunday 13 August 2023 to have a walk around and see what needs attending to. Cherry was also going to contact Silvia Stringer for a handover.

Three sets of keys to the garden storage unit in Eastlake Island have been cut for the three different Marina resident volunteers, ie Koemi, Andi and Cherry/Nola. The Marina Gardeners team start at 8:30am each Tuesday. As the MDGA office only opens at 9am, the volunteers requested keys to open up for the gardeners at 8:30am.

The Marina Gardeners are in Park Island tomorrow, Tuesday 15^th August 2023, so Cherry and Nola are ready to receive them.

160 bags of mulch at R30 per bag were ordered and delivered by Super Plants Tokai for the use of all the islands before the end of the winter rains.

At the entrance to Oudevlei Road, Uitsig Peninsula, the brick paving section that needed repair has been attended to and looks much better. I logged a service request with council for this about a month ago.

Staffa had a serious accident on 4^th or 5^th July 2023 – have asked him for an update on how his leg is healing and if he has a date in mind to return to the Marina Gardeners team.

SAFETY AND SECURITY – ROBIN CARLISLE

1.Assessing the current state security in MDG.

1.1. Entry Cameras.

All 8 entrances to the Marina are covered by an LPR and an Overview camera. These cameras are owned by the MDGA, initial monitoring is done by Navic; reaction by Deep Blue and maintenance by First Dimension. This is not how the system was inaugurated and I would need compelling evidence that three service providers are necessary for these cameras when the other 61 security cameras in the Marina are leased from and fully serviced by Deep Blue.

During July 2023, the LPR cameras were triggered 72 times by 16 vehicles, an average of 5 times per vehicle. One resident`s vehicle triggered the system 26 times for the crime of poaching. Deep Blue located/escorted/followed out of the area 15 vehicles or 20% of the vehicles triggering the system. None of the triggers arose from any crime in the Marina.

It is clear that the whole system needs to be reviewed and cleaned up. It seems that little is being achieved at present, tho there may be a psychological benefit.

1.2. Security status of the MDGA Precincts; –

-Uitsig has 6 cameras on the north Wall totally financed by the MDGA, and some hardy activists raising money to keep the guard and Deep Blue`s presence funded. The tail of the North Wall reaching to the canal has fallen down and is currently replaced with a fence. It has many well maintained houses and attractive internal and verge gardens. It also has many of the same that are a disgrace, as well as some of the common areas. We have clear safety and standards challenges here. I note that Uitsig is now well represented on the Excom. Should we not consider an “Uitsig sub committee” to consider devise and execute a strategy to sort these and other Uitsig problems out.

-Park Island is now a Special Rating Area (CID). It has a strong safety group headed by Colin Reeves. It has 98% contribution to security which consists of a manned guarding presence at the entrance and 8 monitored cameras.

– Eastlake (Elisa) has strong safety operations managed by a very good volunteer group. It has approx. 80% contribution to security costs and has 8 monitored cameras and an unofficial guard at the entrance. It will reach CID status in July 2024.

-Cannon Island safety committee is not yet known to me, but I suspect it needs more management, members and energy. It self finances its 16 monitored cameras.

-Fishermans Quay has a history of fine safety structure with 9 monitored cameras paid for by residents. I am informed that this precinct is about to lose its long time champion.

-Battleridge has a committee and 12 self funded monitored cameras. It is an area of concern, as it is the only precinct with a drive through road. It also has two cameras funded by the MDGA in the gully behind the Battleridge dune.

-Park Island Quay is a self funding gated village. Port and Starboard Closes are also gated. Sonnet and Spearhead which exit onto Prince George Drive apparently have active committees and WhatsApp circles. I am uncertain of the status of Waterside Close, Dabchick Quay and Eastlake drive.

1.3. Funding of Precinct security.

A general meeting authorised the funding of the entry cameras, whilst at the same time confirming that except by way of such a meeting, all precincts were expected to meet their own security costs.

Subsequently, previous excoms saw fit to fund cameras in Uitsig and Battleridge without gaining the approval of a general meeting.

This was unfortunate because it opens the way to all precincts calling for the MDGA to fund their security costs, which in turn would lead to the Association`s inevitable bankruptcy.

A further problem has arisen with worsening loadshedding during which we lose much of our protection from crime. I am getting an idea of what the mitigation costs would be.

2.Crime.

No crime was reported in the Marina during the month of July

However, the SAPS Community Forum which is attended by Colin and myself was advised by Captain Knapp that crime in Sector Three (Prince George Drive to Kalk bay) was rising fast, particularly in the categories of rape; burglary, housebreak, house robbery, theft from vehicles and theft of vehicles. We are not permitted to reveal the numbers, but generally they are double those of the previous year. Most crime occurs between 2100 and 0900 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Most crime in our Sector Three occurs in the north of the Sector between the railway line and the estuary mouth. Clevedon, Frankfort and Alexandria were mentioned as problematical.

3.Extending Protection in the Sector and Beyond.

Moves to create an unbroken bulwark of precinct security in the Deep South are underway, but these things take time.

We have gone backwards in that a key precinct neighbour – Marine Estate – has lost its activist driver and has virtually ceased to exist.

The MID and the Marina will be the prime movers in this extension.

The Muizenberg Police station has no mitigation during night time load shedding. It does however have a large but non-functional generator and has abundant stocks of fuel. We are finding out what the cost of fixing and reconnecting the generator will be.

I hope the MDGA will come in for some of the costs once they are known. An appeal to residents should also be considered.

4.Other community problems.

The unlawful use of the public spaces in the Marina will be dealt with strictly by the law enforcement entities. We are awaiting the erection of a Council notice board which will show exactly which activities are unlawful. This will be followed by a campaign of robust persuasion to ensure that Law Enforcement carries out its obligations.

We need to be concerned about vehicles speeding in the Marina, and to consider a lower speed limit.

Notably in Uitsig, we have garden refuse being dumped in the in the public spaces and on the verges.

We also have a rapidly expanding colony of Port Jackson invaders that need removal and poisoning.

5.Collaboration, cohesion and communication between the precinct security operations to ensure resident buy-in.

There are so many matters to be investigated, assessed, changed, improved and extended that excom would be busy with them to the exclusion of other important matters.

Therefore, I will now commence to canvass support amongst the security community for a resuscitation of the Marina Guardians as a forum open to all security activists where security matters can be considered and consensus sought prior to their submission to Excom for approval. We would expect all security providers operating in the marina to attend Guardian meetings.

The Guardians will not impinge in any way on the autonomy of precinct safety operations.

STANDARDS – NEIL MULLER

I met with the two Standards Officers in the MDGA Offices on Friday 11 August 2023. We agreed to hold a regular weekly meeting at 9am on Tuesdays.
We agreed to update and review the database on alleged violations of the Standards and will review weekly.
We reviewed the file on the Vibracrete Wall.
1. It is recommended that a meeting be set up with the owner to establish the next steps. Dates are being sought for a meeting through Mr Hepple who apparently has some communication with the parties.
1. There has been no communication with the City and it is unclear whether a building permit is required or would be required to replace what is there.

Surrounding COMMUNITIES’ Liaison – Lathif Gafoor

Treasury– JONATHAN WALTERS

WATERWAYS

Portfolio Reports September 2023

21 September 2023

ARCHCOM – PAUL HIGGINS

Archcom meeting was held on 07 September 2023 attended by Gordon Hart, Ulf Martz and me.

Three new plans were submitted, and all three plans were approved. One objection form was delt with

Communications – Lise Carswell

Newsletters sent out on schedule

Communication regarding possible access road sent to members

Conservation and engagement – Caitlin Melidonis

● “Conservation Corner” content supplied for MDGA newsletter. Fun facts about the wildlife on the reserve and useful information will be supplied to residents in every newsletter going forward.

● Full Moon walk has been postponed but a new date will be provided by the Reserve Manager soon.

● The bird walk did take place, although it unfortunately only lasted 20 minutes before the rain set it. A new date for the next bird walk (perhaps closer to summer!) will be requested from the Reserve Manager imminently.

Issue/s requiring attention

● Appointment of Waterways Portfolio representative – A request for a waterways portfolio representative was circulated in the most recent MDGA newsletter. One application from a resident with relevant credentials and experience was received and an informal meeting with the applicant was held. Their credentials will be shared with the Excom at the next meeting.

● Drafting and circulation of information sheet about injured wild animals (who to call, what to do etc.)

● Additional dates for a second full moon walk and bird walk before the end of the year to be discussed with Nature Reserve Staff.

EVENTS – VALERIE BENSON

Marina Children’s Christmas Party – proposed date Saturday 16 December 2023

Have provisionally booked Father Christmas (David Muller) pending costs

Marina Christmas Carols – proposed date Sunday 17 December 2023

Met with Mike Peters, Mike English, Rob McLean and Bryan Jacobs of the Marina Carols band to firm up arrangements. We want to keep it as traditional as possible with the usual Carol songs being sung, and children being encouraged to sing in front with the band. Having a prize for the best dressed child was a suggestion. Carols will start at 7pm so that the Carols can be by candlelight as is tradition. Edie lights instructions and the Carols song sheet will be sent out in the Marina newsletter. Residents can start arriving from 6:30pm onwards.

Presently, our water quality is good so we should be able to have the boats on the water for the Carols this year. The band will therefore be on the Park Island side of the bridge on the small stage there. The band is to find a sound engineer to manage the sound as Alan Gerhardt is no longer available unfortunately.

I contacted Peter Cawood of Uitsig to confirm he will provide power and do the lights on the bridge with Robbie. I also confirmed with Rushni of Park Island that they will provide a power source for the band.

Confirmed Don from Eastlake Island as the piper for the Marina Carols. He has played at them before.

Need to check status of MDGA music equipment, speakers etc.

Marina Halloween Walk – Sunday 29 October 2023

The Marina Halloween walk will take place on Sunday 29 October 2023. Halloween is on Tuesday 31^st October 2023, which is a school night and working parents will find it difficult to make it in time so we have traditionally done it on a Sunday. Sweets that are donated in return for maps to the participating houses are given to Where Rainbows Meet. Residents go all out and decorate their houses and dress up for when they walk around the Marina.

Marina Open Gardens day – Sunday 17 September 2023

The Marina Open Gardens day was postponed to 17 September 2023 due to heavy rain the previous Sunday. The 17^th was a beautiful day. We had 6 private gardens on show (2 in Eastlake, 3 in Park Island and 1 in Uitsig) and 2 community gardens in Uitsig. It was a great success with about 30 people visiting most gardens. Maps to the gardens were sold at R20 each with funds raised going to the SA Guide Dogs Association for the Blind as the Marina has 3 puppy raisers living here. Koemi Rowe, our Uitsig garden rep, had a Q and A session on Uitsig Park in the morning. Final total raised for SA Guide Dogs is pending confirmation from Marina puppy raiser Jill Rumbelow. Photos will be posted on social media and in the next Marina newsletter with thanks to all those who helped make the event a success.

Municipal Infrastructure – Ulf Martz and Demetri Qually

Past Month’s Activities

The last month’s activities revolved around liaison with the City of Cape Town officials regarding the re-instatement of the collapsed wall, the planning of alternative access routes to ZENR.

Collapsed Boundary Wall

Further communication between the MDGA and City officials and councillors ensued.

Whilst the onus of reinstating the section of boundary wall falls on the property owner, in this case the CoCT, they appear to be reluctant to build a new wall.

The whole section of the wall also poses a safety risk as parts of it will fall. It is recommended that the existing wall be demolished and rebuilt to structurally sound standards.

Photo 1: Collapsed boundary wall next to the canal.

Recommendations would be for the City of Cape Town to take ownership and repair the wall to structurally sound standards.

Flooding on PGD

Stormwater localised flooding was reported to council.

Photo 2: Localised flooding on PGD reported to council

Proposed Special Schools in Coniston Park and Access through Oudevlei Road

The MDGA was approached by Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve (ZENR) where various access routes to their offices northwest of the Marina da Gama was discussed as a result of the re-routing of their current access road traversing through the designated Special Needs School site. The implication of the preferred route (see Figure A below) recommends the breaking down of the wall at the end of Oudevlei Road (see photo 4 below).

Figure A: Alternative route alignments

Photo 4: Proposed Road through Oudevlei Road

A communique was disseminated to all homeowners of the Marina da Gama.

Issues requiring attention.

Further engagement with the City of Cape Town to escalate the repair work that needs to be done at the northern boundary wall, via the MDGA office.

To re-initiate the engagement with the City of Cape Town to bring the M4-M5 road link forward and not leave it under long term planning as published in the District Development Framework Plan. This should be part of the conditions imposed by the TIA for the imminent densification of Vrygrond.

Additional engagement with the CoCT/ Province regarding the proposed access through Oudevlei Road and the Special Needs School/ ZENR access road.

Resolution on the way forward with all Marina da Gama Boundary Wall, in terms of Standards and Council DAMS compliance.

Office administration – Demetri Qually and Lise Carswell

PARKS AND GARDENS – VALERIE BENSON

The Marina Gardeners’ team, led by Staffa, works every Tuesday on a rotational basis in the various areas of the Marina. Park Island, then Uitsig Peninsula, then Cannon Island and Eastlake Island. Each area of the Marina has a local resident guiding the Marina Gardeners on the relevant Tuesday. Andrea Pycroft represents Cannon Island and Eastlake Island, Koemi Rowe is the Uitsig Peninsula representative. Cherry Giljam has stepped up to be the Park Island representative replacing Silvia Stringer, which is such great news as Cherry is very knowledgeable.

Council is now regularly collecting the garden refuse from each island after the Marina Gardeners have worked on the specific island. It does take about 10 days for the refuse to be collected but it is getting done more regularly.

Council has also cut the grass in most of the Marina public open spaces (POS) and on the verges, a bit prematurely given the flowers on the fields. The Marina has a no mow policy in place with the council during flower season so we usually give the council the go ahead as to when to mow.

An Uitsig resident raised concerns to me and the MDGA about the POS between Zee Close and Brabant Close re clearance of long grass, weeds, overhanging trees and garden refuse there. She also asked for the bench there to be repaired as well as a broken street lamp. I have referred most of these to Eugene Rayners at the Parks department, the bench to Kyran Wright and the street lamp to Aimee Kuhl with reference numbers.

This is the Park Island report back from Cherry Giljam from 5^th September 2023:

“Despite the weather’s best efforts to soak us to the skin we did a good day’s work on Tuesday. I collected Staffa but took him home after an hour because of the weather. One chap worked in the garden on the Park Island corner under the ficus tree, cleaning up and planting vygies. Another pulled all the mustard plants from the POS around de Lille, before they seed and the others worked with me on the corner and along the wall at the entrance to Park Island. We haven’t finished yet and I am waiting for the rain to stop before spraying the stony areas.”

The Marina Gardeners are in Uitsig tomorrow, Tuesday 19^th September 2023 so Koemi Rowe is ready for them. On all the Islands, a lot of weeding and mulching is being done.

Andie Pycroft, the Cannon Island and Eastlake Island garden rep, asked to buy gloves, brooms, and various other items for the Marina Gardeners to the value of R782 which was approved.

Staffa has returned to work. He cannot ride his motorbike so the garden volunteers are fetching him from Capricorn on a Tuesday.

SAFETY AND SECURITY – ROBIN CARLISLE

1.Crime.

Muizenberg SAPS – period 24.8.23 to 11.9.23.

1 murder; 2 rapes, 1 housebreak, 19 assaults, 12 motor vehicles thefts or attempts, and 83 other arrests for a total of 118 arrests.

Unfortunately, SAPS do not report by sector nor do they compare against the same period in the previous year. I will raise these matters at our next SAPS/community meeting.

Marina –

Five crimes are reported for the Marina for Aug compared to none in July: –
– Uitsig – I common theft, I theft of m/vehicle;
-East Lake Drive -attempted house break;
-Fishermans – attempted housebreak;
-Spearhead – Common theft.

Four of the 5 crimes were reported to SAPS.

With the help of Deep Blue, we will soon be reporting Marina crimes on a more detailed basis with comparisons to the previous year.

LPR Triggers.

There were 56 triggers during the month, the bulk being for one resident for poaching.
DB saw off 13 vehicles and made 1 vehicle recovery.

We use Navic`s data base which is never culled, so much the information is useless.

2.Service providers.

Contracts and annual costs.

Deep Blue – 60 day cancellation. They maintain 2 Armed Response Vehicles and have 4/6 DBS controllers (i.e., monitors) – all 24/7. Total annual DB cost is R112.200.

Navic provide the ANPR data base. In May 2023 Excom signed a 24 month contract with Navic.

Total annual Navic cost is R27600.

5Th Dimension do the maintenance of the LPR cameras. On 28.3.23 Excom signed a 24 month contract with 5^th Dimension. Their total cost is R22080.

Other maintenance costs R2654

R11396 is paid to residents for electricity.

Total cost of safety portfolio is R175930 per annum.

All these costs need a detailed and competitive assessment. I consider it questionable to renew long term contracts close to the end of an ExCom’s term of office.

3.Special Concerns

North Wall: –
Some 13 meters of the western end have collapsed. A further 10 meters will shortly follow. The land in question is owned by CCC and it is extremely unlikely that they will rebuild it.

Shortly after the replacement fence was removed, a Kia panel van was stolen from Carp Close on 27.8.2023. We have been able to establish from camera footage that the Kia van left Uitsig at 0335 via Oudevlei Road. Further that no one had entered Uitsig by the North wall.

Never the less, it is important that we close up the broken wall area as soon as possible.

I will therefore ask Excom for consideration of a solution in principle. I am informed that erection of a Clear View fence would be desirable.

I have also asked Neil Muller if staff member Robbie Johnston could assist and advise in this project.

Please also refer to the Infrastructure report.

Improving safety in the precincts.

As indicated in my previous report, I am assessing the state of security in each precinct. Given the collapse of the North wall, I am commencing with Uitsig. There are some Whatsapp circles.

There is interest in increasing resident awareness, and I will convene an informal meeting shortly. All exec members will be advised and are welcome.

Improving security providers performance.

Having looked at the contracts, I am not satisfied that providers are all meeting their undertakings. I will meet with each of them to start moving to a more satisfactory level of performance.

Loadshedding.

Whilst monitoring connection is maintained by some cameras during loadshedding, in most cases it is not. We need to find a path to close this quite serious hole in our defenses.

STANDARDS – NEIL MULLER

1) Regular weekly meetings with the two Standards Officers in the MDGA Offices.

2) The review the database on alleged violations of the Standards is being reviewed. A current copy of the database is attached and a large scale print will be provided at the meeting. The following actions are proposed:

a. We will cull the list to remove entries that are minor or have not been actioned for years. This is to be done in consultation with EXCOM and the physical list will include a checklist to allow for EXCOM members to indicate the entries that they think should be removed or prioritized. We will then generate a new list.

b. We will identify the top 10 violations and prioritise them for resolution.

c. We are developing a “Improvements Policy” that will set out a standard process for proceeding with the resolution of violations. Each step will have defined timeframes and will include notification and consultation with the Members and Excom.

3) We are undertaking a visual survey of the boundary wall along the M5. While the constitution calls for masonry walls, there seem to be obvious problems with this type of construction on sandy soils with as much underground water movement as is apparent. Consideration may have to be given to alternatives that meet the safety and aesthetic values of these walls.

4) We are exploring the establishment of a funding mechanism for assisting members with the demands of keeping up the appearance of white painted walls.

5) Vibracrete Wall on Prince George – The recommended meeting has not yet occurred. Mr Hepple has some health injuries. I have taken personal responsibility to try and engage the owner of the property.

6) East Lake Island Drive: There is a dispute over construction material and the matter has been referred to the City. I have asked that in future before this is done that we seek the guidance from the EXCOM. This will be addressed of course in the proposed “Improvements Policy”.

7) Clarification of Responsibilities

There is a need to clarify who is responsible for, and the nature of the

responsibility for:

a. The “leaning wall” on the M5.

b. The missing piece of wall on City Property.

c. Pavements/side walks.

Surrounding COMMUNITIES’ Liaison – Lathif Gafoor

* my two year interaction with the Traffic department regarding the right hand term at the intersection of the M5 / Military rd leading into Sea Winds has now been accomplished resulting in unimpeded access to the Sea Winds roadway

* my attention is now focused on the M5/ Vrygrond / Oudevlei robot intersection. The unraveling of the challenge is a complex one. I requested that the traffic department ropes in the experts which has now taken place. I will be following up progress. See emails with line departments below for clarification on the subject

* with the festive season around the corner the CPF working jointly with SAPS is putting together safety plans to accommodate the influx of people into Muizenberg. One of our biggest challenges is Liquor.

* Parole Board – I’m the CPF representative to serve on the Parole Board. The purpose is to sit at the table with Parole Board personnel in order for us to be better informed as to who was being released and the crime they were serving for whilst in prison. It’s important for us to know who the people are as they could be from our area. Unfortunately this hasn’t as yet materialised although it’s three years in the making. Lt Colonel Alexander and I will be meeting to revive the subject in engaging with officials concerned

Treasury – JONATHAN WALTERS

Financial Matters

The past month’s activities involved sorting the administrative problems at the bank due to the transition from the previous treasurer. There were some issues that required a visit to the bank and some phone calls but everything is now on track. I have already secured a new business card and the portfolio is set up for internet banking. My operator ID has been added to the business online, though I can manage and release payments, there were certain payments I could not create in the last batch and asked Lise to create; I am following this up with Nasiphi and will check this for the next batch run. However, everything else is running fine and I am able to extract statements in the correct format for both Marcia and the accountant. There was an issue in the transition because Marcia was not able to access the statements for some time and Glenda needed the statements in OFX format to integrate with the accounting software. The business online platform does not facilitate this and before Marcia had to log into the Internet Banking which was a problem when Richard’s card was cancelled. However, the administrator should ideally not log into the Internet Banking and everything should be facilitated through the external business online platform.

There is an enhanced and newer business platform that we should probably migrate to. Firstly, all users can then operate on this platform and it has the required ofx format available. Secondly, it will not require the business card to be linked, which will mitigate future issues if there ever needs to be a change of cards again.

Glenda needs to catch up on 3 months of work but I have been told we will have financial statements up to the end of July for the next meeting and up to date reports for the following one. I have met with Marcia and Glenda and work closely with them but still need to meet with Alan Hepple. I will meet with him soon when the age analysis has been updated and discussed etc.

In the meanwhile, I am liaising with Marcia regarding any issues with levies or expenses in the interim. Four notifications were given by Marcia regarding levies:

*Resident 1 will settle at the end of the month.

*Resident 2 have requested relief from paying levies as they are pensioners without income.

*Resident 3 has asked for some leniency while she awaits finances as her husband passed away recently (sent 11 August).

*Resident 4 is withholding payment for 2023, her gripe is that nothing is done at Fisherman’s Quay and there is desperate need of maintenance, she contrasts this with Park Island which in her view “looks great”

Action steps:

Check the next payment run functionality for my operator ID.

Explore and evaluate upgrading to the enhanced business platform for the reasons I mentioned above and perhaps have Marcia added as admin operator (limited functionality) so that all business can function efficiently through the external platform.

Address the notifications received from Marcia above.

Procure an up to date age analysis and financials from the accountant as soon as possible, discuss among ourselves any debtor, income or expense issues, plan, forecast and then meet with Alan Hepple to decide what to hand-over.

WATERWAYS

Ulf Martz: time for new rules of engagement

22 June 2022

We caught up with the next ExCom Chair, Ulf Martz, to discuss his vision for the MDGA, the challenges and priorities ahead, and – critically – how to build a full-strength ExCom

First things first: congratulations on your appointment. As per the usual etiquette, we’re sure you’d like to pay tribute to your predecessor, Richard Midgley.

Absolutely. Richard’s attention to detail, tireless energy and his formidable strength in the face of multiple challenges and frustration make him a very hard act to follow. His final report (see above) is an impressive tribute to his numerous achievements. Of course, there is still so much to be done. But the good news is that Richard has committed to offering support and guidance whenever I need it. On behalf of us all, I would like to thank him for everything he has done during his many years on the ExCom.

What are your personal priorities over the next year or so?

The new Kingfisher, for starters. The City of Cape Town admittedly handled the last acquisition of a new Kingfisher poorly. We will follow the procurement stages closely to hold the City accountable to its commitment on delivery of the weed harvesters.

Kingfishers aside, my priority is to focus on the factors that we can control. For example, the strength of our security infrastructure, the quality of our parks and open spaces, the state of our infrastructure and waterways. And, of course, our standards. Everything we do will begin and end with making sure we stay faithful to the MDGA constitution and members.

But let’s be upfront about the fact that are starting your tenure with a skeleton ExCom.

That is why one of my other priorities is to co-opt new members as a matter of urgency. Not just any individuals – but the right ones with the right skills and mindset. The Marina is full of highly competent and accomplished individuals, so we know that the right talents are out there. But persuading them to join ExCom is still a tough sell. For a start, the work is unpaid, the hours are long, the responsibilities can feel overwhelming, and the role, while considered rewarding, is not always appreciated by all.

There is another factor that I do not want to dwell on. But unless we acknowledge it, we will never solve it. Many of the people our members have spoken to about joining ExCom say they are reluctant to come on board because they cannot ignore the abuse that ExCom members routinely receive from a very small but persistent number of individuals.

We fully accept the need for scrutiny and accountability. We know we can always do better. We are prepared to put in the hours and the effort to ensure we do. But tolerating this hostility is another matter – and social media only makes matters worse. Growing a thick skin helps, but when your family members are also exposed to attacks, then the rules of engagement have to change.

Fortunately, the vast majority of MDGA members have the emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills to understand that conflict does not produce positive results or attract people to your cause.

True. But unfortunately, these issues have been going on for years and they are not confined to any particular ExCom.

So, what to do?

I feel this would be a good time to begin a new chapter in the engagement between the MDGA ExCom and its members. To agree new rules of engagement and set out our roles and responsibilities so that members know where our remit begins and ends. Members are often surprised, for example, that we have zero control over the Kingsfisher or the waterways. Believe me: if we could have conjured a new weed harvester out of thin air during the latest algae crisis, we would have.

In terms of the possible, we would commit to carrying out our constitutional duties to the very best of our ability. Investing the time. Attending the meetings. Making the phone calls. Drafting and redrafting the emails. Lobbying the decision makers. Applying the pressure. Responding to our members. Always accepting and acting on constructive advice in the spirit of co-operation. But never accepting abuse. Of course, it takes two to tango. So, it would be interesting to hear what members think of this idea. Another agenda point for another time, perhaps?

For now, though, I want to celebrate the many good things about being an ExCom member and Marina resident. Like the fantastic work that our Events portfolio holder, Dominique Erasmus, is doing with her partners in the community. The difference that our gardening volunteers have made through their joint efforts with the Marina gardeners. The wonderful work that the Friends of Park Island do. Our consistently low crime rate. And despite all the problems and challenges we face, the fantastic natural surroundings that we wake up to every morning.

I look forward to taking our commitment to the community and the neighbourhood we share to the next level.