We’re on the Global Sports Stage – and Loving It Sport has the power to unite communities in a way that little else does. As South Africans, we know this all too well. When families and friends gather around in their living rooms to support their favourite team, the cheers of delight (or disappointment) can often be heard yards away. Among the residents of Drakenstein, it is no different. Our people have sports in their blood, as was proved again this past month. Considering that international cricket action came to life on home soil, and the eyes of the world were fixed on Drakenstein, sport also takes centre stage in this edition of Vars . Boland Park Stadium in Paarl recently hosted the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup. Yvette Tsolo, Manager: Sport and Recreation at Drakenstein Municipality, unpacks the extraordinary benefits of this World Cup (and similar sporting events) for our region and sporting fraternity. One of our municipal employees can personally attest to the power of sport after she became the only woman in her department to work with groundsmen at the T20 World Cup – prepping the pitch to be on a world-class level for every match! Vars interviewed Nomanqosini Sylvia Putu to hear all about her voyage into World Cup cricket. We caught up with Marshall Hendricks from Wellington to get you the lowdown on this man’s remarkable community clean-up project in Ward 10. Marshall is a ward committee member who transformed his area in record time with the help of enthusiastic community members and Ward Councillor Christephine Kearns. Talk about an impressive team effort! With Drakenstein’s sporting season in full swing, Vars pays tribute to the Dal Josaphat Stadium , our very own world-class athletics stadium with its modern amenities – all thanks to major renovations and ongoing maintenance. This stadium plays a significant role in putting Drakenstein on the global sporting map. We share details of the Municipality’s three-pronged Eskom loadshedding resilience plan , resting on these three pillars: sustainable service delivery, revenue protection, and alternative energy. The plan is based on a commitment to local government’s core business and mandate and on a pledge to keep on working responsibly with hard-earned public money. In this Vars , we also list the do’s and don’ts of installing generators safely to beat those Eskom loadshedding blues. When installed without the required professional expertise or adequate planning and consideration for the surrounding environment, generators can be unsafe and noisy and even become a source of harmful pollutants – not to mention unhappy neighbours. Be sure to adhere to the regulations and bylaws that control these installations.
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VARS | March
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