Vaal Triangle - Rebirth of the Vaal 2020

VAALTRIANGLE Rebirth Of The Vaal

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CONTENTS REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

Editor Tristan Snijders Head of Design Beren Bauermeister Production & Client Liaison Manager Antois-Leigh Botma Group Sales Manager Chilomia Van Wijk Key Accounts Manager Amanda De Beer Distribution Manager Nomsa Masina Distribution Coordinator Asha Pursotham Bookkeeper Tonya Hebenton Printers Novus Print Montague Gardens

PUBLISHED BY

4 4 Growing the Vaal River economy The development of the Vaal region places an emphasis on projects that entail the development of tourism related to the Vaal River precinct and waterfront.

It also entails the urban renewal of centres such as Evaton, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging.

24 Driving progress through housing developments The authorities in the Vaal region, as in much of South Africa, are hard at work to facilitate change in the spatial patterns that are the legacy of a dark past. Mixeduse and mixed-income settlements are at the fore of this shift.

8 Supplying an essential resource

30 A duty of care

Although situated along some of South Africa’s major water sources, like the rest of the country, the Vaal region faces familiar water-scarcity challenges.

Sustainable and integrated solutions that ensure water provision and dignified sanitation need to define future plans.

A global spotlight is being shone on healthcare capabilities and facilities the world over. Beyond this renewed attention, it is also constitutionally mandated that the people of South Africa are provided with a minimum level of care.

14 Lighting up South African lives

37 U nleashing the Vaal’s tourism potential

Economic development depends heavily on functional electrical infrastructure.

Alongside the demands of growing populations and the need to improve energy-use efficiencies, South African municipalities additionally need to balance maintenance requirements.

The Vaal region has a number of areas with intrinsic potential for tourism, such as Suikerbosrand, the Vaal Dam, areas along the Vaal River and numerous other historical sites.

Publisher Jacques Breytenbach

46 Milkyway Avenue, Frankenwald, 2090 PO Box 92026, Norwood 2117, South Africa t +27 (0)11 233 2600 f +27 (0)11 234 7274/75 www.3smedia.co.za

PLEASE NOTE: VAAL TRIANGLE – Rebirth of the Vaal information and statistics have been taken from publicly available documents that may or may not reflect the absolute correct numbers applicable at the time of going to print.

NOTICE OF RIGHTS This publication, its form and contents vest in 3S Media. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including cover and interior designs, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.

The views contained herein may not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation and compilation of this publication, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, completeness or accuracy of its contents, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

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18 Paving the way forward A nation’s roads are the arteries that feed its economic heartbeat, which makes their maintenance, upgrading and construction vital functions of local, provincial and national authorities.

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We provide professional services to our clients to realise their spatial planning and related needs through practical and innovative solutions.

We work with integrity and operate within a safe, creative and productive environment, utilising the latest technologies available.

COMMUNICATION ADVANTAGE

Plan Associates personnel collectively has the ability to serve our clients in 7 of the 11 national languages.

STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING AT MACRO AND MICRO SCALE

LAND USE MANAGEMENT AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC MODELLING

Land use and transportation integration planning Land use management schemes GIS and statistical analysis Socio-economic surveys Land use and demographic projection input to engineering services and traffic modelling

CONTACT US

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP

Integrated development planning and institutional development Urban and rural development planning Provincial and municipal spatial development frameworks Precinct planning and design Urban renewal and spatial restructuring strategies Sustainable human settlement (housing) planning Project management and feasibility studies

Hilda Chambers Building Suite 1 339 Hilda Street Hatfield | Pretoria

PLANNING ADMINISTRATION

Township layout and township establishment Rezoning, consent use, subdivision and consolidation of erven Removal of restrictive conditions Spluma compliance certificates

+27 (0)12 342 8701 +27 (0)82 752 2609

info@planassociates.co.za

+27 (0)12 342 8714

www.planassociates.co.za

PROFILE

Town and regional planning specialists Plan Associates Town and Regional Planners has a rich history stretching back several decades. This is underpinned by the consultancy’s constant focus on delivering exceptional spatial planning services that improve the lives of ordinary South Africans.

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lan Associates traces its history all the way back to 1964, when founder Dirk Viljoen established the first private town planning and surveying firm in South Africa. Since these humble beginnings, the firm has expanded its offering to include services running the full gamut of spatial planning.

Headquartered in Hatfield, Tshwane, the firm is headed up by director Herman Strydom, who oversees an expert team of planners, surveyors, researchers, GIS specialists and administrative staff. Beyond the competencies of its staff, Plan Associates has, throughout its history, ensured it delivers the best service utilising the latest technological advancements, currently employing software applications such as Planet GIS, Arc View, QGIS, AutoCAD and the Adobe Creative Suite, among others, to formulate reports and compile the necessary data.

It is no secret that democratic South Africa faces many challenges in creating an equitable society in which all its people can live with dignity. In this regard, service delivery is of utmost importance – and the need to develop sustainable human spaces and optimise land

Plan Associates strives for service excellence in all aspects of town and regional planning through innovative thinking use is paramount. To ensure this is achieved, the relevant expertise and strategic planning are the order of the day.

Core competencies As stated in its company vision, Plan Associates strives for service excellence in all aspects of town and regional planning through innovative thinking. The firm offers numerous services within three general fields, namely: strategic spatial planning (on both a macro and micro scale), land use management and socio-economic modelling, and planning administration.

In order to address the exclusionary spatial legacy of South Africa, accurate land use and spatial planning is now more important than ever. Within the realm of strategic spatial planning, the firm provides integrated development planning, urban and rural development planning, precinct planning and design, urban renewal and restructuring strategies, as well as sustainable human settlements planning, among others.

Under the banner of land use management and socio-economic modelling, Plan Associates offers GIS/statistical analyses and is able to develop land use and transportation integration plans, land use management schemes, and land use and demographic projections.

Plan Associates’ planning administration capabilities include township layout and establishment, Spluma compliance certification, the removal of restrictive conditions, as well as the rezoning, subdivision, consolidation and consent use of erven.

A client list that extends from the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Eskom and Sanral to South Africa’s major metros, provincial governments, district municipalities and over 40 local municipalities, as well as the private sector, bears testimony to the unparalleled proficiency of Plan Associates within its scope of expertise – proving no project is too big or small to take on.

As a further illustration of the firm’s commitment to upholding the highest standards and implementing best practices, it is a long-standing member of the following industry bodies: the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN), the South African Planning Institute (SAPI), the South African Geomatics Council (SAGC), the Geo-Information Society of South Africa (GISSA) and the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP).

There is no question that South Africa’s spatial legacy needs redressing and our economy a kick-start, particularly in light of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic and resultant economic downturn. At the very heart of these remediations lies accurate spatial planning and development strategies, which can vastly improve the way in which people live, work and play.

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DEVELOPMENT

Growing the Vaal River economy The development of the Vaal region places an emphasis on projects that entail the development of tourism related to the Vaal River precinct and waterfront. It also entails the urban renewal of centres such as Evaton, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging.

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he Vaal development initiative is a cross-border agreement between municipalities in Southern Gauteng and the northern Free State to work together to develop a regional economy around both banks of the Vaal River.

The former Vaal Triangle was an example of a regional economy based around the Vaal River. The new initiative brings together the existing industries and natural resources that exist in this regional economy and revitalise the economic contribution of this well-located region.

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The municipalities involved from the Gauteng side are Sedibeng District Municipality and Lesedi, Emfuleni and Midvaal local municipalities, while the Free State is represented by Fezile Dabi District Municipality and Metsimahole, Ngwathe, Mafube and Moqhaka local municipalities.

The initiative covers numerous towns, such as Heidelberg, Ratanda, Meyerton, Vaal Marina, Sharpeville, Boipatong, Sebokeng, Bophelong, Deneysville, Oranjeville, Parys, Tumahole, Vredefort, Sasolburg, Zamdela, Kroonstad, Villiers and Frankfort. These towns are situated on either side of the Vaal River.

Economically, industrial growth in the region is concentrated around electricity, coal, steel and petrochemicals. Agriculture is a significant economic sector, while tourism and the diamond industry are growing. Significant rail, road and pipeline corridors run through the area, connecting it with the rest of South Africa and the continent.

The area has a rich history that spans many ages. Significant historical sites include the prehistoric Vredefort Dome, which is the largest meteorite site in the world; Redan rock art and various Bushmen paintings from the iron age; major sites of the Anglo-Boer War, including the site of the war-ending Treaty of Vereeniging; and major liberation struggle sites, since the area was home to the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, the Boipatong massacre in 1992, as well as Vaal uprisings in 1984.

Flagship Projects The overarching Vaal development programme will be driven through a series of flagship

DEVELOPMENT projects, which individually and collectively aim to: • Enable development – e.g. a new regional sewer works, an air quality management plan and enabling upstream and downstream manufacturing in the minerals and energy sector.

• Accelerate growth – e.g. new Heineken brewery, upgrading the R57, upgrading the airfields in Parys and Kroonstad.

• Promote urban renewal – e.g. Sharpeville Precincts, Evaton Renewal, township upgrading and beautification in areas such as Zamdela and others.

• Promote tourism and leisure – e.g. the development of an urban waterfront (at Vereeniging and Sasolburg), Vaal Dam and Vredefort Dome developments.

Some of the flagship projects have already been or are being undertaken, others are in the planning stages and some are proposed. Some are the responsibility of local government, others are being undertaken in partnership between different spheres of government, and others are projects that are being led entirely by the private sector.

Unlocking the region The Vaal River System Intervention is one of the contributors towards turning around regional sanitation infrastructure rehabilitation and upgrades. The upgrading of the Vaaloewer Water Treatment Plant and the construction of the elevated steel tank at the Vanderbijlpark Reservoirs to ensure constant supply of water to the community of Emfuleni Local Municipality are all part of this intervention.

Furthermore, the Growth and Development Strategy advocates for the building of the marine economy. The following projects have

are absolutely necessary.

It is also essential to ensure that preventative as well as remedial measures be taken in this regard.

Any development along the Vaal River should be an asset to the local residents. All activities should be promoted to become a value chain as opposed to an ad-hoc development vision.

Operating principles

previously been noted to be prioritised: ABInBev investment – Project Isanti and Project Jordan; the Vaal Aerotropolis – Logistical Hub and Airport; professionalising infrastructure provision; and the development of agri-parks. It was further reaffirmed that the Vaal River City is still effectively a vision that needs to be pursued to unlock the economic potential of the region.

Apart from its water supply function, the Vaal River is almost unique in the Gauteng area for the opportunity it provides for tourism and upmarket residential development. It would, however, be important to ensure that the water supply capacity and conservation value of the Vaal River (both existing and potential) are not threatened by any development.

Key to the success of development opportunities along the banks of the Vaal River is the adequate provision for public access to the river for leisure and recreation. Currently, the ever-increasing private property development along the river is making it increasingly difficult for local tourists and members of the public to gain access to the riverfront.

Strategies aimed at reversing the current pollution levels around the Vaal River such as interventions by the South African National Defence Force and continuous civic education

The concerned Vaal municipalities have committed themselves to collectively grow and stimulate the Vaal regional economy through the following philosophies: • by creating an enabling environment and infrastructure • through short-term and long-term catalytic projects, which could be new or existing, implemented by individuals or collectively • by maximising the potential of the region’s heritage, the river and the dam, to ensure public access and usage of the river system (both waterways and banks) • through ensuring clean air and water and safeguarding the biodiversity of the area and river system • by aligning to the Growth and Development Strategies and other government priorities • by incorporating the projects in the Integrated Development Plans • through promoting good governance and accountability • by healthy collaboration between municipalities • by creating and strengthening partnerships with all stakeholders and promoting community participation • by respecting the mandate of the collective and legal and constitutional imperatives.

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Experienced contractors in reinforced concrete for the past 30 years – specialists in water-retaining structures and off-shutter concrete.

WHAT WE HAVE DONE Reservoirs Elevated Reservoirs Wastewater Treatment Works Retaining Walls

Pump Stations Pipelines Sewers

Evaluation and inspection of civil engineering infrastructure.

Structural rehabilitation of reservoirs and concrete structures.

Turnkey and complete solution packages that have commercial benefit.

Find out how you can benefit from our expertise and our understanding of civil engineering by engaging with us.

61 Tau Road | Tierpoort | Tshwane | 0056 +27 (0)18 381 3402 info@quantibuild.co.za /@quantibuild /quantibuild-pty-ltd

www.quantibuild.co.za

REPUTATION | INNOVATION | DEDICATION

PROJECT PROFILE

Water for the people of Midvaal

SALIENT FEATURES OF KLIPRIVER RESERVOIR

In November 2018, Midvaal Local Municipality contracted Quantibuild to build the much-needed 10 Mℓ Klipriver Reservoir.

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his reservoir will ensure that the growing Sicelo settlement, Valley settlements and greater Midvaal areas will in future have access to adequate potable water. The project scope includes the construction of the earthworks platform, the reservoir, interconnecting steel pipework, valves, control valves, water meters, and an inlet pipeline.

Best for the best Midvaal, as the top performing municipality in Gauteng, has always been proactive in developing infrastructure within its geographic area. The municipality is known to use only top professionals from the built environment sector to design projects and to oversee their implementation – holding an unwavering commitment that the infrastructure provided must be top quality and fit for use.

This conventionally designed reservoir complies with all the latest design codes for water-retaining structures. The reservoir’s life cycle is set to be greatly enhanced through the use of Grade 316 stainless steel pipework cast in and underneath the structure. With Midvaal being an area of choice for numerous

industries to establish their business operations, Quantibuild has been able to exceed its own targets of procurement within the municipality. It has made economic sense to trade in this manner.

Commited to on-time completion The first concrete for the floor was poured in August 2019, while the roof was completed a year later in September 2020. Despite the devastating disruptions to all our lives due to Covid-19, Quantibuild was able to heed the call of President Cyril Ramaphosa to roll up its sleeves and to do its share to ensure the economy gets restarted.

Throughout the construction period, the company’s teams have committed themselves tirelessly to its collective values of reputation, innovation and dediction. Occupational health and safety is also an integral part of Quantibuild’s offering.

Diameter Column height Mass of reinforcing steel Gross storage volume of reservoir

37 m 9.9 m

1 420 tonnes 10.531 Mℓ

PROJECT TEAM Employer: Midvaal Local Municipality Engineers: GIBB Engineering & Science Contractors: Quantibuild Lichenry Joint Venture

The dedicated team was able to execute its work in a safe environment, with more than adequate support work and scaffolding.

This emphasis on safety ensured that the company was able to extend its excellent safety track record.

Quantibuild is on schedule to complete the structure on programme despite disruptions and delays.

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WATER & SANITATION

Supplying an essential resource Although situated along some of South Africa’s major water sources, like the rest of the country, the Vaal region faces familiar water-scarcity challenges. Sustainable and integrated solutions that ensure water provision and dignified sanitation need to define future plans.

MIDVAAL Across Midvaal, approximately 38 046 households are provided with potable water from the two bulk potable water purification works, namely Vaal Marina Water Purification Works owned by Midvaal Local Municipality and Zuikerbosch Water Purification Plant owned by Rand Water.

Raw water is extracted from the Vaal Dam and Vaal River respectively and pumped into the two works. Raw water is treated, purified and disinfected to comply with the SANS 0241 standard for water fit for human consumption Midvaal has contracted Rand Water to operate the Vaal Marina Purification Works

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on its behalf, with clear deliverables as per the service level agreement. The Vaal Marina Water Purification Works has a design capacity of 10 Mℓ/day and is currently operating well within its design capacity, while the Rand Water Zuikerbosch Plant delivers an average of 30 Mℓ/day. A total of 42 metered connection points are available to measure the water that is pumped from Rand Water into the Midvaal Supply System.

Household supply All households within developed urban and peri-urban areas are supplied through a water meter, which is used to determine the quantity of water consumed by the particular household.

Informal settlements that are not reticulated

receive water through the mobile water tankers and public stand pipes. Plastic tanks, positioned around the settlements, are used as a storage point for the informal settlements communities to fetch water.

Bigger informal settlements’ storage tanks and stand pipes are supplied through direct metered water pipelines, connected to the water network. Mobile water tanker filling points are metered to enable accountability of water delivered to informal settlements.

The average potable water quality compliance is 99% in terms of SANS 0241 and Midvaal’s Blue Drop status stands at 94%.

Revenue protection and water conservation Revenue protection is assisted by attending to water leaks and the maintenance of reservoirs and pressure reducing valves (PRVs), which further prevents water losses. Troubleshooting water meters is another important aspect.

The council’s approved Five-year Water Demand Management Plan is also being implemented and monitored, taking into account the following interventions: • indigent household water leak repairs • pipe replacement programmes • replacement and refurbishment of PRVs • bulk and residential water meter installation and replacement.

WATER & SANITATION Sanitation There are 23 550 households with flush toilets connected to a waterborne sewerage system.

Wastewater is collected from households connected to the system through the reticulation pipelines into different smaller sewer pump stations around Midvaal.

There are 10 385 households with flushing toilets that are connected to septic tanks and biochemical package treatment plants.

These tanks are the property of individual households, which are responsible for their operation and maintenance, and are mainly found in areas where there is no municipal sewer reticulation.

There are 2 044 households in Sicelo Ext 4 & 5 that are provided with potable chemical toilets supplied and maintained by Sedibeng District Municipality. A total of 2 025 households are provided with VIP toilets, which are typically found in areas where there is neither a sewerage system nor enough water to transport the waste. Midvaal maintains these toilets quarterly.

Midvaal’s sewer system consists of 316 km of network pipes and just over 5 007 manholes.

Pipe sizes range from 90 mm to 500 mm in diameter, with 29 sewer pumps. The majority of pipes are gravity pipes, with about 19 km of rising mains.

LESEDI Alongside growing populations across the country, water demand is increasing every year. In terms of water provision, Lesedi Local Municipality is making solid progress. Water

provision in the municipality is around 92.1%, with 52.3% access inside the dwelling and 39.8% inside the stand.

Considering the nature and extent of capital required, it is inevitable that some of the required water infrastructure developments will have to be done with loan funding and that most of the related economic developments should be co-funded by developers. The biggest concern is that Lesedi Local Municipality currently lacks the necessary revenue streams to co-fund its obligations, which means improved financial management in the municipality is thus key to the successful implementation of the investment framework.

Access to water and sanitation In South Africa’s arid climate, water losses are a major concern. Non-revenue water in the Gauteng province increased from 21.8% in 2005 to 35.9% in 2010. In Lesedi, however, nonrevenue water was significantly lower than the Gauteng average and declined over the same period to 23%.

Access to water in Lesedi is higher than the Gauteng average of 95.4% and Sedibeng average of 96.7%, and currently measures at around 97.4%.

In Lesedi, the percentage of households with hygienic toilets was 89.1% in 2011. This is an improvement from a rate of 67.2%, which was recorded in 1996.

The current sanitation backlog in absolute terms in the municipality amounts to approximately 4 000 households – or 12.8% of all households. In comparison to the Gauteng

province and Sedibeng District Municipality, Lesedi remains well positioned in the provisioning of proper sanitation.

Challenges In the economically constrained situation the country faces, there are of course numerous hurdles and challenges in supplying adequate water and sanitation. This of course presents opportunities for the private sector to engage with government in improving the rate of access through infrastructure maintenance and development.

One of the major challenges is the municipality’s ageing water supply infrastructure. This is exacerbated by limited capital investment to address infrastructure upgrades. Crime also affects the situation, through the vandalism of water infrastructure by members of the community, as well as the theft of water supply components (such as cast-iron valve boxes, copper valves and electrical supply cables to pump stations) and the theft of water through by-passing of water meters – which has a strong negative impact on municipal revenue collection.

Water wastage by members of the communities (excessive irrigation and communal taps left running in informal settlements) is another challenge as is the growth of the population, as mentioned previously.

Pressure is placed on the infrastructure due to migration from rural to urban areas, and there is an influx of people into the municipal area due to soft borders. The mushrooming of informal settlements is a challenge across the

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WATER & SANITATION province, with a population influx in Kaydale, which does not have sanitation infrastructure, being a prime example.

To accommodate the increased numbers, wastewater treatment works often operate above their design capacities, while unauthorised tanker services and industries discharge non-acceptable effluent directly into the municipal sewer system.

Much work remains to be done, and it is key for the private and public sectors to join hands in making access to water and improved sanitation for all a reality.

EMFULENI Metsi-a-Lekoa, the water unit of Emfuleni Local Municipality, is responsible for the distribution of potable water, and the collection, conveyance and treatment of wastewater. In addition to these functions, the unit also takes the responsibility for the maintenance of the water services systems and all costs associated with the assets, including maintenance, insurance, licensing and running costs.

Through 2 677 km of pressurised water pipelines, there is 100% water supply coverage to all formal and informal settlements. In the informal settlements, water is supplied through communal taps. Monthly monitoring and analysis of potable water quality is done in compliance with SANS 241.

Sanitation There is 100% sanitation coverage in all formal settlements in Emfuleni. Sanitation provision is still a challenge in areas that are not yet proclaimed townships, such as mushrooming squatter camps.

The sanitation gravity network provides waterborne sewer connections to 230 000 stands in Emfuleni Local Municipality. A total of 5 250 stands make use of on-site sanitation systems, such as French drains and septic tanks.

Sanitation provision is still a challenge in areas that are not yet formalised as townships, but these areas do make use of pit latrines. The

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sanitation gravity network provides waterborne sewer connections to a total of 230 000 stands. The infrastructure consists of 3 000 km of gravity sewer pipe lines, 33 328 sewerage manholes, 44 sewerage pump stations, and 34 km of sewer pump pipe lines.

Further, sanitation services in the municipality ensure that water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled as per National Water Act (No. 36 of 1998). This is done in order to: ensure the collection, conveyance and treatment of wastewater; reduce and prevent the polluting of water resources; protect aquatic and associated ecosystems and their biological diversity; and promote dam safety.

Achievements In FY 2018/19, the Emfuleni Water and Stormwater Department managed to attend to the following activities: • 95% of pressure reducing valves (PRVs) were serviced • 167 replaced faulty/stolen water meters • repaired 1 437 pipe bursts • addressed a total 8 633 water complaints (leaks) • 63 new water connections were installed

• replaced 95 m of 350 mm diameter outfall line at Union Street • work on modules six and seven of the Sebokeng water treatment works (part of Sedibeng Regional Sewer Scheme) is in progress.

During the reported financial year, several initiatives were undertaken to enhance service delivery. The Scada system was upgraded and security measures were installed at pump stations.

Challenges Measures are put in place to address the challenges such as ageing infrastructure, the shortage of human resources, lack of capital funding for upgrading of wastewater works, and the replacement of outfall sewer lines. Emfuleni received grant funding for FY 2018/19 for refurbishing sewer pump stations. The challenges in sludge treatment at Sebokeng, Rietspruit and Leeuwkuil will be addressed under the Sedibeng Regional Sewer Scheme.

The municipality, as part of its strategic plan, continues to address challenges that affect service delivery due to the theft of brass water meters and the vandalism of PRVs, which resulted in increased water pressures with subsequent pipe bursts.

PROFILE

Empowering SA through sustainable transport solutions As an award-winning South African transport solutions provider, SIYAZI offers public transport planning, development and traffic engineering solutions for everything from municipal to residential and commercial developments.

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IYAZI was founded in 1996 and has grown into a professional transport engineering solutions specialist operating throughout South Africa, with offices based in the Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West.

A registered member of the Engineering Council of South Africa, SIYAZI offers the following professional services: • data surveys • database analyses and geographical information systems (GIS) development • development planning • public transport planning and project management • travel demand management and modelling • traffic engineering • community service (conflict handling, mediation and facilitation) • training and capacity building • economic analysis, municipal finance • public transport management • policy and strategy development • development of cooperatives.

Empowering communities SIYAZI places a strong emphasis on empowering communities and individuals through the implementation of sustainable transport solutions.

“Our solutions offer sustainable approaches that empower local communities. Together with the various role players in the projects we work on, SIYAZI makes a difference in the delivery of effective solutions to meet the needs of people from grassroots level all the way up to executive management,” says Sias Oosthuizen, CEO, SIYAZI. “It is in working together that we will build a strong, equitable and prosperous South Africa,

characterised by effective and convenient mobility solutions.”

This view is embraced within the organisation as well. SIYAZI’s holding company, SIYAZI Legacy Holdings, has a 40% shareholding by previously disadvantaged individuals through Ukusebenzisana Investments, 91% of which, in turn, belongs to a SIYAZI workers’ trust.

The company is strongly committed to ensuring sustainable Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment and has formulated a strategy aimed at establishing local offices in provinces across the country in order to empower and develop previously disadvantaged individuals.

“We strongly believe that knowledge shared is knowledge gained, and skills development is key to unlocking the sustainable wealth contained in a resilient South African economy,” says Oosthuizen.

He is backed up by technical director Leon Roets, who has over 25 years’ experience as a transport and traffic engineer.

Roets has extensive experience working with private and municipal entities – and in ensuring cooperation between the two – and has also been involved in projects concerning the taxi industry for most of his career.

“SIYAZI was founded with the express goal of empowering communities and individuals through the implementation of sustainable transport solutions. Our mission is to become a key transport specialist in South Africa and the continent through effective, sustainable empowerment and skills transfer to provide transport solutions that favour job creation,” concludes Oosthuizen.

Solid foundations SIYAZI’s service offering is built on solid in-house skills. As CEO, Oosthuizen has more than 40 years’ experience in the transport sector.

He has been instrumental in the planning of numerous integrated public transport plans for various municipalities, the development of guidelines for the first Current Public Transport Record surveys done in Gauteng, and negotiating and managing transport provision for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in eThekwini.

Oosthuizen was also involved in the development of the first taxi liaison committees in the East Rand, and SIYAZI has gone on to design several taxi ranks for the City of Ekurhuleni.

“Together with the various role players in the projects we work on, SIYAZI makes a difference in the delivery of effective solutions to meet the needs of people from grassroots level all the way up to executive management.”

Sias Oosthuizen, CEO, SIYAZI

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RE-SOLVE CONSULTING

As one of the country’s leading water engineering firms, Re-Solve Consulting (Pty) Ltd deploys highly specialised skills to help drive development and improve the lives of ordinary South Africans.

WATER MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

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perating from bases across the country – in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State and North West – Re-Solve services clients of all descriptions in need of water engineering solutions, whether in the public or private sector. Past and current clients include utilities, research organisations, development agencies, mining and industrial companies, as well as metropolitan, local and district municipalities.

Services provided to the water sector include planning, project management and contract administration, developmental engineering, as

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well as the management of supply, demand and losses in water networks.

Service excellence Founded in 2005, the company currently has over 120 staff members, with a vast well of combined cumulative experience in the water sector of over 220 years.

As a consulting, project management and construction firm that also specialises in fieldwork, the company strives towards service excellence through the application of technically oriented solutions underpinned by international best practice, advanced technology and an innovative approach.

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Resolving challenges Beyond delivering effective, industry-leading solutions, Re-Solve’s sustainability as a business is founded on the company’s DNA – the core values that inform every hour of work put into every project: personal and business integrity, the development of staff and community, creativity, as well as strength in diversity and continuous improvement.

As the name Re-Solve implies, the company seeks, through engineering and reengineering, to address the technical, social, environmental and economic developmental challenges faced by South Africa.

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RE-SOLVE CONSULTING 1 Pipework during construction at PRV 29 site at Carbon Road, Lakeside Estates. Note the piping for the blow-off valve, which will discharge water on to the street if the pressure relief valves fail 2 Reinstallation of the roof slab over PRV 29 at Carbon Road, Lakeside Estates. This existing PRV station was renewed and upgraded to a dual piping installation in accordance with the new Midvaal standards 3 Brickwork under construction around PRV 34 at Mossie Road, Lakeside Estates PRV 34 ready to be installed at Mossie Road, Lakeside Estates. All the fittings were manufactured and bolted together off-site to ensure that nothing went missing

CASE STUDY Midvaal Control Valve Project At the end of September 2018, Re-Solve Consulting was appointed, as the successful project bidder, by Midvaal Local Municipality for the Midvaal Control Valve and Logging Project.

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These challenges are integral to societal development as they relate to water service delivery, the provision and maintenance of infrastructure, minimising system inefficiencies, the application of technology, institutional arrangements, organisational structure, and capacity development.

Re-Solve is a registered member of Consulting Engineers South Africa, an affiliate member of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa, as well as a member of the Water Institute of Southern Africa. The firm is a Level 1 BBBEE Contributor and holds a level 6CE grading with the Construction Industry Development Board.

5

In taking an active approach towards reducing water losses, the municipality focused on the implementation of pressure management across its pressurereducing valve (PRV) zones.

Together, Midvaal and Re-Solve identified all pressure zones with excessive water losses, with the aim to effectively reduce water losses over a short-term timespan utilising pressure management equipment.

4 The pipework, PRVs, meters and valves were successfully installed at PRV 38 Pierneef Road, Kookrus, on 13 February 2020. The installation went very smoothly, and the water was restored by 12:00. Note the shuttering for the anchor block to the right 5 PRV 38 at Pierneef Boulevard, Kookrus, with the brick chamber completed, and with the removable, reinforced-concrete roof slab fitted, including the 900 mm x 600 mm polymer manhole cover 6 Due to the unexpected 90-degree bend downstream of PRV 39, two anchor blocks had to be constructed to enable the stability and speedy restoration of water supply to the township of Bantu Bonke 7 The installation of pipework and fittings at PRV 34 at Mossie Road (cnr Victoria Rd), Lakeside Estates, was successfully completed on 26 November 2019. The water supply was restored at 14:00. Note the concrete anchor block of 2.4 tonnes. The anchor block had to be shuttered with shutterboard to hold the concrete in position until it had cured. Anchor blocks are required to securely hold all the newly installed fittings in place, preventing them from kicking out

7

During 2019/20, the project objectives were to focus on constructing new and upgrading existing PRV chambers at six sites: • Mossie Road, Lakeside Estates • Carbon Road, Lakeside Estates • Canyon Circle, Blue Saddle Ranches • Arizona Crescent, Blue Saddle Ranches • Pierneef Boulevard, Kookrus • Bantu Bonke.

6

www.re-solve.co.za

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

13

ENERGY

Lighting up South African lives Economic development depends heavily on functional electrical infrastructure. Alongside the demands of growing populations and the need to improve energy-use efficiencies, South African municipalities additionally need to balance maintenance requirements.

LESEDI Lesedi Local Municipality’s electricity supply network consists of medium-voltage (MV) and low-tension (LT) overhead and underground electrical networks, with the MV overhead network being approximately 82 km in length and the MV underground network around 100 km long. The LT overhead network is approximately 200 km long, while the LT underground network is some 82 km in length.

The municipality’s network has six feeding points from Eskom. The voltage of the vast majority of the electrical network is 11 kV, except for KwaZenzele and Impumelelo, which run at 22 kV. Lesedi has 90 MVA in

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

capacity, of which approximately 50% is classified as spare capacity.

Like municipalities across the country, Lesedi is implementing various measures to reduce electric consumption within its municipal area.

Energy-saving programme Lesedi Local Municipality has developed an energy-saving programme in line with national government’s target of saving 10% of electrical usage by municipalities.

It has implemented various measures to reduce consumption.

Lesedi has initiated ripple control over some 4 000 streetlights, which sees these lamps switching on at 19:00 and

off at 05:00, which ensures areas are lit when needed but saves significantly on energy usage – in this case, to the tune of around 60 000 kWh per month. Geysers are also controlled through the same load management practice, ensuring they are not needlessly drawing power.

Similarly, Lesedi’s municipal offices’ air conditioners are switched off using timer switches, while the municipality has also ensured the installation of light sensors, which signal the lights to turn on when someone enters an office and then turn off after a certain period when no foot traffic is detected. The lights of the municipal building are also controlled by timer switches.

Communication about saving electricity is vital to the meaningful wider adoption of responsible practices, so the municipality uses its consumers’ accounts and the local newspaper to educate its residents about various ways of saving electricity.

In terms of service delivery, the installation of free solar geysers is currently pursued in Lesedi to alleviate poverty and to reduce the usage of electricity in the area, while the council also plans to install LED streetlights around the municipal area, as and when

ENERGY developers of new areas to make use of energy-efficient building methods, as well as solar-powered systems.

Illegal connections

the funds are available from Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

Lesedi aims to change out the fittings of around 4 000 streetlights, to replace the current 125 W lamps with significantly less resource-hungry 59 W lamps. This endeavour is set to cost the municipality R5 704 000, after having already paid Eskom around R27 million. The total project cost amounts to some R35 million and it should be completed within a twoyear timeframe.

EMFULENI Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Electricity Department’s strategic objective is to ensure the rendering of quality, accessible, sustainable and reliable municipal services in the area. The department’s vision is to have an uninterruptable electricity supply to customers and the continuous working of public lights, in order to improve safety and the quality of life for the municipal area’s residents.

The municipality is licensed to provide electricity mainly in the Vanderbijlpark, Bophelong, Boipatong, Ironsyde, Eatonsyde, Roshnee, Vaaloewer, Sebokeng Hostel, Rustter-Vaal and Vereeniging areas, while Eskom has been licensed to provide electricity in the remaining areas.

There is 98% electricity coverage to date in the areas falling within the jurisdiction of the municipality. Free basic electricity of 50 kWh/month is provided to registered indigent households.

Approximately 78% of electricity is sold to industrial and commercial customers; the remaining 22% is sold to domestic and agricultural customers and for the municipality’s own use. Emfuleni Local Municipality aims to secure its revenue through electricity sales.

Energy efficiency and green initiatives The municipality adheres to the international drive for energy efficiency.

As such, it utilises electrical equipment and infrastructure that are of the highest possible level of efficiency. This includes low-loss transformers and the optimisation of cable and overhead line systems to keep ‘losses’ at a bare minimum.

Further use is made of more energyefficient lighting sources for public lighting such as streetlights and traffic signals.

Around 95% of the area’s streetlights have been replaced with more energy-efficient lighting. Furthermore, with the change in technology, the municipality is currently piloting LED lights as an initiative to save more energy. Emfuleni also encourages the

In dealing with illegal connections, the municipality has installed special locking mechanisms in most of the meter boxes in the area. The aim is to reduce the chances of consumers connecting themselves illegally on to the reticulation system. This also keeps the meter boxes locked at all times for the safety of the households situated near them. The municipality has embarked on a drive to install robust doors in all its substations in order to curb theft and vandalism.

The process of getting metered supply across all areas within the municipality is another important aspect in monitoring electrical consumption. A process of auditing and installing metered supply for all residential, commercial and industrial customers is under way.

Achievements The municipality took several steps forward in 2018/19 in terms of its electrical infrastructure, including the installation of large power user (LPU) meters. A total of 741 of these LPUs have been moved from manual meter reading to using online meter reading.

The online system is live and customers can see and plan their consumption day by day. The new system has decreased queuing times and it has eliminated human

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

15

ENERGY

errors during the billing process. It has furthermore contributed to revenue collection to an approximate amount of R15 000 000 per month.

The aforementioned 95% of replaced streetlights, along with the replacement of 780 lamps with LED light fittings, has already led to a saving of 60% of the streetlight energy consumption compared to the previous year.

MIDVAAL The urban parts of the Midvaal municipal area are provided with electricity by the local municipality and include: Meyerton, Ironsyde Agricultural Holdings, Homestead Apple Orchards, Blue Saddle Ranches, Blignautsrus, De Deur, Golfview, Hartzenbergfontein, Henley-on-Klip, Highbury, Klipriver, and parts of Walkerville.

In the rest of the Midvaal supply area, where Eskom is the service provider, most formal households are electrified. None of the informal areas, however, are provided with electricity.

Challenges There is a backlog of approximately 5 598 households (18% of the households) without access to electricity. Census 2011 data indicated that approximately 79% of households in Midvaal Local Municipality utilise electricity as their main source for lighting, while 15% utilise candles, and 4% use paraffin.

It is considered that mostly farm labourers and residents of informal settlements are those who do not have electricity, especially in the Mamello and Sicelo areas. These areas will only be reticulated once they are formalised, in line with the Integrated Development Plan.

Priority plans Electricity provision to schools, clinics and other community facilities should also be

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prioritised. A number of new substations have been proposed along route R59, and the Meyerton substation will be upgraded to provide electricity to new developments in the short to medium term.

To date, the 88 kV bulk electricity connection line for the future electrification of informal areas and other surrounding areas has been completed at a total cost of R28 million, which was funded by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy and Midvaal Local Municipality, respectively.

This is part of an extensive master plan to ensure that new developments along routes R59 and R82 in the Midvaal area can be supplied with electricity as and when required.

A number of significant projects were implemented during the 2018/19 financial year, including the Kookfontein/Sicelo Substation Construction (with a project value of R8 million), Electricity Reticulation to Savanna City (with a project value of R6.45 million), Risiville Network Upgrade (with a project value of R2 000 000), and the Meyerton Street Lights Project (costing R500 000).

The planning phases for the construction of the substation and switchgear have been completed, at a cost of R17 000 000 in the 2019/20 financial year. Midvaal is providing funding on each year’s capital budget for the Sicelo housing development’s connections and the walk-up units’ electricity connections. The connections to the fully subsidised Savanna City houses commenced, with funding of R6 453 000 from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. The housing development in Meyerton and Riversdale is continuously requiring electrical connections, so there is a key balance that must be achieved in addressing both the existing electricity provision backlog as well as ensuring new developments’ connection and metering needs are met.

PROFILE

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As an Authorised Valvoline Distributor, Absolute Lubricants provides customers with premium Valvoline products in the West Rand, East Rand and South Rand of Gauteng, the Northern Free State and North West province. The company also stocks a range of Tectyl products, which is a rust preventative that guarantees corrosion protection of the highest order.

Expert knowledge Absolute Lubricants stocks and can advise customers on oils that cater for any application, and the company assures its customers that if it doesn’t stock a product, it will be sourced. The company’s professional sales team is more than willing to travel to those clients that prefer to have a face-to-face discussion

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

17

ROADS

A nation’s roads are the arteries that feed its economic heartbeat, which makes their maintenance, upgrading and construction vital functions of local, provincial and national authorities.

Paving the way forward EMFULENI Within Emfuleni Local Municipality, it is the mandate of the Roads and Stormwater Department to ensure the safety of motorists and general road users in the municipal area. This should be achieved through the regular maintenance of the local roads and stormwater network throughout the entire municipality.

Emfuleni’s municipal area contains 1 600 km of tarred road and 1 054 km of gravel road surfaces, which is more than the municipality itself can afford to adequately maintain. In fact, a total of R343 million is required in the municipality to address the urgent resurfacing maintenance needs of tarred roads.

Fortunately, an intervention from the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport, through

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a programme of patching potholes and retarring local roads, has given Emfuleni’s Roads and Stormwater Department much needed relief, as the shortage of resources has been a major challenge in this regard.

The continued maintenance of local roads and stormwater systems has now at least become a regular feature. This is all thanks to the usage of hired plant and machinery.

Taking into account the current size of

the workforce available, which has about 79% in vacant positions, the municipality is looking at recruiting trained personnel and even at expediting the process of acquiring the training and skills development programmes for existing persons.

Emfuleni Local Municipality has managed to align both its road maintenance programmes and rehabilitation programmes

ROADS

– such as gravel base layer repairs, surface layer rejuvenation and resealing activities – within its allocated budget. This alignment has enabled the municipality to address all the challenges associated with the poor availability of maintenance plant and machinery.

Achievements The many challenges aside, Emfuleni has managed to achieve a number of milestones during the 2018/19 financial year pertaining to its roads and stormwater activities.

These achievements include: the resealing of 14.12 km or road; the patching of over 7 220 m2 of potholes: the cleaning of 788 stormwater catch pits, 1 270 m of concrete channels, 409 m of stormwater concrete pipes, and 1 108.3 m of gravel channels; the maintenance of 6 537.6 m2 of road markings and 199.04 km of gravel roads; and the replacement of 326 road traffic signs.

Further achievements by the Roads and Stormwater Department are: • Patching of potholes, rehabilitation and resealing of tarred roads – provided daily sustainable tar road maintenance to 1 665 km of tarred roads.

• Re-gravelling, grading and rip and recompacting of gravel roads – provided a daily sustainable gravel road maintenance to 1 054 km of gravel roads.

• Erection of road traffic signs and street name boards – provided daily sustainable road sign maintenance of 14 602 in number.

• Road markings – provided daily sustainable road markings maintenance to an area of 158 445 m2.

• Cleaning of verges and gutters – provided daily sustainable road cleaning maintenance to all tarred roads.

• Cleaning of stormwater pipes, lined, unlined channels and catch pits – provided daily sustainable stormwater system maintenance to some 12 270 catch pits, 213 km of channels and 530 km of pipes.

LESEDI At present, Lesedi Local Municipality has about 652 km of road, of which 385 km is surfaced and 267 km gravel. Currently, the rate of backlog reduction is around 5 km to 10 km per year. Taking into account that the lifespan of a surfaced road is around 75 years, surfaced roads need to be resealed around four or five times over their lifespan, depending on usage levels.

The two major arterial routes running through Lesedi are the N3 and the N17 national route. The N17 runs from Johannesburg to the Swaziland border, while the N3 is the country’s logistical lifeline – running from Johannesburg to the Port of Durban. Both of these heavily trafficked roadways are maintained by the South African National Roads Agency Limited.

The types of seals utilised in Lesedi are tar surface and paving; no foreign resources are needed in maintaining the paving. In general, paved roads need less maintenance during their service period, while gravel roads need to be graded regularly to be kept in a trafficable condition. This certainly places some strain on the available resources.

Backlog The total backlog for roads and stormwater for RDP houses in the Lesedi area stands at around 26 km. The backlog on roads and

stormwater and the resealing of roads is 117.5 km. The total funding required to accomplish this project is some R450 million.

There is a need to upgrade a section of the R42 road between Heidelberg and Nigel due to the major developments in the Heidelberg zone of opportunity and Jameson Park.

The R549 route between Heidelberg and Ratanda is also in need of upgrading due to the extension of the Obed Mthombeni Nkosi township and the construction of related mixed-use developments.

The biggest challenge remains in the Agricultural Holdings region, where – due to the distance, low occupation density and sparseness of the area – it is very expensive to develop road infrastructure.

The Agricultural Holdings roads are largely gravel, and are maintained by the municipality.

Active projects An amount of R15 million has been jointly budgeted by the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (R12 million) and Lesedi Local Municipality (R3 million) to develop roads in Impumelelo.

The municipality has further allocated the following budgets to various roads and stormwater projects for the 2020/21 financial year: • KwaZenzele Phase 1 roads and stormwater – R6 million • Ratanda 1, 2, 3 and Obed Nkosi roads and stormwater – R7 million • Jamesonpark roads and stormwater – R3 mil lion • Heidelberg Ext 23/26 roads and Stormwater – R4 million • Ratanda Ext 7 roads and stormwater – R2 million.

For the 2021/22 financial year, Lesedi has allocated a budget of R6 million for the repair and resealing of roads, while R7 million is the projected budget for 2022/23.

MIDVAAL The road network in Midvaal Local Municipality mainly caters for north-south movement through the area due to the historic functional relationship between Johannesburg to the north and VereenigingVanderbijlpark to the south.

The following are routes of national and/ or provincial and local significance in and around the Midvaal area: • The R59 links Vereeniging with Alberton and the N12 in Johannesburg. This route

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

19

ROADS • The R42 runs east-west through Midvaal and links Meyerton to Heidelberg and the N17 in Lesedi Local Municipality.

• The R551 is an east-west route between the N1 and the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve. This road merges with route R42 at the Nature Reserve.

• The R557 is an east-west link between the N3, R59 and R82 in Midvaal, linking Waterval and Walkerville to the N3.

• The R54 links Vaal Marina to Meyerton and the R82 further to the west.

• The R549 functions as the HeidelbergVaal/Marina-Potchefstroom connector.

Road conditions The condition of provincial roads in Midvaal is generally poor and the routes require upgrading, as identified in the IDP. Excessive freight transport (and overloading) and a lack of maintenance are contributing to the deterioration of provincial road infrastructure.

Stormwater is primarily drained via surface drains and channels that are cleaned annually. Stormwater run-off is a particular problem in the rural areas where roads are not properly constructed or maintained. During heavy rains, damage is caused to roads by stormwater, rendering the roads unusable and requiring frequent maintenance and repair.

Public transport

is situated in the central part of Midvaal Local Municipality area and has been marketed as a development/industrial corridor since the late 1990s.

• The N1 is the major national north-south route linking Musina in the north to Cape Town in the south, and passes adjacent to the west of the Midvaal area.

• The N3 is the major transport link between Gauteng province and eThekwini, and passes the Midvaal area a few kilometres to the north-east.

• The R82 is a secondary north-south route linking Vereeniging and Johannesburg via Walkerville and De Deur, situated in the western parts of Midvaal. The route runs parallel to and midway between the N1 and the R59 freeways and attracts mixed-use development around De Deur,

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

Walkerville and Tedderfield. Gautrans is in the process of incrementally upgrading route R82 from north to south and the section from Johannesburg up to just past Walkerville has been completed.

• The M61 is a secondary north-south route running parallel to the west of the R59 linking Vereeniging and Alberton via Meyerton, Randvaal and Waterval.

The public transport system in Midvaal is as efficient as it can be at present to deliver a reliable service to all communities. Private transport seems to be the norm in the urban parts of the area, while public transport is more commonly used in the rural areas. The R82 is a major public transport corridor.

Taxis are the most dominant form of public transportation, followed by buses.

The low levels of private vehicle ownership correspond with the low income levels in the disadvantaged communities. This emphasises the need for public transport routes and facilities in the Midvaal municipal area. The very low population densities in the rural areas are, however, not conducive to effective public transport.

PROFILE

Providing total traffic enforcement solutions

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otal Computer Services (TCS) continues to supply state-of-the-art enforcement equipment such as mobile speed cameras, permanent cameras and specialised software systems to all spheres of government.

Being the first traffic enforcement software service provider that provided automated number plate recognition systems, also known as ANPR systems, to local municipalities, TCS is also known for its turn-key solutions for all other traffic and police requirements.

From humble beginnings The company has grown from its humble beginnings in the late 1970s into the largest traffic contravention management service provider of its kind in Africa.

TCS also provides services to the private sector and is known for the technology that is fitted in various types

of trailers for use at roadblocks and other emergency situations.

Many panel vans have been fitted with office layout configurations, which allows for the various departments to provide special office-related services to the public on the roadside.

TCS has offices in various towns in South Africa, with its head office situated in Centurion and its financial base in Cape Town.

Empowering the market Over the years, TCS has also assisted more than 10 empowerment companies from all over South Africa to enter the market and has supplied software and enforcement hardware at competitive pricing to these growing entities.

As a leader in the market, TCS still strives to promote its services to young entrepreneurs to start their own companies and to enter the traffic fraternity.

About traffic contravention management systems A key aspect of traffic contravention management systems is to improve road user compliance through the accurate monitoring and enforcement of the rules of the road, thereby making South Africa’s roads a safer place and providing an avenue of revenue collection for the relevant authorities when laws are disregarded.

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

21

SIYAZI offers transport solutions to both the public and private sectors.

CLIENTS: Municipalities Commercial developers Residential developers Transport operaters (e.g. Taxi industry)

SERVICES: Data surveys (electronically)

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and facilitation)

route colour coding systems

COLOUR CODING SYSTEM

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S I YA Z I

PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANNING:

TRAFFIC ENGINEERING:

Operating licence strategies (OLSs)

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Public transport plans

as shopping centres, filling stations

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and residential areas

Freight, public transport (taxis, buses and

Setting and synchronisation of

private cars)

traffic lights

Needs determination of users and operators

Parking studies, including issues such

System design

as parking layout, parking demand and

Taxi rank and bus terminus design

parking supply

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Designs for pedestrian and

Taxi rank management strategies

bicycle facilities

Determine transportation vision, goals and objectives on various spheres of government

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Policy development

Academing empowerment of students

Modal integration strategies

Blankets for gogos

Taxi recapitalisation plans

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

Driving progress through housing developments The authorities in the Vaal region, as in much of South Africa, are hard at work to facilitate change in the spatial patterns that are the legacy of a dark past. Mixed-use and mixed-income settlements are at the fore of this shift.

LESEDI Lesedi Local Municipality strives to achieve the national target of eradicating the informal settlements by providing houses to poor communities. Lesedi works very closely with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements by providing the land and all necessary infrastructure to ensure successful housing delivery.

The housing backlog is currently estimated at 14 189. Over the years, Lesedi has managed to deliver over 11 000 houses and formalised 943 informal stands. The municipality has been able to address about 60% of housing delivery backlogs; however, due to continuous migration problems into the area, the housing backlog remains high. Furthermore, Lesedi has recently managed to formalise another 238 stands in Ratanda X8, where about 130 housing units are planned to be delivered.

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

Housing projects There are numerous housing projects in various stages of development across the municipality, some of which are listed below.

Hostel Redevelopment at Ratanda and Shalimar Ridge: The project consists of 210 units; 24 hostels have been built at Ratanda and 186 unit are being constructed at Shalimar Ridge. There is still outstanding work, such as paving, landscaping, fencing, parking lots and washing lines, before the project is handed over to the municipality.

This project is implemented by the Department of Human Settlements.

Unfortunately, there were invasions and vandalism on the property and the municipality is soliciting ways to remedy the situation.

Obed Nkosi Housing Project: This project is envisaged for the development of 6 000 mixed-income residential stands and forms part of one of Gauteng’s mega housing projects.

Currently, 1 532 houses have been allocated and occupied by approved beneficiaries.

Ratanda Extension: The goal of the project is accommodate all the informal households in Ratanda that have invaded private and municipal land. A contractor has been appointed and is currently on-site to build 135 houses during the first phase of the project.

Thirty-eight houses have been allocated.

Ratanda Close-off Housing Project: About 130 houses are under construction in Ratanda Ext 1,3,5,6,7 and 8. The second phase of the project will include the completion of Gautrans houses and the construction of houses in Ratanda Ext 8 at 238 stands. Two contractors have been appointed to complete the 130 housing units and 58 additional units will be built, with 33 houses having been allocated thus far.

Impumelelo Ext 3 Housing Project: Feasibility studies have already been conducted and preliminary results

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

indicate that the land identified is suitable for development. The project will consist of 3 400 stands of which 1 536 stands are completed with services certificates issued Floracadia: This development is envisaged along the R42 on the remainder of portion four of the farm Boschoek 385 IR. The site was previously known as Floracadia Nursery and was used for hydroponics flower production; however, most of the infrastructure has been removed and the site is currently used as a construction camp for a nearby bulk liquid infrastructure project. The proposed development will consist of a completely mixed-used township.

Floracadia (Boschoek Equestrian Estate): This development is envisaged in a rural agricultural community abutted on the east by small farm holdings. A small settlement, which was previously used by Floracadia staff, is located on the south.

The property is located adjacent to the provincial road R42, south of Heidelberg town. The proposed site will be zoned rural residential erven, which will be bonded and privately owned.

MIDVAAL According to the Midvaal Clarification Report on Informal Settlements, the official housing backlog for planning purposes in the municipality stands at 5 546. Numerous housing projects are under way within the municipal area, which may go some way to addressing this need.

A flagship project Savanna City is the largest and most significant development in Midvaal Local Municipality. It borders Orange Farm in the City of Johannesburg and comprises 1 462 ha of land. On completion, it will offer 18 399 mixed-income residential stands (with collective capacity for 19 264 dwelling units), together with various community facility and commercial stands.

More specifically, the development will comprise 5 517 fully subsidised houses, 5 518 Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) housing opportunities, 2 635 Residential Zone 3 units, and 4 729 bonded houses. When completed, the township will also include

16 schools, 32 institutional sites, nine municipal sites and nine business areas.

Key developments The Grace township is located to the west of Klipriver Business Park and will provide approximately 1 414 Zone 1 residential units, with a subsidy component for 700 Zone 3 sectional title units. The development will include mixed-use and commercial stands.

Housing construction on Erf 206 of Meyerton Farms has been completed and comprises 290 fully subsidised housing units. Beneficiaries from the Sicelo informal settlements of Midvaal were allocated the available houses.

A housing project is currently under construction on Erf 78 of Meyerton Farms and will provide 720 residential units in the form of walk-up units with full title deeds. Phase 1 of the project is ongoing for the construction of 180 units.

Erf 41, 52, 53 and 184 of Meyerton Farms (known as Sicelo Ext 4 & 5) currently hosts the biggest informal settlement in Midvaal. Rezoning, engineering designs, dolomitic investigations and layout plans for formalisation have been completed; however, the major challenge faced is the de-densification of the informal settlement to provide services and begin construction of houses in Ext 4 & 5.

A rapid land release programme is currently under way on Portion 47 of the farm Langkuil 373 IR. This will assist with the de-densification of Sicelo Ext 5 to enable formalisation of the informal settlement.

The aim of the Mamello Ext 1 project is to provide housing opportunities to the

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25

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

residents of the current Mamello informal settlement. The project is split into two phases of which Phase 1 will include 565 residential units for fully subsidised houses.

A portion of land has been identified at the Boitumelo informal settlement, with the aim being to make 1 500 serviced stands available to the residents of Boitumelo, Piel’s Farm, Khayelitsha and neighbouring informal settlements. This forms part of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements’ Rapid Land Release Programme.

Land has also been identified in Portion 7 of the Farm Panfontein 437 IR for the construction of an agrivillage comprising 500 units. This is to provide housing opportunities for the Bantu Bonke backyarders and neighbouring informal settlements such as Makokong and Kudung.

EMFULENI Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Department of Human Settlements is committed to the delivery of diversified habitable houses, with all social amenities, in a secure and development-friendly environment. The department’s mission is to uphold the Batho Pele principles by: • ensuring cost-effective and affordable services • being responsive and sensitive to the social and housing needs of the communities • providing a range of affordable shelter options • identifying suitable land for the

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

establishment of new housing projects, to reduce the housing backlog.

The housing backlog for the municipality is estimated at 79 500 units. Building houses remains the competency of the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements. The role of local municipalities in terms of housing provision is to facilitate and oversee housing projects.

Emfuleni is one of the municipalities identified by the National Department of Human Settlements to be considered for National Upgrading Support Programme technical assistance and capacity-building support, in agreement with the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements.

Emfuleni Local Municipality was identified as one of the municipalities to receive funding from national government for the upgrading of 21 informal settlements and the first five in terms of priority were upgraded in the previous financial year. These are Chris Hani, Hlala Kwabafileyo, Snake Park, Tshepiso Backyard Dwellers and Cape Gate.

Priorities The objective of the Department of Human Settlements of achieving spatial transformation with socio-economic development spin-offs has identified specific areas within its jurisdiction that should be declared as restructuring zones, as prescribed and guided by the Social Housing Act (No. 16 of 2008).

Priority housing developments areas (PHDAs) have been identified and a

submission in this regard has already been made. A proclamation in this regard was made by former Minister of Human Settlements Nomaindiya Mfeketo, giving notice of the proposed PHDAs in terms of Section 7 (3) of the Housing Development Agency Act (No. 23 of 2008), read with Section 3.2 (f-g) of the Housing Act (No. 107 of 1997).

This proclamation was published in Government Gazette No. 42 464 on 17 May 2019. The PHDAs are intended to advance human settlements spatial transformation and consolidation by ensuring that the delivery of housing is used to restructure and revitalise towns and cities, strengthen the livelihood prospects of households, and overcome apartheid spatial patterns by fostering integrated urban forms.

Making progress Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Department of Human Settlements established the Rental Housing Information Offices (according to the Rental Housing Tribunal, Act (No. 50 of 1999)) where rental tribunal administration is performed. The function of the information offices is to advise tenants and landlords concerning their rights and obligations in relation to dwellings within the area of their jurisdiction. These cases are dealt with by the Tribunal Council.

A total of 2 441 title deeds were received from the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, which need to be handed over to the owners, and 3 516 (RDP) houses were built.

PROFILE

Is your vehicle tracking device outdated?

M

When last have you reviewed your vehicle tracking/ telematics, asks Chris Viljoen*.

any customers have not changed their hardware for the past six years, and although they may have purchased a new vehicle, they may still be using the same outdated GPRS technology.

The use of GPRS (commonly referred to 2G) started in the year 2000. This technology is now largely outdated, when compared to 4G and soon 5G. The high-speed data evolution has driven GSM technology into a completely new direction, while 4G and 5G now offer exponentially higher data rates.

Since no one is interested in slow data, GPRS may soon be obsolete or suffer from degraded network coverage. GPRS is already obsolete in many other countries. So, how long will your 2G device still function? Is your telematics device already at risk with delayed data due to reduced coverage? If you or a loved one press the panic button, will there be an immediate response? Perhaps now is the time to move on.

EWCop recently released the latest 4G product range (with fall-back to older technologies) and our performance tests show significantly better timeous data logs when compared to a 2G-only device.

installation. EWCop jamming detection with notification via our dedicated RF network is an important step in combatting GSM and GPS jammers.

GPS is most definitely a key component in the field of vehicle telematics. I find few customers are aware of the problems with GPS devices. Are you aware that GPS devices have expiry dates?! There is a look-up table or calendar embedded in every GPS device, which has a limited life expectancy. An expired GPS will take long to lock with high accuracy and will often reflect an incorrect location for long periods.

So, if your telematics device is older than six years, please ensure your GPS is still accurately logging the location of your vehicle within 90 seconds after powering on.

If not, either your telematics device has a GPS signal issue or it may have expired.

More than just tracking

Combatting crime syndicates Crime syndicates involved in vehicle theft and hijacking have also modernised and are often using ‘jammers’ to compromise the GPS positioning and GSM communications.

Relying on a GSM telematics device for stolen vehicle recoveries is a major risk in South Africa!

The vehicle theft syndicates have matured into highly effective and specialised units with underground bunkers, and can strip your beloved vehicle down to just the chassis within two hours (see photo of a chop-shop above). Not only may the 2G device be outside of coverage, it may also be jammed long before the hijackers stop your vehicle.

Since 2013, we at EWCop have added our DOMCop RF device specifically for stolen vehicle recovery with every telematics

Some 15 years ago, fleet management was considered to be simply vehicle tracking. Since then, however, fleet management functionality has evolved into much more. The FLEETCop software supports maintenance management, fuel management, invoicing, stock and cargo management, route planning, driver abuse and many more advanced features at the same cost of a legacy – ‘just tracking’ – system.

EWCop is the designer and manufacturer of various fleet management and security products. We have been a true technology leader in field fleet management since 2008. *Chris Viljoen, CEO, EWCop, is an electronics engineer and is committed to continuously innovating better and more practical solutions. Email: sales@ewcop.com

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

27

provides the following tools

01

Early warning of perpetrators A number of unique early warning RF devices provide perpetrator detection before the perpetrator can commit the crime. This restricts losses. EWCop has speci�cally designed the following products: FENCECop, WALLCop, DOORCop, SPIDERCop, CABLECop, MAGNOCop, CELLCop, FUELCop,

cable theft solutions

JAMCop and many more, to ensure su�cient early warning noti�cations in order to avoid damage to infrastructure. Kindly note our EWCop sensor does not rely on human intelligence in order to trigger.

After all, the ‘EW’ portion of our name stands for ‘EARLY WARNING’ !

02

Products to protect infrastructure

03

Deterrent technology to chase and mark perpetrators

04

Products ensure accurate and fast reactions

than 800 major high risk sites.

All our products are designed, manufactured and proven in South Africa!

EWCop offers a number of security products to ensure infrastructures are automatically locked and assets are secured, for example: GATECop.

EWCop has specially designed products to ensure accurate and fast response of reaction teams!

05

The EWCop RF system has been successfully proven on more

Ability to track and recover stolen assets If an asset which is �tted with our product is stolen, then such an asset can be located and recovered, with the perpetrators arrested.

sales@ewcop.com

ewcop ensures that assets are protected, recovered where necessary and that thieves are apprehended.

for your site protection toolbox

06

Software to facilitate multiple control rooms Our software is web-based, to allow multiple control rooms to monitor, manage and

The following photos are typical examples of incidents where cable theft have occurred, which is de-risked with CABLECop :

coordinate responses. A primary and secondary control room is important; as ADSL / 3G / LTE backbone communications may fail in any control room. Multiple control rooms allow for better planning and for the detection of a DECOY incident.

07

Management Systems of incidents and follow-up on arrest Our technology is backed by advanced management systems. Our web-based tools include occurrence books, automated event reports, stock management systems, repair management, works order management tools, and �nancial management platforms.

The ‘EVENTS ACKNOWLEDGED REPORT’ measures the response time and comments of the control room operator. The 'OCCURRENCE BOOK' records the comments of the response team and further investigates and categorises all incidents for statistical purposes.

FENCECop and CABLECop are much cheaper than armouring your substation!

www.ewcop.com

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

A global spotlight is being shone on healthcare capabilities and facilities the world over. Beyond this renewed attention, it is also constitutionally mandated that the people of South Africa are provided with a minimum level of care.

A duty of

CARE LESEDI

The primary healthcare facilities in Lesedi Local Municipality are clustered in urban and service centres, while the rural areas are served through mobile units. Primary healthcare is rendered by Gauteng Provincial Health. There are two hospitals in the municipal area, namely the Heidelberg District Hospital, which is a provincial hospital, and the Suikerbosrand Clinic, which is privately owned.

The following are the primary healthcare facilities available in Lesedi Local Municipality, and are run by the municipality, unless otherwise specified: • Rensburg • Ueckerman Street (Gauteng Provincial Government) • Ratanda Ext 7 • Jameson Park

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

• Usizolwethu Devon/Impumelelo (Gauteng Provincial Government) • Vischkuil • Extension 23 Clinic • 3 x mobile clinics (Gauteng Provincial Government) • Ratanda Clinic.

Early childhood development Beyond primary healthcare, other healthrelated matters are of key importance in improving socio-economic outcomes. The leadership of Lesedi Local Municipality and Hollard Trust have committed to partner in developing a strategy for early childhood development (ECD) in the municipality. The aim of the strategy is to improve access to and the quality of ECD services to children in the area.

The quality of life of children up to five years old will be improved through

implementing the Kago-Ya-Bana and SmartStart model for ECD. The ECD project will be rolled out in two phases – the diagnostic phase and the implementation phase. Upon completion of the diagnostic phase, the strategic framework for the implementation phase was developed. The ECD Strategic Plan will be implemented over a three-year period.

According to an audit report compiled

by Hollard Trust, there are about 4 100 children across Lesedi that have access

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE to ECD services. However, there are about 7 700 children that do not have access.

Various other challenges were highlighted in the report, such as: a lack of formal training for ECD practitioners; a highly unfavourable practitioner to child ratio; a lack of compliance in terms of registration; a severe lack of funding for ECD centres; a lack of infrastructure; and a lack of compliance with infrastructure and ECD programme requirements.

Lesedi Local Municipality also runs a day care centre where children up to the age of six who are not attending formal schooling are accommodated. The programme operates every day and the children return to their families in the afternoon. Three balanced meals are provided per day.

Department of Health. The services are being rendered as depicted below. The municipality renders comprehensive primary healthcare service to the community living within its municipal bounds and also ensures that its people have access to personal health services through promotion, prevention, curing and rehabilitation.

Emfuleni Local Municipality renders these services through 18 fixed clinics, of which five are structurally adequate to render a comprehensive primary healthcare core service package. The remaining 13 clinics have structural constraints that prevent comprehensive primary healthcare service delivery or one-stop-shop services as advocated by the National Health Norms and Standards.

Community day care centre for the elderly

Improving primary healthcare

It is not only our children who are vulnerable and need looking after, but also the elderly members of society. Lesedi’s community day care centre for the elderly is used as a service point where provision is made for social, recreation and healthrelated activities in a protective setting for individuals who cannot be left alone during the day due to health and others social needs.

The Department of Social Development’s main mandate is to deal effectively with the plight of older persons by concentrating holistically on their welfare. The department looks into the formulation of policy, funding for such centres and all the activities revolving around elderly persons. Policy implementation and services rendered for older persons is a cross-cutting function and the responsibility of all departments.

EMFULENI Primary healthcare services are currently being rendered by Emfuleni Local Municipality on behalf of the Gauteng

In order to improve primary healthcare in this area, the Gauteng Department of Health is involved in a process aimed at ‘provincialising’ these services. Through this process, it is envisaged that all local clinics would be able to render services meeting the standards of the proposed National Health Insurance, which national government has currently slated for implementation in 2026.

Overcrowding, long queues and compromised infection control become a reality at these facilities. This is due to the challenges alluded to above. The Department of Health has prioritised the upgrading of health facilities to address the structural constraints in health facilities in this area. There is a general concern from the members of public that most of the clinics need to be upgraded and that their working hours be extended to accommodate all patients. There are generally long queues and a shortage of nursing staff in most of those clinics.

In order to help improve levels of care for patients and grow the professional skills of its healthcare workers, Emfuleni Local

Municipality has a service-level agreement with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health wherein the latter provides short courses to the municipality’s primary healthcare staff members.

Primary healthcare facility breakdown The following number of public and private health facilities have been established within the municipal area of jurisdiction: • public hospitals – 4 • public clinics – 26 • private hospitals – 7 • private clinics – 4.

Clinics are located in all the major settlements of Emfuleni, including Sebokeng, Evaton, Roshnee, Sharpeville, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging. Most of these clinics are capable of providing comprehensive primary healthcare services.

The hospitals are located within Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging. Many of these hospitals are located within the central business districts of these settlements. The distribution of these facilities places them in accessible locations throughout Emfuleni.

The Gauteng Provincial Department of Health is responsible for all public hospitals, while the Provincial Department of Health and Emfuleni Local Municipality share the responsibility for clinics and community health centres within the municipal area.

There are two major public hospitals in Emfuleni: the Kopanong Hospital located in Vereeniging, and the Sebokeng Hospital located in Sebokeng. The Sebokeng Hospital does not attend to the primary day-today care of patients, while the Kopanong Hospital provides exactly these services to patients.

As concerns healthcare on a more social level, developments have been undertaken to make progress in this sphere. Two early childhood development (ECD) prototype centres were launched and opened in April

HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE

2019 by the former Gauteng MEC for Health and Social Development. These facilities, located in Evaton West and Bophelong, accommodate both older persons and children, and operate as day care centres.

MIDVAAL South Africa’s National Health Act (No. 61 of 2003) gives guidance and definition to provincial healthcare and municipal health services (MHS). It provides decentralisation and legal structures for the operation of the district health system. In accordance with the Act, Midvaal renders the provision of primary healthcare services on an agency basis.

There are no public or private hospitals in the Midvaal municipal area. Medical care is offered by three public clinics – namely in Meyerton, Randvaal and Kookrus – four mobile clinics, and various private facilities.

High-quality daily care is accessible to all people visiting the public facilities, where healthcare workers aim to work efficiently to optimise the scarce resources available.

Achieving priority goals Within the municipality, there are three healthcare service delivery priorities that are recognised where strong progress has been made. These are: • Elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS – this form of transmission is being reduced in the health facilities.

• Effective treatment of chronic patients by transforming their lives – this results in increased lifespan, and there are fewer defaulters with more patients retained under care.

• Provision of outreach health services to households – such services are key,

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

especially in communities that are suffering from poverty, and are provided through mobile units and door-to-door visits.

Further, the following measures have been identified and taken to improve the performance of the primary healthcare system: 1. Good team spirit among health workers.

2. Provision of health education activities in the facilities.

3. Support from senior managers.

4. Monitoring and evaluation by clinic managers.

As concerns further developments on the infrastructure side of the equation, the Memorandum of Understanding with the Gauteng Provincial Government gave directives for capital projects to be carried out by the provincial sphere of government; therefore, no capital projects were undertaken by the municipality in the last two financial years.

Health inspection The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa defines the provision of MHS (nonpersonal health) as a function of local government in terms of Schedule 4 B. Section 84 of the Municipal Structures Act (No. 117 of 1998) further determines that districts must render MHS for the district as a whole.

The Sedibeng District Municipality resolved to render MHS on an agency basis through a service-level agreement with the respective local municipalities within its area of jurisdiction as from 1 July 2004. Given that MHS is currently either regarded as the same as or part of environmental health services, the World Health Organization perceives environmental health as addressing: “all the physical, chemical and biological factors external to a person and all the related factors impacting behaviours”. Thus, MHS also means the assessment, monitoring, correction, control and prevention of environmental health factors that can adversely affect human health.

The nine elements of MHS as listed in the National Health Act are core functions of the Environmental Health Section and thus form part of its daily routine. The Environmental Health Section is operationally funded by the Sedibeng District Municipality to the amount of R3 081 089. All statistics on the various environmental health elements are compiled in monthly and quarterly reports to the district and local municipalities.

PROFILE

Unlocking the future through education Jengrac Technical College is a private higher education institution that strives to deliver quality training and education at affordable prices.

F

ounded in 2008 by owner Professor CR Mofokeng, Jengrac Technical College (JGC) is headquartered in Vanderbijlpark, with another campus located in Welkom in the Free State.

On establishing JGC, Professor Mofokeng’s vision was to create an institution that would meet industry needs for quality training in various technical fields and swiftly respond to the constantly changing landscape of the job market, while also helping to

cultivate and nurture social development among the people of South Africa.

Offerings JGC offers numerous National Certificate courses up to N6 level, including N3 Technical National Certificates (matric equivalent) to assist students in pursuing further tertiary studies. The courses available open up paths for students to pursue careers within the fields of electrical and mechanical engineering, information technology, business and public management, as well as human resources and marketing, among others.

Accreditation JGC is cognisant of the modern realities of constantly changing workplace

Jengrac Technical

College

AFFORDABLE. ACCESSIBLE. FLEXIBLE.

Engineering Studies N1-N6 Occupa�onal Studies NQD5 Business Studies N4-N6 Informa�on Technology Electrical Engineering N1-N6 Mechanical Engineering N1-N6 Business Management N4-N6

+27 (0)16 931 3013

environments and the shifting expectations of technical proficiencies.

As such, the College has placed significant focus on ensuring compliance with local quality and standards bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training, Umalusi, and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations.

In looking to the future – and with the advent of Industry 4.0, where ICT skills are becoming non-negotiable essentials – JGC is also a member of global ICT skills giants such as CompTIA and the Oracle Academy.

Through corporate social investment initiatives, JGC looks to empower the youth of South Africa through ICT skills development programmes.

Education for all JGC strives to embody the basic conviction of the South African democratic ideal – that individuals be given full opportunity to discover and develop their talents and interests, to pursue their unique potentials and achieve an intellectually, culturally and economically satisfying relationship with society. Such an opportunity should be easily available and readily accessible to all JGC learners.

REGISTER NOW!

Quality assurance and compliance by:

Public Management N4-N6 Management Assistant N4-N6 Occupa�onal Health and Safety NQF6 Social Auxiliary Worker NQF5 Marke�ng Management N4-N6 Educare N4-N6 and many more…

info@jgctechcollege.com

www.jgctechacollege.com

CONSOLIDATE YOUR DATA ONE INTO A SINGLE WEB-PORTAL Do you have disconnected processes and data from installed sensors, PLCs, telemetry systems, and software (SCADA, IMQS, SAP, GIS, ZedNet, SigFox, LoRaWAN, etc.)?

Does each solution, system, or technology operate as standalone systems and have their own separate application?

SSE will provide your a complete holistic solution, from remote sensors to your information portal, for viewing in a single web portal on your device.

FOR ENQUIRIES CONTACT Karin Fouche c: +27 83 259 1936 t: +27 11 663 4331 e: kfouche@sse.co.za sales@sse.co.za

www.sse.co.za

EFFECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGEMENT

Technology, the Enabler for highly efficient infrastructure and service delivery management Municipalities are under immense pressure from the government and public to guarantee transparent and sustainable governance to achieve a high standard of infrastructure and service delivery.

So, how do Municipalities achieve this?

YOU CAN’T MANAGE WHAT YOU DON’T MEASURE! This is where technology is one of the key enablers of effective management and service delivery. Accurate, real-time information provided to all management levels in a municipality is a key enabler for pro-active, re-active and planned programs.

Key deliverables that are a necessity are: - Compliance with government regulations - Improved asset utilization - Effective workforce - Fast and reliable service delivery Best practices with regards to: - Predictive operations - Reliable information systems - Preventative maintenance - Sustainable services - Workforce and task scheduling - Web-based information platforms

management of information on computers, will enable municipal managers with the necessary KPIs, infrastructure status, workflow problems, network and infrastructure efficiency, and other management information for smarter and faster decisions.

It is critical to provide the manager with holistic, reliable and real-time information, available at any time, on a smart device.

How to solve this?

There are municipalities that have already invested a tidy sum of capital in products, solutions, systems, sensors, PLCs, telemetry, and software such as SCADA, IMQS, SAP, GIS, ZedNet, SigFox, etc. Each solution / system / technology operates in silos as standalone systems. The information provided from these various solutions is disconnected, which makes it almost impossible for a manager to correlate data and make holistic business decisions.

It is thus important that the planning, engineering and implementation of technologies is executed correctly.

The Internet of Things (IoT) within the 4th Industrial Revolution is of great benefit to municipalities to re-imagine processes and re-design operations. However, if not correctly engineered and implemented, The problem into a single repository platform, the manager is still left with un-correlated Most municipalities do not start with the end information, which makes decision making goal in mind - eg. “What information is extremely difficult and inaccurate. required to effectively deliver the above mentioned deliverables and practices?”

By implementing Smart City technology accurately accross all levels, from end sensor (monitoring point), through to the

Imagine having a single 100% true web based portal, where all the information is collated and analysed into dashboards that allows the managers to view their KPI’s and allow drill down in the detail data when needed.

No need to wait for other people to get the required information and data.

Specialists to fill the need SSE has over 26 years‘ experience in assisting municipalities (Johannesburg Water, City of Tshwane, eThekwini, Cape Town, PE, etc) with monitoring and control of their water, sewage, electricity and other infrastructures and processes.

SSE developed a single web-based portal where the client can view all the required KPIs, processes and infrastructure monitoring for water, sewage, electricity networks and other data sources. This makes for faster and smarter decision making.

This pure web platform makes it possible to bring data and information from the disconnected processes and applications together into a single portal. The information is combined, analysed and populated into reports and dashboards. No custom software is required on your device to view the information, since it is available through a web browser on your computer, tablet or smart phone, anywhere in the world.

SSE will provide you with a complete holistic solution, from the remote sensor all the way to your information portal, for viewing on your device.

Let SSE assist you to increase your management decision making and provide top service delivery.

Karin Fouche | c: +27 83 259 1936 | t: +27 11 663 4331 | e: sales@sse.co.za

PROFILE

Global expertise goes local As the distributor of Shell Lubricants in the region, Vaal Triangle Lubricants prides itself on delivering excellent service and top quality goods, as well as expert professional advice to its customers.

W

ith in-house lubricants experience totalling over 25 years, it is no surprise that Vaal Triangle Lubricants sells only the best lubricants available on the market. The company’s client base includes service stations, industry, farmers, mines, and various transport and manufacturing companies.

From standard automotive lubricants – such as transmission fluids, engine oils and more – to heavy-duty diesel engine oils, industrial gear oils and greases, Vaal Triangle Lubricants supplies quality products and expert guidance to all its customers, no matter the scale of their needs. Whether customers are single automobile owners or fully fledged cargo and construction fleet managers, the company has the product range and knowledge to ensure their needs are covered.

The building blocks of success Safety and excellence form the cornerstone of the business and fundamental to its success. The company’s approach is built on respect

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

and being consistent in having the know-how to do the right thing.

Behind this know-how is one of the company’s most valuable assets – the energy of its people, who have an unwavering determination to learn and improve. Complementing this humble, people-centred approach, Vaal Triangle Lubricants places an emphasis on developing and deploying the latest technologies and building long-lasting relationships with its customers. The company is committed to making a real difference in providing the energy the world needs today and in the changing world of tomorrow.

The Shell difference As a Shell Lubricants Authorised Distributor, Vaal Triangle Lubricants is also able to draw on the world-leading expertise of Shell.

However, going even further, Shell

SA has provided the end consumer with its own convenient value-added online service, in the form of Shell LubeMatch (lubematch.shell.co.za).

This is a free online service (maintained by Shell SA) that allows customers to match the correct lubrication to their vehicle and equipment.

The service is quick and easy to use: by following the onscreen prompts and selecting their vehicle or equipment type, make or model, Shell LubeMatch generates an instant report for users, recommending the best suited lubricant to help vehicles and equipment run efficiently and maintain operational stability.

Using the best suited lubricant not only protects and prolongs the life of equipment, but it can also help save on maintenance and fuel costs. For more information on the products recommended

by Shell LubeMatch, contact Vaal Triangle Lubricants today.

TOURISM

Unleashing the Vaal’s

tourism potential The Vaal region has a number of areas with intrinsic potential for tourism, such as Suikerbosrand, the Vaal Dam, areas along the Vaal River, and numerous other historical sites.

T

o unlock and maximise the tourism potential, a Tourism Development Strategy for the area was developed and adopted, and tourism principles, programmes and projects were encapsulated in the Sedibeng Growth and Development Strategy. The tourism strategies have the following goals: • Develop a common understanding of the tourism industry, defining the roles and the responsibilities of government in particular and the broader stakeholder groups, in growing the tourism industry in Sedibeng.

• Develop and formulate strategies to be implemented by each stakeholder group in relation to their respective roles, taking the strengths and weaknesses of the Sedibeng tourism sector into consideration.

• Build the capacity of the three major stakeholder groupings (government, private sector and community) to grow tourism and subsequently economic and job opportunities.

In order to realise these objectives, various key performance areas have been identified.

These are: tourism policy, strategy, regulations,

monitoring and evaluation; tourism institutional arrangements; tourism demand: destination marketing; and tourism supply: product and skills development.

Further, Sedibeng District Municipality has embarked on a major drive to promote and develop the tourism industry in the region as a direct result of the decline in economic activity in the steel and related sectors of the region. Special emphasis is being placed on the development of township tourism.

Tourism potential The Sedibeng region – with its diverse tourism offerings, embedded in rich cultural and natural heritage products – has the potential to grow into a major tourism destination. The Sedibeng district has been classified as an area with above-average tourism potential, which is based on the following: • natural resources • cultural heritage resources • scenic attractions • close proximity to Johannesburg and major travelling routes • proximity to markets and airports

• strong infrastructure • inland water resources • tertiary education facilities • quality medical facilities.

Sedibeng has numerous competitive advantages over nearby districts, which include accommodation ranging from four-star hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfast establishments, tented camps and backpackers, to houseboats and resorts. The establishments catering for every taste and activity, including corporate events, weddings, fine dining, township experiences and casino gaming.

Breakdown According to the municipality’s 2019/20 IDP, there are 47 graded establishments in the region and 202 non-graded establishments.

Approximately 4 785 beds (1 473 graded and 3 312 non-graded), ranging from luxury to budget accommodation, are on offer to tourists. Of the 78 conference and function venues with capacities to cater for 20 to 4 000 pax, 68 are also wedding venues and 28 are party venues. There are

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

37

TOURISM

humorously called ‘Vegas on Vaal’. Alternatively, you can opt to stay on a houseboat and guide yourself on a cruise down the Vaal River.

Vaal River Meander Wine Route

11 cruises and houseboats, including two houseboats for visitors to hire as an alternative accommodation option. There are around 100 restaurants in the region and 47 registered taverns.

There are 34 active art and crafters, while seven markets are listed on the tourism database, which are open every weekend or on specific recurring days. Those looking to be pampered can make use of the area’s 31 day spas. There are also nine golf courses located in Sedibeng, along with 27 sport stadiums and facilities.

There is a comprehensive database of blackowned tourism products and businesses in the region, which total 194. Finding these should be a breeze with Sedibeng’s 26 tour operators and two registered tourist guides, as well as seven tourism associations.

Read on for a taste of what visitors to Sedibeng can expect!

Vaal Dam Situated 77 km south of Johannesburg, the Vaal Dam is South Africa’s second biggest dam by area and fourth largest by volume. It has more than 800 km of shoreline, spans three provinces – Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State – and is a favoured destination for water sport enthusiasts. It’s one of the most popular inland water tourist attractions in South Africa.

Construction on the dam began in the early 1930s and was completed in 1938. The water level was raised in the early 1950s and again

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REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

in the mid-1980s. The Vaal Dam now has a full supply capacity of about 2 500 million m3 of the country’s cleanest water, which the dam receives from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project via the Wilge River.

When looking for water-related things to do in Gauteng, then this is the place to go to, with sports here including boating, water skiing and swimming. There are a number of yacht clubs and two marinas. The dam has its own island, which hosts the annual Round the Island race – holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest inland yacht race. Other world-class boating events on the dam include Keelboat Week and the Bayshore 200 km jet ski race. The largest town on the Vaal Dam is Deneysville in the Free State.

The region boasts numerous great options when it comes to accommodation in Gauteng, including Southern Sun’s Riverside Lifestyle Resort and the Emerald Resort & Casino –

Wine lovers with a taste for adventure should not miss out on the Vaal River Meander Wine Route – Gauteng’s very own wine route – with superb wine tasting during the winter months every year. Showcasing wines from premier South African wine estates this ‘Winter Wine Fest’ is different from all other wine routes in South Africa, in offering a number of unique ways to travel between wine venues. It should be on every connoisseur’s to-do list!

The route provides pleasant and charming relief during the winter months. Choose your mode of transport between venues: vintage cars, luxury cruisers, water taxis, land taxis, mini-bus or use your own car. The Vaal River Meander Wine Route can be combined with luxurious stay-overs courtesy of local accommodation, visits to spas, and top restaurants along the Vaal River. With so much to do, best make a weekend of it.

The route includes more than a dozen venues where guests are invited to taste wines. You can tailor your experience to suit your taste – whether you enjoy sipping wine on the patio of a luxury hotel with nothing but the sound of nature, or next to a fireplace in a cosy river pub.

Emfuleni Golf Estate Situated on the banks of the Vaal River, Emfuleni Golf Estate is a breath of fresh air, and only a 45-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg. Pristine grounds offer the perfect getaway amid tranquil riverside scenery. Golfers will want to try out the classic parklands course established over 50 years ago.

For those who are not golfing, there are also boating, fishing, tennis and braai facilities. A modern shopping centre and gym are nearby, and the Emerald Resort & Casino is only 2 km away.

Stylish river-view accommodation is available at the small Emfuleni lodge, and guests at the lodge enjoy access to the river, golf course and day spa.

TOURISM

Emerald Resort & Casino On the banks of the Vaal River, guests can enter a world where business meets pleasure at the Emerald Casino & Resort – full of exciting entertainment and family-friendly activities.

Beyond the bright lights of the casino, there are plenty of activities for a fun-filled family holiday, including the Aquadome water park, Animal World Zoo, adventure golf, rock climbing, fishing, bowling and the Emerald African Spa. The resort has taken advantage of its location on the banks of the Vaal River to venture into nature conservation. Visitors can take a break from the gaming tables and slot machines to indulge in the beautiful surrounds, enjoying a game drive through the Animal World Game Park with its giraffes, zebras and ostriches, or marvelling at the 500 different animals – including exotic birds, reptiles and marine life – housed at the Animal World Zoo. Kids will love the Aquadome – an indoor, climate-controlled pool with a waterslide – and will have fun exploring a shipwreck and swimming in six different heated pools. There is also a baby pool to cater for smaller kids’ water entertainment.

Other child-friendly activities include the Kidzone, where trained childcare professionals lead fun interactive activities for children aged 4 to 12. There’s also the Party Zone, which offers themed kids’ birthday parties.

Leisure and sport activities on offer at Emerald Resort & Casino include indoor rock climbing, 10-pin bowling, adventure golf, and beach volleyball on the banks of the river.

There is a broad choice of accommodation, including the 186-room Emerald Hotel, the spacious timber-built self-catering safari lodges, a caravan park, and the River Resort,

which consists of self-catering chalets that look out over the waterway. For an extra special treat, it is also possible to rent a houseboat on the Vaal River.

The Emerald Resort & Casino also has ample conference facilities with three conference venues that accommodate up to 200 people.

Bass Lake Bass Lake is a large, spring-fed body of water, with depths of up to 25 m, located in Meyerton, about 60 km south of Johannesburg. The lake is frequently used by scuba diving schools because of its varying depths, which make it a perfect location for learners and experts alike.

Although water-based activities are the main attraction at Bass Lake, there are also various land-based activities to be enjoyed on the 75 ha estate that surrounds the lake.

These include mountain biking, archery, hiking and birdwatching. One of the most popular activities at Bass Lake is the 4x4 training course, which teaches drivers to tackle even the most difficult off-road routes with ease.

Bass Lake also has conferencing facilities that include an intimate ‘bush’ facility (it can accommodate up to 32 people) and a large conference hall (seating between 100 and 220 people). It is also possible to stay overnight. Guests can choose from backpacker accommodation in basic twoperson, A-frame tents fitted with single beds, or the more upscale and spacious tented accommodation with double beds and ensuite bathrooms. Visitors can eat meals or order takeaways, drinks and snacks at Gecko’s, which overlooks the lake.

Content credit: Gauteng Tourism Authority

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

39

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

IFC, 17

Absolute Lubricants

27

SIYAZI Operations Management (Pty) Ltd

Jengrac Technical College (Pty) Ltd

33

Specialist System Engineering (Pty) Ltd

Quantibuild (Pty) Ltd

REBIRTH OF THE VAAL

OBC, 12

EWC Vehicle Communications (Pty) Ltd T/A EWCop

Plan Associates Development Planners (Pty) Ltd

40

RE-SOLVE Consulting (Pty) Ltd

2

TCS Online Ltd

6

Vaal Triangle Lubricants (Gauteng) (Pty) Ltd

11, 22 34

21, 40

IBC, 36

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