The Speaker's Opening Speech to the Council

We are fast approaching the final quarter of the year and we have much to do still.

Our administration is stable and service delivery continues, but we are always wanting to improve on our effectiveness.

Building better communities together!

We are also enhancing our public participation and constant engagement with our residents and various stakeholders across our municipal area, to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

I want to encourage ward councillors to hold regular feedback meetings with their residents as required by you.

On 9 August, we celebrated Women’s Day as we paid tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women. While we remember and celebrate their sacrifice and bravery, we must now, as men, stand up against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and femicide.

We must ensure that in our administration our female staff are treated with respect and are free from abuse and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Therefore, I would also like to encourage the female councillors to attend the Women’s Day function which is organised for all the ladies of Theewaterskloof Municipality.

Let us work harder to make Theewaterskloof a place of hope and opportunity for all our residents and let us create greater opportunities for our youth so that they can realise their hopes, dreams and aspirations.

I thank you.

Derick Appel

Speaker