Covid-19 Lockdown: Message from the CEO
Dear Stakeholder,
At this time in which the Covid-19 pandemic is disrupting the lives of all South Africans, Gamtoos Irrigation Board would like to reassure our stakeholders that we are working hard to support and protect our water users and communities during the national lockdown.
Ensuring the continuous supply of water is critical for supporting agricultural food production and in helping our communities to maintain good hygiene in fighting this Coronavirus.
As an essential service, we will have skeleton teams available to attend to anything that might disrupt the water supply. All non-essential staff members will remain at home for the duration of the lockdown period.
The welfare of our people is our primary concern and the most important thing is to make sure everyone behaves responsibly in keeping our staff and communities safe.
To this end, we have held open sessions to help our personnel understand the situation and to hear their concerns. We have also set up WhatsApp groups with all staff to share any work and health-related information.
For the communities of Hankey and Patensie, who have experienced water cuts as the result of water rationing, we have consulted with the Kouga Municipality to lift this rationing. As of Friday, March 20, the water supply to these communities will remain uninterrupted until the end of the lockdown period.
As you know, the level of the Kouga Dam is currently at 16%, so we ask all consumers to use enough water to wash their hands and keep their homes and selves clean and sanitary, but not to waste this precious resource.
We are all in this together.
Wishing you good health,
Rienette Colesky
Chief Executive Officer
Gamtoos Irrigation Board
Geagte Belanghebbende,
Terwyl die Covid-19-pandemie tans alle Suid-Afrikaners se lewens in oproer het, wil die Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad alle belanghebbendes daarvan verseker dat ons hard aan die werk is om ons waterverbruikers en gemeenskappe te ondersteun en beskerm tydens die nasionale afsondering en inperking.
Dit is van kardinale belang om die voortdurende toevoer van water tydens voedselproduksie te verseker en sodoende landbou te ondersteun. Dit stel ons ook in staat om ons gemeenskappe te help om goeie higiëne in die bestryding van die Coronavirus te handhaaf.
Omdat ons ‘n noodsaaklike diens is, sal ons kernpersoneel beskikbaar stel om hand by te sit indien enige iets die watertoevoer ontwrig. Alle nie-noodsaaklike personeel sal tuis bly vir die duur van die afsonderingsperiode.
Die welstand van ons mense is ons top-prioriteit en die belangrikste taak is om te verseker dat almal hul verantwoordelik gedra om ons personeel en ons gemeenskap veilig te hou.
Na kennisname van die afsonderingsperiode het ons ope vergaderings belê om ons personeel te help om die situasie beter te verstaan en om na hul bekommernisse te luister. Ons het ook vir personeel verskeie groepe op WhatsApp geskep sodat werks- en gesondheidsverwante inligting vrylik gedeel kan word.
Vir die gemeenskappe van Hankey en Patensie wat waterbesnoeiing ondervind het as gevolg van rantsoenering, het ons die Kouga-munisipaliteit geraadpleeg om hierdie rantsoenering te beëindig. Vanaf Vrydag 20 Maart sal die watertoevoer na hierdie gemeenskappe ononderbroke bly tot aan die einde van die afsonderingsperiode.
Soos aan julle bekend, staan die watervlak van die Kouga-dam tans op 16%. Daarom vra ons verbruikers om water spaarsamig te gebruik om hul hande te was en om hul huise en hulself skoon en higiënies te hou, maar nie om hierdie kosbare hulpbron te vermors nie.
Ons staan almal saam in hierdie landswye noodtoestand.
Ek wens julle goeie gesondheid toe.
Rienette Colesky
Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte
Gamtoos-Besproeiingsraad