 | Drakenstein Municipality pulls out all stops to host successful Presidential Imbizo
26 May 2023 | Press Releases |
Drakenstein
Municipality was the selected venue for the sixth Presidential
DDM (District Development Model) Imbizo that took place in the Western Cape
last week.Working together with National Government, Western Cape Government and Cape Winelands District Municipality colleagues, Drakenstein Municipality flew the region's flag high and pulled out all stops to ensure that President Cyril Ramaphosa and his high-level delegation received red-carpet treatment - from the moment they arrived until they left the municipal area's borders.
From making sure that Paarl's Dal Josaphat Athletics Stadium is in tip-top shape as the primary hosting venue, to showcasing local rieldans talent, right up to ensuring excellent traffic flow until the last vehicle had left, Drakenstein Municipality put its best foot forward to welcome the President and his delegation of national ministers and other senior office bearers to Drakenstein.
“We can be truly proud of the way everyone pulled together to make the President's visit a highly successful event – especially from an operational and logistical perspective," said Alderman Gert Combrink, Acting Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality. “We have received extremely positive feedback from all spheres of government, and our local community, for the way in which the Imbizo was organised. A special word of thanks and appreciation goes to all our officials and members of the community who ensured that the Presidential delegation experienced a warm welcome and true Drakenstein hospitality."
Approximately 4 000 residents from towns within the various Cape Winelands municipalities – from Ceres, Tulbagh, Robertson, Montagu, Worcester, to Paarl and Stellenbosch – travelled to the Dal Josaphat Athletics Stadium on Friday, 19 May 2023, to raise their concerns and listen to the President, national ministers, and Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.
Brightening up the stage, the Nederburg Vastrappers from the Nederburg Primary School in Paarl East impressed the Presidential delegation with their energetic rieldans moves and fancy footwork. Established in 2018, the Nederburg Vastrappers started with a single team. Since then, they have grown to include four teams who participate in competitions to gain experience and hone their dancing skills. On 14 May 2023, they hosted their first and very successful Rieldans Festival, in which eight teams participated. On 9 September 2023, they will be hosting their second festival.
The Presidential visit on Friday, 19 May 2023, included a visit to the Vlakkeland Catalytic Human Settlement Development between Paarl and Wellington, the largest public housing development ever undertaken within Drakenstein Municipality. Here President Ramaphosa handed over the keys to a two-bedroom house to the 70-year-old Johanna Buys, daughter of the late Kathleen Gabriels. Ms Gabriels had applied for housing in 2000, but sadly passed away on 14 September 2022 before her new house was built. Mrs Buys will live in the house on Erf 37530, which has been made wheelchair friendly, with her wheelchair-bound spouse, Johannes Buys.
Earlier on the same day Mr Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade and Industry, took a closer look at local craftmanship when he visited a factory in Paarl that has been kitting out professional sports teams and supporters for over two decades. Established in 1995 by the late Lionel Gericke, Genuine Connection Promotions employs over 200 staff members in its manufacturing, administrative and marketing departments. They annually produce between 300 000 and 400 000 garments. It was an especially proud moment for Lionel's wife, Janette Hilton-Gericke, the current owner and CEO of the business, to hand over a personalised DHL Stormers jersey, as well as the green-and-gold kit in which the national netball team will be competing in the upcoming 2023 Netball World Cup, to the President later during the day's proceedings.
As part of the Imbizo, representatives from Drakenstein Municipality's Engineering Services Department also hosted Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga, National Minister of Transport, at the Oosbosch Street Upgrade Project in Paarl. This project includes the first-ever-in-Africa underground housing of traffic signalling equipment to prevent theft and vandalism, which the Minister was particularly impressed with and said she was considering rolling out in metros countrywide. For more on this project, click on this informative video (with before and after drone footage) or read here.
Issued by: Communication and Marketing, Drakenstein Municipality
