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A PRIVILEGE OF SERVICE, A LEGACY OF PARTNERSHIP

As I conclude my second consecutive term as Executive Mayor of the Overberg District Municipality, I do so with deep gratitude and a profound sense of privilege. Serving the people of the Overberg has been one of the greatest honours of my life.

This has never been the work of one person or one office. Over the past five years, councillors from the DA, ANC, VF+ and GOOD have worked together across political differences, united by our responsibility to the district and its communities. I thank every councillor for that spirit of cooperation, and the Municipal Manager, management team and officials for their dedication, professionalism and steady service.

The achievements of this term are reflected in the Municipality’s five-year record. Our work has spanned the essential responsibilities of a district municipality: supporting local municipalities, coordinating services, protecting public health, preparing for emergencies and maintaining infrastructure that connects communities and sustains the regional economy.

Our Roads Services teams have maintained more than 5,000 kilometres of roads annually. These efforts help preserve access to homes, schools, farms, businesses and essential services across a vast district. The Municipality has also worked with provincial and local partners on road projects, recognising that safe, reliable routes are vital to the Overberg’s people and economy.

We have invested in the district’s environmental future too. The R63.5 million upgrade underway at the Karwyderskraal Regional Landfill includes a new disposal cell, an expanded composting area and access-road improvements. The project is designed to strengthen regional waste-management capacity and extend the facility’s service life.

Across the term, Municipal Health Services continued its work to safeguard communities through food-premises inspections, water-quality monitoring and environmental health interventions. The recent Silver award for the Municipal Health Transformation Project is a welcome recognition of the department’s efforts to modernise services, strengthen compliance and community health protection, and create sustainable employment opportunities.

Disaster Risk Management has also been central to our service. Working with local municipalities, emergency services and other partners, the Municipality has coordinated responses to fires, floods and other emergencies, while strengthening preparedness and public awareness. Our social development programmes have supported youth skills, community resilience and vulnerable groups, including through initiatives addressing gender-based violence and substance use. Our records indicate more than 200 EPWP work opportunities created over the term, alongside the Municipality’s wider regional-development and tourism support.

Sound financial management and responsible stewardship of public resources have been important foundations for our work. Over the period, the Municipality sustained favourable audit outcomes, including six consecutive clean audits. These outcomes reflect strong internal controls, compliance with financial regulations and credible financial reporting. I am proud of the collective effort behind this record, also recognised by Standard Bank’s certificate for the Municipality’s 2024/2025 MFMA Clean Audit Status.

To the residents of the Overberg: thank you for your trust, your participation and the many ways you have contributed to our district. Public service is strongest when communities are heard and when government works with them. I encourage you to remain engaged, to hold your leaders to account and to keep contributing your ideas and energy to the future of this region.

To the next Council and leadership, I offer my sincere, best wishes. Build on the progress made, keep working across differences, and remember that the purpose of every plan and every institution is to improve the lives of the people we serve. The Overberg has great strengths, and its future will be shaped by continued cooperation, responsible leadership and care for our communities and environment.

I leave office thankful for the opportunity to serve and confident in the dedication of the people who will carry this work forward. It has been a singular honour to serve the Overberg.

Issued by:

Alderman Andries “Sakkie” Franken
Executive Mayor
OVERBERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

28/10/2026