GENERAL VALUATION ROLL OF SITE AND IMPROVEMENTS

In terms of the provisions of Section 69 of the Local Authorities Act, No 23 of 1992, as amended, notice is hereby given that the Provisional General Valuation Roll 2010 of site and improvements in respect of all rateable property situated within the Swakopmund Municipal Area lies open for inspection during ordinary office hours as from 7:30 until 16:30 at the municipal Head Office, Room 7 (Finance Department), for a period of 21 days from Friday,
14 May 2010.
 
Objections against any of these valuations in the roll should be lodged with the Chief Executive Officer in writing on the prescribed form available in Room 7 (Finance Department), on or before Friday, 04 June 2010 and must state the grounds on which the objections will be lodged.
 
A Valuation Court will be held at the Magistrate’s Office, Swakopmund, on Monday, 21 June 2010 at 14:00 to consider the roll and the written objections lodged.  The objector or duly authorised representatives should be present at the Valuation Court Hearing.

Notice No:  56/2010  

M P C Swarts
GM: CORPORATE SERVICES

MUNICIPALITY SCOOPS PMR AWARDS

At the recently held PMR award ceremony the Swakopmund Municipality scooped the golden arrow PMR Africa award for its contribution towards economic growth and development of the country. Swakopmund was also awarded with a further six silver arrows awards in the following categories:

• To Fight Crime - Excellent - 2nd Overall
• To develop and enhance infrastructure - Excellent - 2nd Overall
• For job creation - Excellent - 2nd Overall
• To attract foreign investment - Excellent - 2nd Overall
• To attract Tourism - Excellent - 2nd Overall
• For being the cleanest - Excellent - 2nd Overall

The purpose of the awards is to enhance excellence in industry and to set a benchmark in industry and represents competitiveness, effectiveness, excellence, leadership, resilience and indicate customer service and customer satisfaction.

Her Worship the Mayor Germina Shitaleni and the Chief Executive Officer, Eckart Demasius proudly received this year’s awards on behalf of Council at the ceremony in Windhoek. Swakopmund has been a regular recipient of PMR Africa awards in various categories in the past.

ADVERTISING SIGNS AUDIT

All residents of Swakopmund, especially the business community are kindly requested to take note of an audit which is currently being conducted regarding the display of advertising signs. Site inspections will be done later during the year in order to determine whether the displays of the following signs were approved by Council:

ENCROACHMENTS (meaning signs that encroach onto municipal pavements; or hang over municipal pavements), can be categorized as follows:

• Signs fixed against the property boundary or cantilever overhead signs which might only be applied for in the name of a locally registered business.
• Advertising Stands (fixed), such as covered permanent notice boards for estate agents).
• A-Frame Mobile Advertising Signs / Feather Benders / Teardrops (only one sign per locally registered business is allowed.) The maximum size of an A-frame sign is 750mm high by 400mm wide and these may only be placed directly in front of the business premises of the applicant, in such a way as not to be an obstacle for pedestrians.
• Road Traffic Signs (tourist information signs and directional signs which are anchored on municipal pavements). A maximum of three signs per facility / institution is allowed provided that the conditions as contained in the Advertisement Policy. An annual maintenance fee is applicable.

Applications for the above signs must be submitted on the prescribed application form which is available at the Engineering Services Department. Subject to approval of the above signs, a lease agreement is entered into by and between the Municipality and the applicant whereby Council is indemnified of any claims for damages which may arise from these signs and an annual rental fee is payable. Should you have any of the above signs which were not approved by the Engineering services Department, you are kindly requested to submit an application on the prescribed form. In terms of Council’s advertising policy, in addition to the above, the following signs are allowed within the local authority area of Swakopmund (summarized):

Advertising Signs at the Town Entrances

Detailed applications for advertising signs at the entrance to town must be submitted to Council for approval of the sign as well as the position thereof.  These signs must be environmentally orientated.

Bed and Breakfast / Accommodation Facilities

Only registered facilities are allowed to advertise on one of the external walls of the facility (not the boundary wall).  Advertisements on erf boundary walls are not allowed.

Temporary Signs

Written applications will be considered by the Advertising Committee.

NEW APOSTOLIC CHURCH DONATES TO THE NEEDY

The New Apostolic church in Tamariskia organized a friendship walk which coincided with a fundraising event. Evangelist Jonathan Mukelabai indicated that the friendship walk was in preparation of the internal gathering of the church to be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa in May 2010. Enthusiastic church members participated in the friendship walk which took place on 13 February 2010.

Participants assembled at the church and walked all the way to the DRC whilst members were tasked with a responsibility to collect sponsorships from their families and friends for their efforts. The friendship walk managed to raise N$2 464.50 which was donated in equal proportions to the Erongo House of Safety and the DRC Community Project.

The Erongo House of Safety is an orphanage catering in vulnerable children of the entire Erongo Region whilst the DRC Community Project provides a soup kitchen feeding about 150 vulnerable persons daily. Councilor Priscilla Kavita and Pastor Ruben Petrus received the donation on behalf of the Erongo House of Safety and the DRC Community Project respectively. ‘The world will definitely be a better place for all of us to live in if we all employ a culture of care and giving to the vulnerable members of our respective communities’, said Evangelist Jonathan Mukelabai.

EXEMPTION TO PAY RATES

The Local Authorities Act 23 of 1992 makes provision for local authorities to exempt certain organisations and institutions from paying assessment rates provided that such entities conform to the provisions of the Act.

The Act caters for the following organisations or institutions and they are required to submit the required application form on or before 31 May in the year immediately preceding the financial year to which the application relates:

• Churches, missions, hospitals, schools or hostels which is not managed for profit or gain; amateur sporting organizations (from which no licensed trade is carried on. If a licensed trade is carried on, the area used for that purpose will be assessed separately for the account of the applicant).
• State-aided institutions or institutions aided by any charitable institution.

The above institutions and organizations are requested to submit their applications for the exemption from the payment of assessment rates to Council before the deadline.

The prescribed application forms can be obtained from Mr Ben Shigwedha, Room 31, at the Main Municipal Office Building in Daniel Tjongarero Street, Swakopmund; or can be downloaded from the Municipal Website:  www.swkmun.com.na.

The closing date for submission of applications is Monday, 31 May 2009.  Please note that no late applications can be considered in terms of the Local Authorities Act.

SERVICING OF INDUSTRIAL ERVEN

The servicing of land is a capital-intensive process and it is always prudent for Council to ascertain the interest of the public before embarking on the process.

Swakopmund is expanding rapidly and Council is obliged to make land available for development purposes.

The area between the existing industrial area and the Swakopmund Airfield, adjacent to the B2 main road was identified through the Master Development Plan as suitable for light industries due to its strategic location (see map below).

Council intends to determine the public’s need for industrial erven and all interested parties are requested to express their interest in writing.

Interested parties must express their interest in writing to the Corporate Officer: Properties not latter than Friday, 19 March 2010 (12:00) at P O Box 53, Swakopmund, Fax 088 614 514, Email sbruwer@swkmun.com.na.

For further inquires contact Ms S Bruwer at 064-4104219. Depending on the interest shown, the erven will be ready for sale before the end of 2011.

NEW UNIFORM FOR TRAFFIC

The Swakopmund Municipal Traffic has adopted a new uniform.  The new uniform was inaugurated during December 2009 with amid a lot of fanfare and camaraderie marching through the street of Swakopmund. The Municipal Traffic Officers where joined by their comrades-in-arms responsible for law enforcement i.e. the Namibian Police and Navy.

The navy blue colour for the new uniform was choosen after consultation with other major municipalities with a view to achieve uniformity as far as the dress code for municipal traffic officer is concerned. Our next door neighbours Walvis Bay will soon join us with similar uniforms for Traffic Officers. The new uniform will certainly boast the morale of our officers and will improve their visibility on the streets.
 
Meanwhile, Council recently approved a new booking system for NaTIS in order to improved service delivery to the residents after realizing that the previous system was inadequate to address the increasing number of people visiting NaTIS offices to obtain licenses. The booming mining industry has contributed to the high demand for drivers licenses since licenses are required for most mining jobs. Bookings will now be done on Mondays and Wednesdays whilst tests will be done on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays afternoons.

It has been realized that many people just make bookings for Learners’ and Drivers’ licenses but fail to turn up for testing and in the process deprive others the opportunity to be tested. In order to address the situation and to ensure that those who made bookings honour their commitments, Council has approved the payment of a non-refundable booking fee for all Learners’ and Drivers’ licenses bookings (see table on the right). The following charges are applicable: Learners’ Drivers’ licenses (Application N$45.00, Issuing N$35.00), Drivers’ license (Application N$110.00, Issuing N$150.00), Road Worthy certificates (Application N$100.00, Issuing N$30.00).

COUNCIL RE-AFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT

“The Municipality of Swakopmund recommits itself to provide quality, effective and affordable services to its residents and visitors”. This was said recently by Her Worship the Mayor,  Councillor Germina Shitaleni during the first Council meeting of 2010. She re-affirmed the commitment of the Municipality of Swakopmund to forge ahead with development aimed at creating future prosperity and the utilization of available funds to provide a conducive environment in which a better life for all can be assured.

“We, as a Municipality, believe we are firmly on track as we are continuously striving to be the service provider of choice as far as successful service delivery to our residents and the thriving local business sector is concerned”, said the Mayor.

Turning to the issues of alcoholism and drug abuse, the Mayor expressed concern with the alarming rate of drug abuse and stated that it contributes to the increase in crime, spread of HIV infections and teenage pregnancies. The Mayor appealed to the youth to refrain from substance abuse and to concentrate on activities that are constructive and will contribute positively to their lives and future.

“Experience has shown that successfully combating the alcohol problem requires the application of three complementary elements. These are reduction through law enforcement, demand reduction through prevention strategies and harm reduction through treatment and social support. I would like to take this opportunity to applaud our country’s law enforcement agencies in their role in fighting alcohol abuse in our town”, commented the Mayor.

Swakopmund’s future looks very bright. It is experiencing steady growth in the residential and commercial sector. Efforts by Council to make Swakopmund the ultimate holiday and investment destination is yielding positive results and has attracted a wide range of quality commercial and residential opportunities. The recent extension and opening of uranium mines has opened the town to a huge range of business and investment possibilities. Retail investors have injected millions of dollars into  the business sector with the revamped Pick ‘n Pay and the building of a new Spar shopping complex in Ocean View as proof thereof.

WHEELCHAIRS FOR THE SWAKOPMUND STATE HOSPITAL

The Mayor of Swakopmund Her Worship, Councilor Germina Ndapua Shitaleni visited the Swakopmund State Hospital recently and observed the poor conditions of the wheelchairs that are being used to assist patients. Based on this observation, the Mayor requested Council to donate three (3) wheelchairs to the Swakopmund State Hospital as part of Council’s social responsibility .

The hand over ceremony of the wheelchairs was held on 05 November 2009 and attended by, amongst others, Honorable Dr Richard Ncabi Kamwi, Minister of Health and Social Services, Governor of Erongo Region Mr Samuel Nuuyoma, Councilors and staff members of the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

Her Worship, the Mayor, Councilor Germina Ndapua Shitaleni stated that she believes that it is a God-given responsibility to take care of each other and especially the vulnerable members of our society. She also requested the staff members of the Swakopmund State Hospital to take good care of the wheelchairs and report any irregular activities if they observe any. In conclusion she expressed gratitude towards the benefactors of the Mayoral Development Fund for their contribution and support.

REGULATIONS RELATING TO PARKS, JETTY, MOLE AND BEACH AREA

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