REPORT BY CHAIRMAN: 2020

  1. Feedback to Members. During 2020 the committee provided feedback to members after each committee meeting.  This feedback was replaced by a monthly newsletter from September 2020.  Therefore, the Annual Report by the Chairman is merely a brief summary of activities as reported.
  2. Planning Approach. The committee embarked on a new approach for future planning by identifying the most precious assets of Cannon Rocks and focus/route/prioritise resources to maintain these assets.  Once the assets have been identified, individual projects will be developed for implementation and or maintenance thereof.  Projects may be developed as new, ongoing (maintenance) or recurring projects, for long (three to five years), medium (one to two years) and or short (one year) terms respectively.  The philosophy behind the approach will allow individuals, groups and or structured organisations within Cannon Rocks to associate themselves with some of these projects and allocate resources to selected projects within the parameters of their own constitution (structured organisations) or modus operandi (individual/groups).
  3. Traffic Signage. Following from various complaints/enquiries received from the community regarding a newly erected three-way stop and missing or damaged traffic signage.  Kandile, the Chief Traffic Officer and Me. Mase-Mafele visited Cannon Rocks in March 2020.  The Chief Traffic Officer advised that new traffic signage can only be erected with the prior approval of a duly authorised municipal official.  However, replacement of missing or damaged traffic signage is regarded as maintenance.
  4. Website. Cannon Rocks Rate Payers Association (CRRA) and the proprietor owner of an existing website will use the new website jointly and will host, amongst others, a dedicated section for use by CRRA.   This website will replace the previous website which is no longer active.

Name of the website – Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Seaside village.

Address to the website – www.cannonrocks.com.

Google search engine – Cannon Rocks, Eastern Cape, South Africa, Seaside village.

The website will host a menu of pages namely; Home, Cannon Rocks Ratepayers, Gallery, Accommodation, Services Rendered, Kite Surfing, News and Contact us.

  1. Responsibility of Cleaning Verges. Property owners are reminded that the regular cleaning of the verge(s) between their property and the street, remain their responsibility irrespective whether it is a vacant or a build-up erf.  Therefore, it cannot be expected or requested to be cleaned by municipal workers.
  2. Street Numbering. An application for approval of both the street names of the new extension at Cannon Rocks and the allocation of street addresses to erven in both the new extension and the old Cannon Rocks, was approved at a Ndlambe Council meeting in August 2020.  Since September both the ERF Description (erf number) as well as the new street address is captured on the monthly municipal tax invoice/statements.  To eliminate any possible confusion, residents and property owners are requested to replace their existing street address with the new street address number as soon as possible, but not later than January 2021
  3. Refuse Bags. Household refuse bags are deposited at blue rubbish bins as well on the sidewalks in Cannon Rocks by residents/visitors.  These refuse bags attract dogs, birds and other wild animals, leaving the area messy.  House owners are requested to place household rubbish bags out on Mondays for collection, alternatively to take them to the rubbish skips in Galjoen Street.  Where homes are let out to visitors, owners to ensure that the visitors take their rubbish to the skips, should they leave on any day other than a Monday.
  4. Electricity Supply to Reverse Osmosis. The possibility to exclude the Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plant at Cannon Rocks from ESKOM load shedding, was investigated.  The chairman was informed by the Eskom Area Maintenance Manager, that the RO plant at Cannon Rocks as well as the township, is supplied from the same electricity sub-station that load shedding is controlled from, and it is therefore not possible to isolate the electricity supply to the RO plant from the supply to Cannon Rocks.  Unfortunately, application to exempt the electricity supply to the RO plant from load shedding will therefore not be possible.
  5. Water Project. During February 2019 the Augmentation of Alexandria Bulk Water Supply project was temporarily stopped due to objections based on environmental concerns.  Since February 2019 these concerns were addressed and approval was granted for the continuation of the project.  At the end of October/beginning of November 2020, the project resumed by locating the exact location of the existing brine pipe line.  This phase of the project includes the erection of a building structure for the new Reverse Osmoses RO plant as well as the installation of the new plant, installation of a second brine pipe line to accommodate the new RO plant, and the incorporation of five new boreholes to the water supply system.  The project is anticipated to be completed by the middle of March 2021.
  6. Dune Encroachment. The application for authorisation in terms of Section 24 of the National Environmental Management Act, Act 107 of 1998 as amended to undertake activities listed in terms of the 2014 EIA regulations as amended: Proposed Sand and Infrastructure Maintenance Management Plan (MMP) for Coastal Areas within Ndlambe Municipality, was approved by Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) on 11 August 2020.  However, as per Regulation 4(1)(a) of Chapter of National Appeal Regulations, an appeal against the approval was launched by  the office of the Program Manager – Environmental Affairs please find attached a copy of the Boesmans-Kariega Estuary Care Management Forum.  Until the appeal has been resolved, implementation of the MMP is placed on hold.
  7. Transgression of Legislation. Concerns are frequently received on various topics i.e. fireworks, dogs in the public not on leaches, people leaving household refuse on sidewalks and the lack of wildlife conservation.  It is not always possible to satisfy the expectations of and/or suggestions by residents and members of the ratepayers association for various reasons.  However, these concerns remain a great concern to the CRRA committee.  Residents and holiday makers are requested to refrain from transgressing legislation and consider other people.
  8. Members. Currently there are 125 paid up members of the Cannon Rocks Ratepayers Association.
  9. Appreciation. As Chairman, I would like to use this opportunity to thank the committee members for their unthankful dedication throughout the year and who are always willing to “walk the extra mile”