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02 September 2024
The executive of the PBRA would like to provide an update of our process since the community meeting convened by the PBRA on 9 August.
At the meeting, the PBRA received a unanimous mandate to address the concerns of ratepayers and residents. They were tasked with communicating these concerns to the local and provincial spheres of government.
The primary issue is the anxiety surrounding the potential discontinuation of the current Adaptive Baboon Management Plan (ABMP) for Pringle Bay when the government compact between the Overstrand Municipality (OM), Provincial Government, and Cape Nature ends in December 2024.
The PBRA is also mandated to advocate for the continuation of the government compact beyond December 2024.
We appreciate that the Mayor responded almost immediately to our communication. While our motivation addressed the current situation, the Mayor’s response focused on the past, referencing the HWS period and public meetings from 2022.
She reiterated her stance against supporting what she calls an “unfunded mandate” since assuming office. However, she did express a commitment to continue the eco-monitor program, by stating: “I am of the view that we will try our best to continue with our eco-monitor programme.”
The Mayor also mentioned her ongoing discussions with MEC Bredell, noting a disagreement between the provincial department and OM on responsibility for baboon management. The province views it as a public safety issue, while OM sees it as a wildlife/environmental matter.
She concluded by stating that OM currently lacks funding for the program, unless the Ward 10 committee agrees to reallocate budget funds by postponing other projects.
We appreciate that the Mayor responded almost immediately to our communication. While our motivation addressed the current situation, the Mayor’s response focused on the past, referencing the HWS period and public meetings from 2022.
She reiterated her stance against supporting what she calls an “unfunded mandate” since assuming office. However, she did express a commitment to continue the eco-monitor program, by stating: “I am of the view that we will try our best to continue with our eco-monitor programme.”
The Mayor also mentioned her ongoing discussions with MEC Bredell, noting a disagreement between the provincial department and OM on responsibility for baboon management. The province views it as a public safety issue, while OM sees it as a wildlife/environmental matter.
She concluded by stating that OM currently lacks funding for the program, unless the Ward 10 committee agrees to reallocate budget funds by postponing other projects.
On August 27th, the PBRA executive discussed the Mayor’s response and authorized the chairperson to communicate that our motivation focuses on the present situation, not past events.
We reminded the Mayor of the March petition signed by approximately 800 ratepayers urging OM to implement the baboon management plan. Combined with the strong support from the August 9th meeting, this demonstrates the current overwhelming support for keeping baboons safely outside the urban edge.
Additionally, during this year’s budget consultation process, 83% of ratepayers’ inputs emphasised the need to continue the baboon management plan beyond December 2024. This issue extends beyond Ward 10 and affects communities throughout the Overstrand, underscoring the importance of allocating funds in OM’s midyear budget adjustment.
In her earlier response, the Mayor suggested that approaching MEC would place the matter beyond her control due to distinctions between party and state. We clarified that the provincial government functions as an organ of the state, not a political party, and once again urged OM to collaborate with the provincial government to resolve the ongoing issues of responsibility and funding for baboon management.
In response to this second communication to the Mayor, we received the following:
“Good afternoon Mr Bam
I acknowledge receipt of your email.
I am not going to respond to the full email as you also forwarded a rather lengthy email to the Minister, hence taking it out of my hands.
I will await Min Bredell’s response to you and see whether there are any gaps in his response.”
As per the resolution adopted at the meeting of 9 August, the PBRA submitted a similar motivation to the provincial government. The motivation was submitted to both the offices of the MEC: Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, as well as the Head of Department.
We received immediate acknowledgement of receipt of our motivation from both offices. The acknowledgement of receipt by the Head of Department indicated that they would take this up with the Minister, Cape Nature and the Municipality.
We are currently awaiting a formal response from the provincial sphere of government.
The PBRA executive is highly encouraged by the turnout at our recent meeting, the most well-attended in PBRA history. With 300 attendees and 50 proxies, it’s clear that this issue matters deeply to the Pringle Bay community.
Notably, some attendees were elderly or infirm, showing the seriousness of the matter. This level of support from vulnerable community members should be taken seriously by both the public sector and PBRA.
We remain committed to keeping the community informed and will continue to assess and communicate any further steps needed to address these concerns.
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