Oudtshoorn, 05 November 2024 – The Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality convened a special council meeting on Thursday, 31 October 2024, where several important resolutions were adopted.
During the meeting, the Executive Mayor, Alderman Johan Allers, informed the Council that he had received a letter from the MEC confirming concurrence for the Acting Municipal Manager, Mr Mkhululi Yekani. Additionally, the Council approved the appointment of Mr. Ian Avontuur as Acting Director of Community Services with immediate effect, until the position is filled permanently. Approval was also granted to commence the recruitment and selection process for a new Chief Financial Officer, as the position will become vacant on 01 March 2025.
The council has approved the transition to paperless billing for municipal account statements, starting with a pilot program in February 2025 and a full rollout by April 2025. A consultation process will be done with all ward committee members to see how to embark on the transition to a paperless municipal account statement. An SMS notification system will be implemented as an additional billing method. A review of the pilot progress will be presented to the Council following the trial period.
To ensure seamless access to prepaid electricity, Oudtshoorn Municipality has started and almost finalised the Token Identifier (TID) verification process across Oudtshoorn, De Rust, Dysselsdorp, and Oudtshoorn. This update, required before 24 November 2024, prevents disruptions in token acceptance on Prepaid meters. The Oudtshoorn Municipality, in partnership with Ontec Systems (Pty) Ltd, has been updating all STS prepaid electricity meter software to prepare for the Token Identifier (TID) Rollover, which will occur on 24 November 2024.
The municipality reports that 99% of its 17,219 active meters have been successfully updated, with only 178 meters remaining to be completed. Customers with prepaid meters will receive three update tokens (two for updates and one for credit) during their next purchase. These tokens must be entered in sequence to ensure the meter’s compliance and continued functionality.
By adopting these key items, the Greater Oudtshoorn Municipality aims to improve services for residents.