MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING LOCAL GOVERNMENT CIRCULAR C13 OF 2020 THE MAYOR, CITY OF CAPE TOWN: MR D PLATO THE MAYOR, WEST COAST DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR H CLEOPHAS THE MAYOR, MATZIKAMA MUNICIPALITY: MS M BAINS THE MAYOR, CEDERBERG MUNICIPALITY: MS S QUANTA THE MAYOR, BERGRIVIER MUNICIPALITY: MR R VAN ROOY THE MAYOR, SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY: MR M KOEN THE MAYOR, SWARTLAND MUNICIPALITY: MR T VAN ESSEN THE MAYOR, CAPE WINELANDS DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: DR H VON SCHLICHT THE MAYOR, WITZENBERG MUNICIPALITY: MR BC KLAASEN THE MAYOR, DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY: MR CJ POOLE THE MAYOR, STELLENBOSCH MUNICIPALITY: ADV G VAN DEVENTER THE MAYOR, BREEDE VALLEY MUNICIPALITY: MS A STEYN THE MAYOR, LANGEBERG MUNICIPALITY: MR HM JANSEN THE MAYOR, OVERBERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR A FRANKEN THE MAYOR, THEEWATERSKLOOF MUNICIPALITY: MS CJM VOSLOO THE MAYOR, OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY: MR D COETZEE THE MAYOR, CAPE AGULHAS MUNICIPALITY: MR PJ SWART THE MAYOR, SWELLENDAM MUNICIPALITY: MR NG MYBURGH THE MAYOR, GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR M BOOYSEN THE MAYOR, KANNALAND MUNICIPALITY: MS M BARRY THE MAYOR, HESSEQUA MUNICIPALITY: MR G RIDDLES THE MAYOR, MOSSEL BAY MUNICIPALITY: MR HJ LEVENDAL THE MAYOR, GEORGE MUNICIPALITY: MS C CLARKE (ACTING) THE MAYOR, OUDTSHOORN MUNICIPALITY: MR CF SYLVESTER THE MAYOR, BITOU MUNICIPALITY: MR MP LOBESE THE MAYOR, KNYSNA MUNICIPALITY: MR A TSENGWA (ACTING) THE MAYOR, CENTRAL KAROO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: DR A RABIE THE MAYOR, LAINGSBURG MUNICIPALITY: MR M GOUWS THE MAYOR, PRINCE ALBERT MUNICIPALITY: MR G LOTTERING THE MAYOR, BEAUFORT WEST MUNICIPALITY: MR N CONSTABLE THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, CITY OF CAPE TOWN: ADV L MBANDAZAYO THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, WEST COAST DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR D JOUBERT THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, MATZIKAMA MUNICIPALITY: MR L PHILLIPS (ACTING) THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, CEDERBERG MUNICIPALITY: MR H SLIMMERT (ACTING) THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, BERGRIVIER MUNICIPALITY: ADV. H LINDE THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, SALDANHA BAY MUNICIPALITY: MR H METTLER THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, SWARTLAND MUNICIPALITY: MR J SCHOLTZ THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, CAPE WINELANDS DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR H PRINS THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, WITZENBERG MUNICIPALITY: MR D NASSON THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY: DR J LEIBBRANDT THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, STELLENBOSCH MUNICIPALITY: MS G METTLER THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, BREEDE VALLEY MUNICIPALITY: MR D McTHOMAS THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, LANGEBERG MUNICIPALITY: MR SA MOKWENI THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, OVERBERG DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR D BERETTI THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, THEEWATERSKLOOF MUNICIPALITY: MR G MATTHYSE THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY: MR C GROENEWALD THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, CAPE AGULHAS MUNICIPALITY: MR D O’NEILL THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, SWELLENDAM MUNICIPALITY: MR A GROENEWALD THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR M STRATU THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, KANNALAND MUNICIPALITY: MR R STEVENS THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, HESSEQUA MUNICIPALITY: MR J JACOBS THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, MOSSEL BAY MUNICIPALITY: ADV MG GILIOMEE THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, GEORGE MUNICIPALITY: MR T BOTHA THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, OUDTSHOORN MUNICIPALITY: MR R SMIT (ACTING) 1 Dorp Street, Cape Town, 8001 Private Bag X9186, Cape Town, 8000 tel: +27 21 483 3915 fax: +27 21 483 6081 www.westerncape.gov.za THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, BITOU MUNICIPALITY: ADV L NGOQO THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, KNYSNA MUNICIPALITY: DR M GRATZ (ACTING) THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, CENTRAL KAROO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY: MR S JOOSTE THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, LAINGSBURG MUNICIPALITY: MR J KOMANISI (ACTING) THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, PRINCE ALBERT MUNICIPALITY: MS A VORSTER THE MUNICIPAL MANAGER, BEAUFORT WEST MUNICIPALITY: MR A MAKENDLANA (ACTING) Dear Colleagues INTRODUCTION OF THE JOINT DISTRICT APPROACH TO COVID-19 Following the declaration of a National State of Disaster, the Western Cape Government activated the Provincial Disaster Management Centre and establised a full-time COVID-19 Institutional Structure to contain the spread, prepare for and mitigate the impact of the pandemic in the Western Cape. The following clusters have been establised within the Provincial Disater Management Centre together with related structures feeding into Cabinet to ensure an integrated and coordinated Provincial response to COVID-19. 1. Health 2. Communication 3. Transport and Logistics 4. Safety and Security 5. Government BCP 6. Education and Social 7. Business, Economy and Tourism 8. Local Government Following the announcement of the State President of a National Lock Down which commenced on Thursday 26 March 2020 at 23h59, the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs issued Regulations and Directions in terms of the Disaster Management Act of 2002. The Directions speaks directly to the establishment and institutionalisation of a dedicated governance structure to operationalise the provincial response to COVID-19 at District and Local levels. Accordingly, Direction 43147 of 25 March 2020, requires District Municipalities to immediately: • Establish a district command council • Establish coordinating structures at municipal level to support the national and provincial institutional arrangements in collaboration with district and provincial admnistrations • Participate in Joint District and Provincial Disaster Management Structures to ensure a coordinated response to COVID-19 • Monitor the progress and impact of interventions in the Municipality and submit weekly consolidated reports to the Provincial and National Disaster Management structures In addition, Dr P Tau, Deputy Director General: Head of the National Disaster Mangment Centre, issued the following guidence on 23 March 2020, to the respective Provincial Heads of Department of Local Government to practically operationalise the requirements of the Direction above. “As part of National COGTA’s responsibility to provide support to provinces and municipalities to respond to the COVID 19 pandemic, there is a need to ensure that there is coordination, alignment, and integration in line with the District Development Model (DDM).” – In the case of the Western Cape this refers to the Joint District Approach (JDA). As you are aware, following the initial introduction of the Joint District Approach (JDA) in the Western Cape, significant traction has been achieved across all Districts with regards to the institutionalisation of this Approach to a level where it is now regarded as the appropriate and preferred structure to give effect to the provincial response at a local level. This approach is also in line with the Direction by COGTA, as set out above. Premised on the above, the Minister for Local Government and Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, presented a governance structure, in line with the JDA principles to Cabinet on Wednesday, 25 March 2020. After consideration and deliberation, Cabinet adopted the JDA Aproach to COVID 19. An illustration of the adopted structure is attached hereto for your ease of reference. Details pertaining to the adopted structure is as follows: • The objective of the JDA-COVID-19 response is to give effect and strengthen a proactive provincial response, while it further serves as a platform for the desemination of information between the three spheres of government in support of decision making at municipal level. • JDA-COVID-19 response comprises 3 structures, which should be tailred to the specific needs and requirements of each District: 1) District Disasster Management Centre JOC, comprising the Head of District Disaster Management and various cluster leads. 2) DCF Tech, chaired by the District Municpal Manager, with local municipal managers and cluster leads from structure 1, present. 3) DCF, chaired by the Dictrict Mayor, with Local Mayors, Municipal Managers and Head: Disaster Management, present. • Meeting and Reporting Requirements o Daily JOC and DCF tech meetings to take place while the DCF convenes on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday (or as required). o In line with social distancing principles, it is recommended that video or tele- conferencing be used as means of communication, as far as possible. o Following every DCF meeting, the District Mayors are required to compile a detailed report, containing the status and progress from the clusters and the situtation in general and submit to the Provincial Minister of Local Government. You are therefore requested to immediately establish and operationalise the proposed governance structure, to the extent that you have not done so by now. I attached hereto a presentation preared on the Joint District Approach to COVID-19 for your further reference. Should you require any assistance in this regard, please feel free to contact the Head of Department, Mr Graham Paulse at (021) 483 4449. Yours faithfully A BREDELL MINISTER DATE: 01/04/2020 .