by SFT | Jul 29, 2026 | St Francis
Kouga Municipality is asking residents to change one simple habit that could improve service delivery across the region. Instead of reporting faults through social media, private messages or personal contacts, the municipality wants every service request logged through its official Call Centre, where each complaint is recorded, tracked and allocated for action.
Every Complaint Needs a Reference Number
According to the municipality, the Call Centre is the official starting point for all service delivery enquiries. Whether the issue is a water leak, electricity outage, blocked sewer, pothole, refuse removal problem or billing enquiry, every request should begin there.
Once a complaint is logged, it is entered into the municipality’s DMS incident management system. The system then generates a unique reference number and directs the request to the department responsible for resolving it.
Unofficial Reports Can Slow the Process
Many residents report faults through Facebook, WhatsApp groups or direct messages to municipal officials. However, the municipality says those channels do not automatically create an official service request.
As a result, complaints can be overlooked, delayed or arrive without enough information for municipal teams to act quickly. By contrast, every request logged through the Call Centre becomes part of the municipality’s tracking system from the start.
Better Information Means Faster Action
Residents can report faults by telephone, email, WhatsApp or by visiting a municipal office.
To help operational teams respond efficiently, the municipality asks residents to provide their full name, contact details, the exact location of the problem and a clear description. Photographs also help where appropriate.
The Call Centre continues to monitor outstanding requests, follow up with municipal departments and record progress until each matter is resolved.
By using the official reporting process every time, residents help improve accountability, response times and record keeping. Most importantly, every complaint enters the system and can be tracked from the moment it is reported until the job is complete.
by SFT | Jul 29, 2026 | St Francis
Residents in large parts of St Francis Bay have several days to prepare for a scheduled electricity shutdown that will affect homes and businesses on Tuesday, 4 August.
Kouga Municipality has confirmed that the planned interruption is necessary to allow its Electrical Services team to install new electrical equipment and carry out essential maintenance on the network.
Plan Ahead
The power interruption is scheduled from 08:00 until 17:00, although residents should allow for an additional two hours while electricity is switched off and restored.
That means now is a good time to charge phones, laptops and power banks, check backup batteries, and plan around appliances that rely on electricity. Businesses, particularly those working with refrigeration, internet services or electronic payment systems, may also want to make contingency plans.
Areas Affected
According to Kouga Municipality Notice 164/2026, the planned outage will affect the area from Harbour Road to Shore Road, including the entire Village and the Canals.
Residents outside these areas are not expected to be affected.
Backup Date
Should weather conditions prevent the work from going ahead, the municipality has scheduled Thursday, 6 August, as the alternative date.
The backup interruption would take place during the same hours, from 08:00 to 17:00, with an additional two hours allowed for switching.
Stay Safe
Kouga Municipality reminds residents to treat all electrical installations and appliances as live throughout the shutdown period. Power may be restored without warning once the maintenance work has been completed.
While no one enjoys a day without electricity, planned outages such as these allow critical upgrades and maintenance to be completed in a controlled manner, helping improve the reliability of the local electricity network in the long term.
by SFT | Jul 28, 2026 | Photo Of The Day, St Francis
A Forest Buzzard surveying his kingdom. This image was taken near Hankey in the Eastern Cape. Photo Of The Day by Clive Wright Photography
by admin | Jul 28, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
This is St Francis Bay
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by admin | Jul 28, 2026 | St Francis, Surf Editorial
When winter starts to feel endless, there is a simple solution. Point yourself towards Mauritius, where sunshine replaces cold fronts and every day begins with the promise of warm seas, gentle breezes and absolutely nowhere you need to be.
Also, modern life has become exhausting.
Every day comes with another challenge, another notification and another expert telling you to optimise your morning routine. Count your steps. Count your calories. Drink green juice. Lift heavier things. Sleep better. Work harder.
Or…
Go to a resort in Mauritius.
Wake up whenever you feel like it. Wander to breakfast in your sandals. Have another croissant because nobody has ever returned from Mauritius wishing they had eaten less pastry.
By 11 am, order a strong cocktail. It is holiday o’clock. There are no meetings. No deadlines. No smartwatch telling you to stand up because you’ve been sitting too long. Sitting is exactly what you came for.
Move slowly to the pool. Or don’t. The beach is also an excellent place to achieve absolutely nothing. Find a lounger, apply sunscreen with great commitment, then spend the next four hours admiring the ocean, reading three pages of a novel and wondering if it is too early for lunch.
It isn’t.
Lunch should be long. Dessert should be compulsory. The seafood should be fresh. The portions should be generous. The only thing getting a workout should be the buffet.
After lunch, have a massage. Then recover from the massage with a nap. Wake up just in time for another swim, another cocktail and another spectacular sunset that asks nothing of you except to sit still and enjoy it.
Dinner is another excuse to eat far more than you planned. Try everything. Go back for seconds. Pretend calories cannot swim across the Indian Ocean.
Tomorrow you can do it all again.
You do not need to become a better version of yourself every single day. Sometimes the best version of yourself is the one lying on a beach, slightly sunburnt, completely relaxed and wondering whether to order another mojito or simply stay exactly where you are.
Mauritius has an answer.
Why not both?
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