What we do

“Regular, accessible communication is essential to keeping residents fully up-to-date with issues and developments that impact on their lives. It also plays a big part in building a sense of community.”

Our Communications portfolio covers the following areas:
- Creating and managing timely, relevant content for MDGA’s website
- Creating and managing timely, relevant content for MDGA’s Facebook page
- Writing, editing and producing MDGA’s quarterly magazine, Marina da Gama News
- Writing, editing and publishing content for the MDGA’s weekly email newsletter
- Publishing ad hoc MDGA announcements through the appropriate channels
- Bringing a consistent, professional voice to MDGA’s communications with external organisations and partners

Current initiatives: We are working on a comprehensive upgrade of the MDGA’s communications function, including its website, Facebook pages and email messages. Meanwhile, sustaining the flow of up-to-date, relevant information to residents remains a full-time job

Our Communications team
Patrick McKenna: Communications portfolio holder
Scott Attfield: Communications sub-committee member, Parks & Open Spaces portfolio holder
Valerie Benson: Communications sub-committee member, Events portfolio manager
Lise Carswell: Communications sub-committee member, Environment & Community portfolio holder

“Every Marina resident is invested in the state of our waterways, the Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve, and the wider estuary. It is important to keep residents up to date on the health of the vlei as well as keeping lines of communication open between the nature reserve team and Marina da Gama.”

Our Environment portfolio takes into account the health of our natural surroundings as well as the physical and mental well-being of our residents and our neighbors.

Natural environment
- Alerting the correct officials of sewerage spills to speed up turnaround times
- Regularly communicating with stakeholders regarding water quality
- Putting out alerts when the waterbody is closed
- Arranging clean-ups and assisting with organised clean-ups
- Creating awareness of work in progress and alerting residents about how they can get involved
- Keeping residents informed on any changes, upgrades and planned work within our area
- Discussing ways to improve the litter situation with the Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve and other stakeholders

Human factor
- Assisting community members in need through the Ubuntu programme
- Providing food parcels for residents in need and supporting our volunteer cooks and drivers who deliver food to our neighbours
- Connecting residents in financial difficulty with community volunteers with skills in areas such as property maintenance, gardening, tutoring, counselling etc.

Current priorities: We are actively supporting the efforts by a growing number of individuals and groups in the wider Zandvlei area to find a sustainable way of tackling the vlei’s chronic litter problem.

Our Environment & Community team
Lise Carswell: Environment & Community portfolio holder

“The events we organise throughout the year play a very important part in helping to create the sense of community that makes the Marina such a special place to live.”

The Marina is an amazing place to live, play, and meet our neighbours. It’s important to make the most of the wonderful open spaces we have and connect with the many great people who live here. With these aims in mind, Our Events portfolio covers the following areas:
- Primarily, bringing our community together and encouraging us all to meet our neighbours
- Welcoming new residents to our area
- Creating and strengthening relationships between residents in the different parts of the Marina
- Providing opportunities for people to get involved in our neighbouring communities through initiatives such as Marina Cooks
- Celebrating and enjoying our beautiful environment through initiatives such as Marina Open Gardens
- Highlighting the needs of our natural environment through initiatives such as the Park Island and Wildwood Island litter clean up
- Raising funds to support the Marina’s environment through organisations such as Friends of Park Island
- Celebrating important community events such as the Children’s Christmas party and Christmas carols
- Very importantly, having fun with our neighbours and friends

Current initiatives
- Scavenger Hunt, November 2020
- Children's Christmas Party and Christmas Carols, December 2020
- Open air movies

Our Events team
Valerie Benson: Events portfolio holder

“We cannot preserve the Marina without support and buy-in from a mix of external organisations and decision-makers. Our Long-Term Projects portfolio plays a big part in cultivating robust working relationships with these partners.”

Keeping the Marina at its best involves collaborating with various partners on a list of long-term projects and initiatives. To sustain and maintain our unique environment, we work closely with a wide range of organisations such as the City of Cape Town, Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve, Vrygrond’s community leaders, SAPS and many other organisations. In his role as a ward councillor, Lathif Gafoor, our Long-Term Projects portfolio holder, plays a personal role in building relationships with the departments and individuals who have the final say on important decisions affecting the Marina.

Our Long-Term Projects portfolio covers the following areas:
- Helping to motivate for funds to replace ageing Marina equipment, such as the Kingfisher weed harvester; or for dredging silt from the waterways
- Alerting the City of Cape Town to areas of concern in the Marina, including the state of our roads and noise pollution
- Working with the City of Cape Town and its contractors as well as local residents to ensure litter nets in our canals are cleared and maintained

Significant initiatives
- Refurbishment of the Eastlake Island bridge
- Purchasing a new Kingfisher weed harvester, due for delivery in June 2021
- Getting approval and funding for dredging works
- Addressing noise pollution issues caused by the Congella Cold Storage facility in Vrygrond

Our Long-Term Projects team
Lathif Gafoor: Long-Term Projects portfolio holder

“One of the perks of living in Marina da Gama is our many parks and green spaces. We work hard to ensure all residents can take advantage of our beautiful surroundings and feel proud of our neighborhood.”

Our Parks & Open Spaces portfolio covers the following areas:
- Working with the City of Cape Town to ensure lawns are mowed timeously
- Keeping our well points and watering systems in good working order
- Managing the Marina gardeners and making sure they care for all areas of the Marina
- Continuously maintaining our communal gardens and hotspot areas
- Chipping, trimming and removal of overgrown public areas
- Regularly communicating with stakeholders about the upkeep of play parks
- Liaising with botanical societies and nurseries for plant stock donations
- Sourcing and maintaining the Marina da Gama nursery
- Sourcing and maintaining signage for parks and open spaces

Current priorities: We are currently in talks with council to upgrade and install a play park in Uitsig Peninsula.

Our Parks & Open Spaces team
Scott Attfield: Parks & Open Spaces portfolio holder

“The MDGA ExCom takes your security extremely seriously. It is of utmost importance that we keep our beautiful suburb as safe as possible. Accordingly, we continuously keep up-to-date with new security technology and assess security methods used elsewhere.”

Our Security portfolio covers the following areas:
- Identifying any areas of the Marina da Gama where security is weak and can be improved for the safety of residents
- Liaising with Deep Blue and Combat Force to ensure all CCTV and licence plate recognition (LPR) cameras are in good working order and monitored effectively
- Making sure that we are taking advantage of the latest security technology
- Assessing pricing and ensuring we are getting good value from our service providers
- Compiling monthly crime reports for the MDGA ExCom with the latest crime stats, trends and threats
- Holding weekly meetings with Deep Blue regarding the crime statistics in our suburb
- Attending monthly SAPS Muizenberg Security Forum meetings
- Attending monthly meetings with the Community Police Forum and Guardians
- Engaging individual Marina residents to discuss their security concerns and/or hear their ideas for keeping our area as safe as possible

Current initiatives: Our Security portfolio holder, Peter Allen, is currently working on a proposal to upgrade our security provision at certain hot-spots in the Marina. This includes making sure that we are using the best service providers.

Our Security team
Peter Allen: Security portfolio holder

“Our Archcom is the backbone of the MDGA’s efforts to maintain the Marina’s vintage Cape character by scrutinising and commenting on building plans for new constructions and alterations.”

The Archcom’s main focus is on maintaining a uniformity of design and function across all buildings in the Marina. The ultimate aim is to maintain a practical, pleasing look and feel that is financially sustainable and takes into account new and improved building products. It is absolutely essential that the Archcom and Standards portfolios are congruent and consistent. After all, residents need to trust that the investment they have made in the Marina’s unique character will be protected. This means that we have to work hard to achieve higher levels of compliance with our design regulations manual.

The Archcom’s remit covers:
- Continuously formalising and updating our design regulations manual in line with our responsibility to protect and enhance properties and property values in the Marina
- Ensuring these regulations are strictly enforced, a time-consuming, often thankless, and sometimes contentious role
- Scrutinising and commenting on building plans for new constructions and alterations
- Striving to build and maintain a strong working relationship with the City of Cape Town’s Building Development Management Branch and the local building inspectors

Advising residents: Residents who wish to make any changes to their property are advised to first visit the MDGA office before committing money and resources to their project. Among other areas, the Archcom will be happy to advise you on answering the following questions:

- Does your project fit in with the Marina’s design regulations and standards?
- Do you need to submit formal plans?
- What documentation will you need to submit with your plans?
- What detail has to be included on any plans you submit for approval?
- What costs are involved in submitting your plans?

Consulting Archcom could be very helpful when it comes to minimising any disruption to your neighbours and winning their approval for your plans.

Current initiatives: On behalf of residents, Archcom is working towards producing a planning pack detailing all our processes and the look and feel they are designed to achieve. The fully illustrated pack will include updated information about walls, fences, garage doors, decks etc. along with guidelines on preferred products and colours.

Our Archom members
Paul Higgins: Chairman
Digby Colman: Member
Eduardo Nunes: Architect

“Healthy waterways supporting an abundance of birds and other wildlife are what we all dream of. With this in mind, we do our best to help keep the Marina’s waterways clean and safe.”

Our Waterways portfolio covers the following areas:
- Liaising with staff at Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve on the state of our waterways
- Making sure that pressure is exerted on all relevant stakeholders, especially concerning the purchase of our new weed harvester
- Helping lobby the relevant departments for regular opening of the Zandvlei mouth
- Attending to residents’ requests for pond weed to be cleared from water channels
- Working on new ways to clear litter and aerate our waterways more efficiently
- Attending Zandvlei Protected Areas Advisory Committee (ZPAAC) meetings

Current priorities: Our priority during the past year has been the purchase of a new weed harvester. This is something we have been lobbying for over some time and it is finally coming to fruition, with delivery scheduled for June 2021.

Our Waterways team
Angus Hemp: Waterways portfolio holder
Paul Higgins