Dear Welgevonden Estate Homeowners and Residents
Welcome to the September 2023 edition of the Welgevonden Estate newsletter. In this issue we have feedback on a Welgevonden Estate tree planting ceremony that was part of Welgevonden Estate’s National Arbor Week programme, a reminder about this year’s Garden-of-the-Year competition, Welgevonden Estate featuring in a glossy magazine, as well as various other matters of interest to homeowners and residents.
Tree planting ceremony
National Arbor Week 2023 started on a high note on Welgevonden Estate when the Executive Mayor of Stellenbosch – Councillor Gesie van Deventer – officiated on 5 September during a tree planting ceremony, attended by estate management, guests and residents.
Adding to the specialness of the event was the fact that, different from previous years when smaller trees were planted, a larger London Plane (Plataanboom) legacy tree of 2 000 litre was planted this year.
The winner of the Arbor Week competition was also announced at the event. Congratulations to Pauli Weideman who won a dining experience voucher for two at neighbouring Weltevreden Estate’s Jonkershuis Restaurant!
A big thank you to all who have contributed to make this event possible, also to Weltevreden Estate for sponsoring the competition prize!
Guests starting to gather for the tree planting ceremony
Cllr. Peter Johnson (Ward 8), Cllr. Gesie van Deventer (Stellenbosch Executive Mayor), Gawie Marx (Estate manager) and Paul Jordaan (Welgevonden Estate landscape manager)
Reminder: Garden-of-the-Year competition 2023
We remind you about this year’s Welgevonden Estate Garden-of-the-Year competition which will be sponsored by Leapfrog Properties Stellenbosch for the third year in succession.
This competition aims to acknowledge and reward Welgevonden Estate residents who make a difference in our neighbourhood by taking pride in their gardens. Entries are open until Friday 29 September 2023. Judging takes place from 16-18 October, and the prize winners will be announced on 20 October this year.
Five prizes are at stake – first prize Garden-of-the-Year 2023, runner-up Garden-of-the-Year 2023, a prize for the most water-wise indigenous garden, a prize for the best newly-established garden, and – new this year! – a prize for the Gardening-Street-of-the-Year 2023!
We look forward to all gardening enthusiasts entering for the competition! Please click here to download the entry form.
Be kind to the environment
Still on the topic of nature, estate resident Carina Borralho Mason recently mentioned to us the wonderful sighting of a spotted eagle owl while on one of her walks around the estate. She was also lucky enough to see a harrier hawk recently.
With these species of birds on Welgevonden Estate, we wish to caution residents against the use of poisons to get rid of rats and mice on their properties, as these toxins are inadvertently ingested by birds of prey who end up being killed too. To create awareness and to give guidance on how to do away with rats and mice in the right way, Carina made a “kid-friendly” poster that illustrates how to do so in a manner that will not impact on the estate’s birdlife.
Please click here to view or download the poster, available in English and Afrikaans. Carina, thank you for your initiative!
GLOCMS app
As with all software-based products, the functionality of Welgevonden Estate’s GLOCMS app – managed by Glovent Solutions – is constantly being improved by means of software upgrades.
To benefit from these upgrades, we remind users of the app to regularly utilise the “refresh” function on the app to ensure they have the latest version of the app on their mobile devices, or to restart their devices from time to time to install the latest upgrades.
We invite users who may have trouble with the app or not being able to refresh the app on their phones , to send an e-mail in this regard to admin@welgevonden.co.za. We have access to the backend of the system and should be able to resolve the problem without you having to visit the office.
Properties adjacent to the security fence / wall
We remind homeowners and residents that trees, shrubs or plants that are likely to interfere with the proper functioning of the estate’s security system may not be planted in the close proximity of the security fence or structures, and must at all times be at least two meters away from the fence.
Also, owners or occupants of an erf that borders on the security fence and structures must at all reasonable times allow estate management, or a person authorised by them, to enter the erf to carry out inspections, do repairs or maintenance, and/or to prune trees, shrubs and plants that may prevent the proper functioning of the security system.
Visitors to Welgevonden Estate: Residents’ responsibilities
It is important to understand the difference between the role of estate management in terms of access and egress control of visitors to Welgevonden Estate, and that of estate residents.
Estate management’s responsibility is to verify that visitors have valid access codes/PINs, to verify drivers’ identification with valid drivers’ licences, and to record their motor vehicle information. Estate management does not control whom access codes are issued to, neither do they control if the visitors who enter the estate are indeed the persons to whom the access codes had been issued in the first instance. This is the responsibility of those who issue the access codes, i.e., the users of the GLOCMS app.
An example: An estate resident recently had an instance where an access code was issued to a specific Uber driver to pick a passenger up on the estate, but a different Uber driver arrived at the address. This caused suspicion as it was someone whom the resident did not expect. During investigation, it transpired that the original driver handed the assignment, together with the issued access code, over to the new driver without the resident being made aware of it. It was therefore not an intentional misleading or deceptive activity. However, it could have been different. The essence of the matter is that the resident was alert and observant enough to make sure whom they were dealing with when someone whom they did not expect, turned up via an access code they issued.
Extending existing and new lease agreements
Most lease agreements on Welgevonden Estate are of an annual nature and come to an end, or are being renewed, at the end of November each year. Although we are only in September now, we request landlords, tenants and estate agents to expedite their rental administration, and to submit their fully-completed new rental agreements already early in November, and not wait until the end of that month. This can be done via e-mail to admin@welgevonden.co.za.
Following this route will benefit and make it easier for all parties. It gives estate management time to update the tenants’ details beforehand, and it prevents the usual rush and inconvenience of registrations at the end of November. Furthermore, tenants who will be renewing their leases, only need to make the payment at the office as their details are already on the system.
Outreach programme
Thank you to all who donated tinned food and non-perishable food items for Aunt Margaret Wagner’s soup kitchen in Cloetesville and, especially, for the positive and caring way in which the donations were made. The donations will be handed over during the next week.
Our final project for this year will be to assist and help children in need. We ask for donations of baby, toddler, and children’s clothing up to the age of 14 years. These will be handed over to a community-based organisation in Cloetesville to be made available to the families and children they serve.
Drop-off point for your contribution: Please deliver your contribution to the estate office (R44 entrance) between 10:00 and 16:00 on weekdays.
Closing date: We would appreciate your donations by the latest 29 September 2023.
Estate Living magazine
Welgevonden Estate features in the August 2023 edition of Estate Living magazine under the title “From good to great”.
Click here to read the article and page through the magazine. The article appears on pages six to nine of the publication; or
Click here to read/ download the article in PDF format.
Best regards
Gawie Marx
Estate Manager
11 September 2023
