As the year draws to a close, and the pace of work and life slow down, we take time to reflect on the growth and achievement that has occurred over the past twelve months. None of this could take place without the tireless efforts of our volunteer committee and sub-committee members, as well as the many partners who we collaborate with on the concerns and issues facing the Dolphin Coast community – to them we owe our sincere thanks. Most importantly, however, we wish to thank all DOCRRA members, both individual households and member estates, for their belief in the work we do, and their continued support. 2023 saw a number of new individual members join us as well as Zimbali Estate. We want to extend a warm welcome to them all as part of our DOCRRA family.
Our AGM this year was extremely well attended. The venue, very kindly provided by Simbithi, was filled to the brim – it was amazing to see such a groundswell of support from the community.
We understand how important efficient service delivery and prudent financial management are to our members. A huge effort was put towards these areas in 2023, by directly engaging with KDM across many levels including the executive level.
DOCRRA has representatives on the ward committees in wards 6, 22, and 30. A DOCRRA executive committee member attended nearly every Council meeting held this year. We were in attendance at all Municipal Public Accounts Committee meetings where we submitted our input on the 2022 annual report. We also submitted a lengthy and detailed list of questions and suggestions on the 2023/2024 budget which was followed up by engagement with COGTA, Provincial Treasury, and the Auditor General. DOCRRA also attended all mayoral imbizos where critical questions were raised and which was reported in The North Coast Courier.
DOCRRA both directly, and indirectly, influenced many infrastructure repairs and upgrades. These include speed humps at critical intersections, solar backup power at key robots, fixing robots in collaboration with Department of Transport at N2 off ramps, and beach promenade repairs in collaboration with the Ballito UIP. Close attention and monitoring have also taken place with regard to the repairs undertaken subsequent to the flooding damage which were funded by a special grant.
From the very top level of planning and budgeting down to execution at the community level, we are proud of the robust engagement we have in KDM processes, and this will continue to be a core priority in 2024.
In our own “house”, there has been substantial growth and development this year. We have added a number of new subcommittees to our portfolio, as well as welcoming a new contingent of DOCRRA members from Nkobongo in ward 8. Our communications team continue to maintain our blog as a record of all DOCRRA news as well as publishing content across multiple social media platforms. Our goal is to grow our social media following further in the year to come.
Subsequent to a high-level strategy meeting which was held in January, a number of updates to our website were made to refine our vision and mission, as well as continually enhancing our information for our community. One of our key priorities was developing an online membership portal enabling prospective members to sign up and make payments directly on our website. This portal was successfully launched in October 2023.
The Dolphin Coast Outreach (DCO), which is the social impact arm of DOCRRA, collected and distributed a record 100,000 portions of soup to those in need in 2023. This initiative moves from strength to strength, and we want to thank all those who are involved in this important work.
As 2024 approaches, we are taking a short break so that we can hit the ground running in January with renewed enthusiasm and energy.
Can we count on your support in the coming year? Our power lies in our membership base. The more members we have, the more influence we wield. Please consider joining us today for as little as the cost of a cup of coffee per month by clicking here.
For more information, please email admin@docrra.co.za.
