OPINION and PUBLIC NOTICESPage 6 3 December 2010

Splashing OutHIV/Aids: we must all take responsibility

EVERY year on 1December, wecommemorateWorld Aids Day.

It’s meant to remindall of us of theenormous challengewe face from anepidemic that haskilled, and continuesto kill, millions of peoplethroughout the world.

This disease has been with us fordecades and despite efforts bygovernments and communitiesglobally, people continue to beinfected by this deadly virus.Particularly worrying is that theepidemic continues to affect ouryoung people, who are the future ofany nation.

On this day last year, PresidentJacob Zuma launched one of themost ambitious programmes in thehistory of the fight against HIV andAids, unveiling a massive campaignto mobilise all South Africans to gettested for HIV.

President Zuma declared: “Now isnot the time to lament. It is the timeto act decisively, and to act together.Our message is simple. We have tostop the spread of HIV. We mustreduce the rate of new infections.

“Prevention is our most powerfulweapon against the epidemic. AllSouth Africans should take steps toensure that they do not becomeinfected, that they do not infectothers and that they know theirstatus. Each individual must takeresponsibility for protection againstHIV.

“To the youth, the future belongsto you. Be responsible and do notexpose yourself to risks,” he said.

As the eThekwini Municipality wehave taken steps to support the

President’s clarioncall for decisiveaction. Among thesemeasures has beenthe expansion of thetreatmentprogrammes forpeople who havebeen infected by thedisease as well as

outreach programmes to engagedifferent sectors including taxidrivers and truckers.

As the President stated last year,our best weapon in the fight againstthe disease is prevention. Andprevention can only be successful ifwe change our attitude andbehaviour towards issues of sex andsexuality. Our constitutionguarantees us rights and freedoms,but at the same time it also imposesupon us responsibilities.

The time has come for all ourpeople to take their responsibilitiestowards themselves and othercitizens seriously. We must takeresponsibility for our health byensuring that we protect ourselvesand those around us from beinginfected by HIV and adopt healthylifestyles.

We must take responsibility bytaking care of those who have beeninfected and affected by the disease.We must take care of the childrenwho have been left behind to fendfor themselves due to the death oftheir parents.

African family values dictate thatno child must go hungry andwithout love in the presence ofneighbours and extended family.

Get tested, know your status andprotect those around you, includingthe weak and vulnerable. Say no tothe abuse of women and children.

The time for action is now!

ObedMlabaeThekwiniMayor

NOLWAZINdlovu (3) andher cousinThembekaNdlovu (5)enjoy a day atNorth Beachlast week.Nolwazi wason holiday withher parents,Yatie andClifford Ndlovu,who live inJohannesburg.Clifford is aDurbanite whonow works inGauteng. Hesaid, ‘The bestthing aboutDurban is itsbeautifulbeaches, andthat is what Imiss the most.I always makeit a point to goto the beachwhenever I amin Durban.’

Picture:THEMBA

KHUMALO

AFEW yearsago weembarked ona strategy to

ensure that we attractthe InternationalOlympic Committeeto our city.

First, we bid for andwon the right to hostthe 123rd session of the IOC in earlyJuly next year. This was a majorachievement in its own right,because it will be the first time thatthe IOC will have a session in Africa.

It is an honour they have chosenDurban, and at that meeting theywill decide where the 2018 WinterOlympics will be held. We couldwell have the heads of state ofGermany, France and South Koreavisiting our city during the event asthey bid to win for their cities theright to host the winter games.

Some 3 000 delegates are likely toattend the session and it provides uswith an opportunity to showcaseour lovely city.

Second, we also got the right tohost the seventh World Conferenceon Sport, Education and Culture.This meeting of a commission ofthe IOC follows soon after theinaugural Youth Olympics and willhave as its theme, from 5 to 7December, “Giving a Voice to Youth”.

For the next 10 days we are likelyto have influential representativesfrom the world of sport, academics,non-governmental organisations,governments andintergovernmental organisations.Young ambassadors and rolemodels who attended the Youth

Olympics Games inSingapore will takethe floor and bringtheir contribution tothe conference.

And we are nowstarting the planningand preparations tohost the biggestinternational

conference ever held in Africa: theSeventeenth Conference of theParties (COP 17) of the UnitedNations Framework Convention onClimate Change (UNFCCC), inDurban from 28 November to 9December next year.

The UNFCCC is an internationaltreaty arising from the UN’sconference on Environment andDevelopment. It aims to stabilisegreenhouse gas emissions tominimise their impact on the earth’sclimate. The COP is the governingbody of the Convention andconsists of environment ministerswho meet annually to discuss theConvention’s developments anddrive implementation.

In 1997, the Kyoto Protocolintroduced obligations fordeveloped countries to reduce theirgreenhouse gas emissions. Nextyear’s Durban conference will marka critical moment in internationalclimate change negotiations.

We believe we will do our countryproud in hosting an event of thismagnitude and significance.

We will only have ourselves toblame if we don’t make the most ofthese opportunities, talking up ourcity and making everyone feel athome.

Making the best of opportunities

MichaelSutcliffe eThekwiniManager

CULTURAL SITE GUIDE SKILLSDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMEThe eThekwini Municipality-Skills

Development Unit (Outreachsection) in partnership with theeThekwini Municipality BusinessSupport, Markets & Tourism(Durban Tourism) Units inviteseligible and accredited serviceproviders to submit proposals toundertake Cultural Site Guide SkillsDevelopment Programme.

Interested accredited service

providers are invited to submitdetailed proposal outliningunderstanding of the brief,deliverables, approach/methodology, competencies andexpertise and description of similarassignments, schedule of activitieswith budget breakdown.

Further submit CV offacilitators/instructors with relevantexperience and certificates ofqualifications, company’s Thetaaccreditation certificate.

The closing date for submission ofproposals is 21 December 2010, at12:00.

A detailed copy of the Terms ofReference will be available and mustbe collected from the SkillsDevelopment Unit Reception area,on the 11th Floor, Shell House, 221Anton Lembede Street.

Enquiries to receive the Terms ofReference: Tel: 031-311 3451 (MrSandile Hlongwane) or 031-3224163 (Mr Patrick Masinga).

USHAKA MARINE WORLDTENDER NO. UMW.0071

uShaka Marine World hereby invites allprospective suppliers to submitproposals for the design, supply,installation and commissioning of aninteractive water feature. The successfultenderers will be listed on the supplierdatabase on our website. The intent is toprovide opportunities to all potentialsuppliers and to promote BlackEconomic Empowerment through thedevelopment of SMME and HDIBusinesses in terms of our ProcurementPolicy.

Only tenderers with a CIDB grade of2ME or higher will be allowed to tender

for this contract. Documentation maybe collected at our offices located at 1King Shaka Avenue, Durban:

Venue : The Procurement OfficeFrom: 2010-12-03Closing date: 2011-01-14, 11:00Times for collection of tenders: 09:00

to 16:00Tender documentation will not be

available for collection on all publicholidays and weekends. A non-refundable documentation fee ofR100.00 will be applicable [Cheques tobe made payable to Durban MarineTheme Park]. Late tender submissionswill not be accepted. Kindly note thattelegraphic, telexed, emailed or telefaxed

proposals will not be accepted. Acompulsory site meeting will be held onthe 2010-12-10, at 11:00, at the uShakaMarine World. All prospective suppliersare to meet at the uShaka Marine WorldWelcome Centre. Tenders will not beaccepted from suppliers who do notattend the compulsory site meeting.Sealed tenders, addressed to the TendersSection and marked: “The Design,Supply, Installation and Commissioningof an Interactive Water Feature foruShaka Marine World” must be placed inthe tender box located on the GroundFloor, Municipal Buildings, 166 K.E.Masinga (Old Fort) Road, not later than11:00 on 2011-01-14.

USHAKA MARINE WORLDTENDER NO. UMW.0072

uShaka Marine World hereby invitesall prospective suppliers to tender forthe manufacture supply andinstallation of new furniture foruShaka Marine World Village Walk.The successful tenderers will be listedon the supplier database on ourwebsite.

The intent is to provideopportunities to all potentialsuppliers and to promote BlackEconomic Empowerment throughthe development of SMME and HDIBusinesses in terms of ourProcurement Policy.

Only tenderers with a CIDB grade of2GB or higher will be allowed to

tender for this contract.

Documentation may be collected atour offices located at 1 King ShakaAvenue, Durban:

Venue: The Procurement OfficeFrom: 2010-12-03Closing date: 2011-01-14, at 11:00Times for collection of tenders:

09:00 to 16:00Tender documentation will not be

available for collection on all publicholidays and weekends.

A non-refundable documentationfee of R100.00 will be applicable[Cheques to be made payable toDurban Marine Theme Park].

Late tender submissions will not beaccepted.

Kindly note that telegraphic,

telexed, emailed or telefaxedproposals WILL NOT be accepted.

A compulsory site meeting will beheld on the 2010-12-10, at 11:00, atthe uShaka Marine World.

All prospective suppliers are to meetat the uShaka Marine World WelcomeCentre.

Tenders will not be accepted fromsuppliers who do not attend thecompulsory site meeting.

Sealed tenders addressed to theTenders Section and marked: “TheManufacture, Supply and Installationof New Furniture for uShaka MarineWorld Village Walk” must be placed inthe tender box located on the GroundFloor, Municipal Buildings, 166 K EMasinga (Old Fort) Road, not laterthan 11:00 on 2011-01-14.

Calls for Proposals

Request for Proposals

Invitation to tender