of all of us to jealously protect them,” said Mayor Kaunda. To reduce carbon emissions, the City’s investment of over R380 million for the total of 150 buses will also contribute towards reducing carbon footprint, as these buses emit low carbon monoxide.MEC Ntuli commended the

City for the procurement of these hi-tech buses. He said public transport needs to satisfy the needs of all users and these buses will achieve this goal because they are fi tted with features which will allow people with disabilities, senior citizens and pregnant women to board the buses with ease.

A NEW multi-million rand bus fl eet, that will beef up the public transport system in the City, was unveiled by eThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda in uMlazi on 22 February. The 50 state-of-the-art buses,

which were received with much fanfare from residents, will boost the current fl eet and will cover the south of Durban while the City awaits delivery of another 100 buses.Mayor Kaunda said the

buses are installed with modern technology and are set to revolutionise the public transport system in the City. This, he said, will spur residents to gravitate towards

using public transport and help ease traffi c congestion.Accompanied by Transport,

Community Liaison and Safety MEC Bheki Ntuli at the launch, Mayor Kaunda said he is optimistic that the new fl eet will change the public transport system for the better and restore dignity to commuters. He said the City’s current bus fl eet is ageing and it is prone to technical problems and constant breakdowns.“The handing over of the fi rst

50 buses responds directly to the complaints we have been receiving from commuters that our bus fl eet is ageing and as a result commuters are unable to get to work and school on

time,” said Mayor Kaunda.The new bus fl eet is set to

be a game changer in the bus commuter market both in terms of appearance and technological advancement as the City aims to become a smart city.“Cities in the world invest

substantially in public transport. We are now following suit and gradually we will be at the summit of world class public transport system. We are therefore urging our residents to look after these buses. We are not expecting anyone to torch them in the event our communities are unhappy about anything pertaining to service delivery. It is the responsibility

“KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW”

CITY UNVEILS MULTI-MILLION RAND BUS FLEET

ETHEKWINIWEEKLY BULLETIN

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By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable City 24 February 2020 [Issue 199]

It was a joyous occasion when eThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda unveiled 50 new buses that will help boost the public transport system in the City. He was accompanied by Transport, Community Liaison and Safety MEC Bheki Ntuli and other City offi cials.

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2 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 199

MAYOR ISSUES STERN WARNING TO INCOMPETENT EMPLOYEES

ETHEKWINI Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda has issued a stern warning to lazy Municipal officials, saying employees will face detrimental consequences if they fail to execute their duties.Addressing hundreds of

residents at Amaoti Hall, ward 53, during the Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) Mayoral Programme, Mayor Kaunda said service delivery challenges discovered during recent visits in various wards were alarming. “Officials need to respect their jobs and honour their contracts by giving their best while on duty.” The visit by Mayor Kaunda

was part of the City’s report back programme, whereby the Municipality provides progress on concerns raised by residents. The programme is also used

to inform residents about upcoming projects in their areas and provide progress on existing ones.

Public urged to comment on Annual ReportETHEKWINI Municipality has begun the consultation process on the 2018/19 Annual Report and invites the public to provide their comments. A public meeting will be held on 4 March at the Luthuli Hall, at City Hall at 10am. All interested parties are invited to attend. The City’s service delivery

performance report for the past financial year gives a detailed account of service delivery achievements, challenges and consolidated annual financial statements. Comments received from this process also inform the Integrated Development Plan and the budgets for the upcoming financial years.The report shows that,

despite challenges, such

as poor growth of revenue and rapid urbanisation, eThekwini Municipality has performed well and received an unqualified opinion from the Auditor General. City leadership has committed to accelerate service delivery and ensure an improved quality of life for residents.The City supplies electricity to

more than 740 000 customers covering 2 000 kms and has successfully provided free basic electricity to 109 749 indigent households. The Cleansing and Solid

Waste Unit provides a full range of services to 3.4 million residential, industrial and commercial customers and provides weekly refuse removal service to 1 063 624 households and 106 percent of

indigent households.The City has delivered 3142

new houses, completed 32 new family units and refurbished 223 units. The Human Settlements Unit also exceeded their target and acquired 614 hectares of land for housing.These houses are built within

centres of economic activity to ensure employment close to homes. The Water Department has

ensured that 85 percent households have access to basic level of water services and 98 percent have access to free basic services. The Municipality continues

to be in a strong and stable financial position, underpinned mainly by a good cash collection of 91.9 percent. The Municipality continued

its impressive track record in terms of service delivery with a capital spend of R4.951 billion, which is 75 percent of the approved capital budget. Some of the challenges highlighted include delays in contracts due to poor performance by contractors, procurement and legal challenges, appeals processes on some projects and work stoppages due to strikes and business forums challenges. These resulted in slower spend, however the City has put measures in place to mitigate these challenges.The Annual Report is available

on the Municipality’s website at www.durban.gov.za. and at Sizakala Centres and libraries. Residents are invited to provide feedback.

Mayor Kaunda said OSS helps ensure synchronised planning by all spheres of government. “During our visit to your ward today, we noticed that there was an issue with storm water connections which required our

Water, Roads and Stormwater Department.” He said he was happy that a

plan was already in motion to resolve the issue. “Officials have assured me that work will commence very soon to sort out

this problem.” Mayor Kaunda further

reminded residents that the fight against violence and social ills requires concerted efforts from both government and the community. “Government cannot win the war against crime alone. We cannot do this alone; we need you as residents and civil society to support us in our efforts to fight crime and fast track service delivery.”He added: “It is disheartening

to hear of cases where children are raped by members of the family and are protected by the mothers' of the victim. Don’t choose rapists, choose your children, choose their future and protect them by reporting these incidents and cases to the police.” Mayor Kaunda started the day

by chairing a local war room meeting that was attended by various stakeholders from the community and government officials.

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda did not mince his words to Municipal staff during an Operation Sukuma Sakhe Mayoral Programme in ward 53. He said incompetent employees will face dire consequences for failing to execute their duties.

ISSUE 199 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN 3

A DELEGATION from the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality visited eThekwini Municipality for a three-day study tour to get a better understanding on how eThekwini has established itself as the best local and international destination in the country. Buffalo City is a metropolitan

municipality situated on the east coast of the Eastern Cape Province. It includes the towns of East London, Bhisho and King William’s Town, as well as the large townships of Mdantsane and Zwelitsha.Member of the Portfolio

Committee for Economic Development in Buffalo City, Councillor Vuyelwa Mpanza said her city wants to boost their tourism, film industry and fresh produce markets.Councillor Mpanza said

although the coastal city is the second smallest metro in the country, it has enormous

BUFFALO CITY IMPRESSED WITH CITY TOURISM SUCCESSES

potential to become more established as a leading tourism destination, offering majestic landscapes for leisure and film. “We want to learn, implement

strategies, policies and good practices from eThekwini which is a globally marketed destination,” she said.The study tour included a

visit to the Stables Theatre in Greyville, the Vuyani Nkosi Memorial Youth Centre in Chesterville and the Clairwood Fresh Produce Market. The delegation also spent a day with the Durban Film Office to learn about the process of applying for filming permits, filming policies and eThekwini’s film bylaws.

The delegation was hosted by the City’s International Governance and Relations Unit. Head of the Unit Eric Apelgren said eThekwini has worked hard to establish and promote township tourism, heritage routes and ‘must-do’ lists when in Durban. “The City continues to work on forging international relationships both for business investment and leisure. Currently the City is working on attracting more tourists within the cruise line industry. We have set up a welcome reception and destination awareness for passengers who disembark at the Durban port,” said Apelgren.The delegation was highly

impressed that eThekwini invests and creates spaces for arts and creativity. Both cities agreed that they would like to create a memorandum of understanding to concretise and elevate relations from the learning exchange.

Built environment professionals urged to abide to lawsARCHITECTURAL professionals were urged to extensively study the regulations stipulated in the National Building Regulations and Standards Act to achieve optimal collaboration with national and subnational government. This will also subsequently improve the country’s global ranking in the field.The Development Planning,

Environment and Management Unit and the Economic Development Unit hosted professionals from the South African Council for Architectural Profession, non-statutory bodies and government structures at the National Building Regulations Seminar. The aim of the seminar, held at the Durban Botanical Gardens on 19

February, was to engage on regulations and other issues surrounding the built environment sector with the objective of promoting ease of doing business. Deputy Head for Development

Management Sbu Ndebele emphasised that stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure timeous building plan

approvals in order to bolster the economy. “Countries are measured in

the way cities perform. It is for that reason we are here today, to engage and challenge one another, ask difficult questions around processes, procedure and the kind of professionalism that we need to display to ensure that we achieve

construction permits,” he said. Senior Professional Planner

who is also Programme Manager for the Subnational Doing Business, Dr Nuthan Maharaj, touched on an array of matters including the Economic Development Incentives Policy which was launched in 2016. The policy offers rates rebates for commercial and industrial buildings with the aim of creating jobs, attracting investment, enhancing skills transfer and local procurement as well as encouraging export. “The construction sector is the second largest employer, if there is no construction going on in the City then that means there is slow economic growth,” she said.

A delegation from Buffalo City visited eThekwini Municipality for a three-day study tour to learn more about Durban’s economically vibrant tourism, film and fresh produce sector.

Architectural professionals engaged on building regulations and other industry legislations at the National Building Regulations Seminar held at the Durban Botanical Gardens on 19 February.

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If you would like to submit feedback or contribute to eThekwini Weekly Bulletin

EDITORIAL TEAMACTING EDITOR: Mandla Nsele, Acting Head of Communications

CONTENT EDITOR: Nondumiso Mathomane • WRITERS: Nonhlanhla Mkhabela, Siphesihle

Soni, Gugu Mdlalose, Nonduduzo Ngcongo, Themba Khumalo, Sohana Singh and Jessie

Singh • PHOTOGRAPHERS: Pumla Khwela, Mpumelelo Makhaye and Busiswa Chiliza DESIGN & LAYOUT: Sandile Sokhela

CITY LIFEGUARDS TO REPRESENT PROVINCE AT NATIONAL COMPETITIONHUNDREDS of lifeguards battled it out at the 2020 KwaZulu-Natal Lifesaving Championships to earn a spot in the team that will represent the province at the South African Surf and Lifesaving Championships that will be held in Port Elizabeth later this year.The clash saw the rescuers

engaging in different life-saving challenges including iron man, run swim run, beach relay, board race, and Taplin relay. The challenges were based on the daily activities that they must undertake in order to keep residents safe when swimming.Chairman of the eThekwini

Municipality Pros Lifesaving Club Mthetheleli Kweyama thanked the Municipality for allowing them to partake in the competition. He added that he is happy that for the first time this year their club had

female representatives who participated in the competition.“I am content with how

the team performed. The championships aim to promote good sportsmanship and to test the lifesavers of how good they are at their job. Last year the club was triumphant at the South African Surf and

Lifesaving Championships in Port Elizabeth, bagging an impressive 19 medals during the competition. This year we are positive that we will come back with more medals,” he said.First-time participant Amanda

Mvuyana, who came second in the long run and fourth in

the beach sprint challenge, attributed her achievements to her teammates. “I could not believe it when I was told that I came second in the beach sprint. This achievement will surely motivate me to work harder towards performing my duties and winning medals at the national championships,” said Mvuyana.

DURBAN FILMMART TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT INSTITUTEAFRICA’S leading film market, the Durban FilmMart (DFM), which facilitates funding for emerging filmmakers, will now be an independent institute functioning as a non-profit organisation. Toni Monty, Head of the

Durban Film Office (DFO) and the DFM, said the City is positive that the institute will continue to provide great opportunities for emerging filmmakers by playing an important role in promoting African film and television content. “Expanding the DFM

footprint in order to further the development and production of films on the African continent has always been part on the business

plan since its establishment in 2009 and we are happy it is now finally materialising. With the continued growth of the initiative, as well as the continuous increase in numbers of submissions of projects, which have this year surpassed our 11-year history, the current structure has been outgrown and sustainable long-term strategies now need to be implemented,” said Monty. The DFM has been a

programme of DFO in partnership with the Durban International Film Festival since 2009. “Going forward, the DFO will continue to support the DFM, and the institute structure will allow possibilities for new partnerships and fundraising.

This will ensure the growth and continued stability of the annual initiative,” added Monty. She said the institute

will uphold its mandate to contribute to the film industry on the continent, through networking, project development and upskilling, but will also explore the potential for developing year-round development programmes in partnership with key industry role-players.South African arts

administrator and project manager, Magdalene Reddy of Creative WorkZone, who has extensive experience in the film festival and market sector has been appointed as the project manager who will oversee

the setting up of the institute ahead of the 2020 edition.“Magdalene joins our team

with a wealth of experience in governance and management in the arts,” said Monty, adding that there is a solid team who have institutional knowledge that will curate and manage the event.“Of course, partners and

sponsors continue to play a vital role in the on-going success of the DFM and we are confident that the establishment of the institute will provide many opportunities for meaningful collaborations,” said Monty. The 2020 DFM edition takes

place between 17 and 20 July. For further information go to www.durbanfilmmart.co.za

Municipal lifeguards excelled at the KwaZulu-Natal Lifesaving Championships on 23 February.The lifeguards will form part of the team that will represent the province at the national competition.