“KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW”

DURBAN AEROTROPOLIS IS READY TO TAKE FLIGHT

ETHEKWINIWEEKLY BULLETIN

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By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable City 16 September 2019 [Issue 183]

The Durban Aerotropolis is beginning to take shape with the launch of the 50-year Durban Aerotropolis Master Plan and the Durban Aerotropolis Visitor Centre, based at the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone. The main image shows an artist’s impression of the Innovation Hub zone. INSERT PICTURE: EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda at the launch of the Durban Aerotropolis.

DURBAN has joined the ranks of an elite club of only a handful of cities around that world that

has a dedicated aerotropolis, which once complete, will become the economic driver of the province, creating 750 000 jobs.The official 50-year Durban

Aerotropolis Master Plan was unveiled on 12 September, at the same time that the modern Durban Aerotropolis Visitor Centre, based at the Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone, was launched.The announcement was made

by KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala, Deputy Minister of Trade and Economic Development Nomalungelo Gina, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Nomusa Dube-Ncube and eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.

The Aerotropolis will have a footprint of 32 000ha between Ballito and Durban, translating to 42 million square metres of developable property, open to both public and private sector investment and includes green space areas amounting to about 10 000ha. The development is expected to create an estimated 750 000 employment opportunities over the 50-year master plan implementation timeframe. The entire development has the potential to attract investment valued at around R1 trillion. The Dube TradePort forms the heart of the new developments that make up the aerotropolis.The aerotropolis will incorporate

business, manufacturers, residential housing, recreation spaces and techno hubs.Premier Zikalala said: “The

main objective of the Durban Aerotropolis initiative is to

build a 21st century airport city and is a way of positioning the province as the trade gateway to Africa and the world. Our plan is to turn the region into a bustling hive of economic activity to drive job growth and become a regional economic powerhouse. I am encouraged by the commitment expressed by Mayor Kaunda towards ensuring the provision of bulk infrastructure to ensure the success of this initiative which is the first of its kind in Africa.”Mayor Kaunda said over the

past 25 years the landscape of the country has changed for the better and eThekwini Municipality was committed to building on the successes with the development of the airport city. “We have identified the Dube TradePort area as one of the key catalytic projects in the City that drives economic growth in the northern part of the City

and this growing development has many investment and job opportunities,” said Mayor Kaunda.Simultaneosly, the Aerotropolis

Institute of Africa, to be based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, was launched, bringing together the expertise and research needed in the fields of the aviation economy, air cargo logistics, environmental planning, sustainability and infrastructure.MEC Dube-Ncube said: “The

wider context and long-term strategic objective of the Dube Trade Port Project was the establishment of an Aerotropolis in the North of Durban, stretching from uMhlanga to Ballito. Airports have the potential to shape business location and urban development in the 21st century, just as highways did in the 20th century.”

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2 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 183

ETHEKWINI Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the City bagging three awards at the recently held South African Board for People Practices Employment Equity Diversity and Transformation Awards for 2019 demonstrated their commitment to making Durban the best City to live and work.The City took first place in two

categories namely the Disability Equity Employer and Diversity and Inclusion. Meanwhile, the City bagged second place taking home the Gender Equity Employer Award at the event held on 11 September in Johannesburg.The awards aim to celebrate

excellence in employment equity, diversity and transformation. It further aims to stimulate growth and excellence in the human resources field by acknowledging transformational initiatives, showcasing industry best practice and advocating innovation approaches to the creation of equity, equality and

CITY BAGS THREE AWARDS

EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda and the City’s top leadership holding awards the City scooped at the recent South African Board for People Practices Employment Equity Diversity and Transformation Awards for 2019.

PROBLEM BUILDINGS REHABILITATION CONTINUES EIGHT buildings were cordoned off and inspected during a monthly problem buildings night operation in the Durban inner city. Four people were charged

with heroin possession during the joint operation while several others were detained as they did not have legal documentation to be in the country. The buildings inspected were

on MacArthur, Joseph Nduli and Bertha Mkhize streets. The Inner City Thekwini Regeneration and Urban Management Programme (iTRUMP) Senior Manager, Hoosen Moolla said a building on MacArthur Street was found to be in an unhygienic and dilapidated state. He

inclusion.Acting Deputy City Manager

of Corporate and Human Resources Kim Makhathini was visibly excited about the City’s achievement. “We are very proud of winning

these awards as it speaks to the work we are doing in the Human Resources Cluster. We were up against other

municipalities as well as large, reputable companies all vying for these awards. So to come out tops is a huge achievement for the City,” she said.Makhathini thanked line

managers for playing their part in achieving the awards.“When we implemented these

strategies for the City we relied on support from line managers

to be inclusive and diverse and to promote gender equality. We are moving in the right direction to meet our targets in 2022 in terms of the plans submitted to the Department of Labour in this regard,” she said.Mfundo Manqele from the

Employment Equity Office said the awards demonstrated that the City has made serious inroads in areas such as employing people with disabilities, employee cohesion and inclusion beyond race to include the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex community.He encouraged staff to accept

each other’s differences in order to drive inclusion and provide an excellent level of service delivery by working as a united front.“We can’t look at things that

divide us. Winning these awards is rewarding as all our efforts to drive inclusion and diversity have not been in vain and are being recognised,” Manqele concluded.

added that the building had no legal water and electricity connections and that a generator was being used to supply electricity to the illegal tenants. The building had no ablution facilities, he added. Moolla said most of the

buildings had no fire extinguisher equipment. Officials discovered that a

building on JN Singh Street was occupied by foreign nationals. “This is a common problem

that officials are faced with when dealing with problem buildings. Unhygienic conditions, overcrowding and rodent infestation are a common site. In Joseph Nduli Street we discovered that a clothing factory was being

One of the problem buildings in the city centre which was recently inspected by Municipal officials. The building is situated on Epsom Road.

operated inside a building.”Rapid urbanisation had

changed the living patterns of the inner city, said Moolla. “People are attracted to the inner city because of jobs and slum lords are taking advantage of people,” he said. Moolla assured residents

and businesses that the City has strategies in place to deal with bad buildings. “It’s a long process and the City has to act lawfully and get all the technical information correct in order to bring landlords to book. We have court cases lined up where the City will give evidence against building owners. We have also forced building owners to rehabilitate their buildings,” he said.

3 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 55

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CITY LEADERSHIP PLEDGES TO WORK WITH BUSINESS SECTOR

IMPROVING the ease in which to do business in the City is one of the priority areas being addressed to further attract investment to the City while also retaining businesses currently operating in eThekwini. This commitment was made

by the newly elected leadership of the City at the CEO’s Forum held on 12 September at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.Mayor Kaunda vowed to

unwaveringly work with the business sector to take the City to greater heights. “We strongly believe that

sustained engagement with business is key to retaining business in the City and to ensure that the issues you are raising with us, which impede your growth, are addressed urgently,” he said.Nzuza outlined the City’s

proposed Economic Strategy: Shape Durban which still has to follow Council processes. He said the Strategy will

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR DURBAN BUSINESS FAIR MASTERCLASSES, cooking demos, street markets and the best of local business – this year’s edition of the Durban Business Fair (DBF) is certain to inspire, encourage and entertain.The theme of this year’s Fair is

“A journey of innovation” and this runs strongly throughout the event, which will be held between 25 and 29 September at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre and the Durban Exhibition Centre. This year the DBF celebrates its 21st anniversary.With discussions focused on

technology and innovation, the Fair aims to highlight the

impact of technology on doing business, as well as encourage innovation in the industry.Deputy City Manager for

Economic Development and Planning Phillip Sithole said: “The Durban Business Fair has an exciting line-up this year and offers some of the best local goods and services on the market. This year, our emphasis is on technology and innovation, because this is what businesses need to take into consideration as we move into the fourth industrial revolution. We need to keep up with the changes in the market. As the City, we want to encourage our local businesses to start

thinking ahead and plan.Tshe Fair is one way to get the conversation moving.”Aside from the main expo,

several classes and sessions will be running in the lead up to the event such as the women economic empowerment engagement, the international trade seminar, the Business Indaba and the Wholesale and Retail SETA Masterclass.The Fair will be headlined by

influential business people and prominent celebrities who will share their expertise on business development and opportunities available for emerging businesses. Since its inception, the Fair

has grown from just under 100 participants in craft to over 600 lucrative businesses in diverse sectors. The Fair continues to serve as a platform to facilitate business development by assisting businesses access new markets, acquire much needed information and business linkages, and to achieve sustainable growth.The Fair attracts over 30 000

visitors every year, including international participants.“The Fair will also be family

friendly, with a dedicated kids zone aimed at entertaining the young ones,” said Sithole.Entry to the fair is free.

ISSUE 183 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN 3

EThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda, Deputy Mayor Belinda Scott and City Manager Sipho Nzuza together with chief executive officers (CEO’s) from various companies in Durban at the annual CEO’s Forum.

have three key focus areas namely strengthening core assets through targeted densification and improved urban management, secondly improving the business environment by lowering of costs and the ease of doing business and finally to grow key tradable sectors through improved investment attraction. The Customer Relations

Management Process was also explained to CEOs present which entails an official being assigned to a specific business

to assist them with any City-related issues impacting their business and assisting them to resolve it quickly. Mayor Kaunda said

consequence management will also be implemented for officials who neglect to perform their duties with speed and diligence. “We have told the City

Manager that we need to start implementing consequence management. We will give officials the necessary tools and support to do their jobs,”

he said.Councillor Scott said they will

be taking steps to ensure that businesses did not needlessly wait for weeks for approvals when it could be dealt with speedily. “Mayor Kaunda and I

subscribe to an open door policy. If officials are not doing their work and you have a City-related issue affecting your business, tell us. We are committed to creating a functioning City,” saidCouncillor Scott.

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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 • SUB-EDITOR: Mbuso Mfeka

WRITERS: Arthi Gopi, Charmel Payet, Jessie Singh, and Siphelele Buthelezi

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Busiswa Chiliza and Mpumelelo Makhaye • DESIGN & LAYOUT: Zimana Bashe

EXCITING TOUR PACKAGES AT SHARKS BOARD

IN CELEBRATION of Tourism Month, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) launched special tour packages for visitors on 13 September.Tour operators, travel

agencies and travel consultants were invited to the KZNSB in uMhlanga where information about the tour packages, which includes early morning boat cruises, was shared. The in-house tour allows

visitors the opportunity to watch a shark dissection and audio-visuals that allow people to take an almost virtual tour into the ocean. The tour packages caters for large groups and school excursions, entrance is free to special needs schools. KZNSB Acting Chief

KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Acting CEO Harry Mbambo (left) with staff and tour operators during the launch of special tour packages introduced in celebration of Tourism Month.

Executive Officer Harry Mbambo said the Board is the only institution in the world that offers a unique and diverse protection for both sharks and bathers. A balance he described as a difficult challenge, but a rewarding accomplishment

that has received international praise.Mbambo said: “We are

trying to encourage people to travel. KwaZulu-Natal offers scenic landscapes. This province offers bathers protected beaches which is the first and only service

Urban forests facing threats from land invadersTHE protection of the urban forest is crucial in maximising the benefits and value of green infrastructure assets as they contribute to economic, social and health benefits of the City.sThese were the sentiments

shared by researchers and experts during an Urban Forest seminar at Westville Civic Centre as part of a month-long Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit (PRC) programme.The researchers and experts

deliberated on challenges

facing the City’s urban forests and shared solutions to the threats. Among the challenges

facing urban forests is the illegal removal of trees by land invaders, worn out infrastructure and invasive insects that attack trees.Senior Manager at

the Park, Leisure and Cemeteries Department Garth Kloppenborg said it’s unfortunate that people interfere with the environment by cutting down trees. “Trees provide various benefits such

as an increase in property value and they reduce air pollution and climate change. It is our mandate to look after and maintain trees, but we cannot cut and remove them completely,” said Kloppenborg.In a bid to protect

terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic natural resources, Kloppenborg said a new by-law that would prevent residents from cutting down trees on their properties without permission from authorities, was being

mooted.The idea of a new policy

comes after eThekwini Municipality recently proclaimed nine nature reserves.Head of the PRC Unit

Thembinkosi Ngcobo said the Municipality has begun fencing all the proclaimed Municipal nature reserves in a bid to protect it against land invaders. Animals such as impala and zebra will be introduced to restore the natural environment of these reserves.

of this kind in the country. The KZNSB has various measures to protect sharks, bathers, recreational anglers and commercial fisheries.”Mbambo said the

KZNSB works closely with international institutions to better understand sharks. “We are mandated to grow the economy of the province. The KZNSB is a huge tourism attraction in the province and the KZNSB has lured tourists to the province as a preferred holiday destination with protected beaches along KZN coastline,” added Mbambo.Tour operator Maurice Thusi,

who is the owner of Olwethu Travel and Tours, said he was looking forward to promoting the tour packages and the City to clients.