Durban — The long-delayed construction of the historic 1860 Indentured Indian Monument in Durban is expected to begin following the approval by the eThekwini Executive Committee for the erection of the statue on its land.
In a statement issued by the City on Wednesday following the Exco meeting, it said it had authorised the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Office to proceed with the construction of the monument.
“Exco has authorised the KwaZulu-Natal Premier’s Office to proceed erecting a monument honouring the 1860 Indentured Indian Labourers, commemorating their contributions to the province’s heritage,” read the statement.
Although all costs will be borne by the provincial government, the City had to authorise it since it owns the land where the statue would be built.
The R4.4 million project which has seen a 14-year delay will finally rise up near uShaka Marine World in Durban.
The project has been hit by a series of snags, but during his maiden State of the Province Address in Pietermaritzburg in August, Premier Thami Ntuli vowed to fast-track the construction. The project was first approved in 2010 but has not seen the light of the day due to numerous setbacks.
Ntuli had said as the seventh administration, he would ensure the construction of the 1860 Monument and to be completed on time.
The news was expected to please the Indian community who had been waiting for the erection of the statue, particularly the 1860 Heritage Centre which had been advocating for the construction many years ago. The centre had already designed the statue and had welcomed Ntuli's announcement in August saying it was long overdue.
During her last budget speech in March, former finance MEC, Peggy Nkonyeni, announced that the provincial government had set aside R4.1m for the construction of the monument.
She said these funds were recalled into the Provincial Revenue Fund a number of years ago when this project was showing little progress.
The municipality also announced it has set aside R10 million to revitalise sports facilities across 16 wards. It said the money will be used for the rehabilitation of sports infrastructure to provide accessible, safe sports environments, addressing facility wear, repair needs, and increasing youth and community engagement in sports.
There have been complaints from communities that the municipality had deserted sports fields which had grown to be bushes, thereby becoming crime dens for criminals.
Sports are not only keeping people healthy but are also hailed for keeping youth away from criminal activities.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News