Durban — The eThekwini Municipality is ready to host visitors this festive season as plans to ensure a safe and fun-filled holiday season go into overdrive.
This is according a statement made by the municipality.
eThekwini Municipality city manager Musa Mbhele said it was all systems go for a safe and successful festive season.
“We are constantly monitoring water quality at all city beaches to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Our new smart policing system, which uses community CCTV to combat crime, is already yielding positive results,” Mbhele said.
“To further ensure the safety of visitors, an integrated safety month and festive season campaign was recently launched with other law enforcement agencies. We are working with various law enforcement agencies to root out crime and protect tourists, businesses, and residents during the festive season.”
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said that the municipality’s festive season management committee is hard at work to ensure the city’s readiness to welcome the anticipated 312 000 visitors.
The committee ensures that the holiday season is safe, that the city is clean and welcoming, that traffic is well managed, and that public order is maintained. The committee works jointly with law enforcement agencies.
Mayisela said the recruitment of seasonal staff to supplement the city’s permanent staff had commenced.
“This will see an additional 160 lifeguards, 135 litter pickers, 20 small plant operators, 67 beach buddies, 48 childminders to care for separated children, 85 pool attendants, and four pool cashiers (hired). An additional 20 seasonal general assistants will join forces with the municipality’s permanent staff to ensure a safe and successful festive season,” Mayisela said.
“In addition, an extra 200 new recruits have recently joined the metro police. The new constables are part of the city’s long-standing commitment to increase police personnel to ensure eThekwini is safer by beefing up police patrols.”
Mayisela said that the safe and successful hosting of recent events that drew thousands of visitors and sold out hotel beds was a welcome dry run for the festive season. These include the event at which State President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over the certificate of recognition to His Majesty King Misuzulu as well as the MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu football clubs.
“The direct spend by visitors to eThekwini during the festive season is expected to be around R48 million, with a GDP contribution of R1.2 billion. Around 2 500 temporary jobs will be created, as well as other business opportunities,” Mayisela said.
“The occupancy rate is expected to be around 75% across accommodation establishments. Currently, there is a 40% occupancy rate around the beachfront, and 50-55% occupancy rates in uMhlanga. Last-minute bookings are expected at the end of November and the beginning of December.”
Speaking on the progress of the repair work to sanitation infrastructure, Mayisela said that the city was optimistic that even more beaches would be open for everyone’s enjoyment. Work was at an advanced stage at the Ohlange sewerage pump station, which was the station that impacted northern beaches. Work was also under way at the northern wastewater treatment works, which was the facility impacting central beaches.
Contractors were also hard at work repairing sanitation infrastructure in other parts of the city, he said.
Mayisela said residents and visitors could cool off at the following beaches open for swimming: Point, uShaka, Addington, South, Wedge, North, Bay of Plenty, Battery, Country Club, Brighton, Reunion, Pipeline, Toti Main, Warner, and uMgababa. In addition, the following swimming pools were open: Rainham, Durban North, Pipeline, Tiger Rocks, Ansteys, Westville, and Kings Park complex, both indoor and outdoor.
“To ensure that visitors and residents make the most of their time in eThekwini, the city has partnered with several event organisers. Events to be hosted include Any Given Sunday, Music is King, Durban Underground, Durban Jazz Festival, Fact Durban Rocks, Woz’ eDurban Picnic, All White Party Elegant Township Experience, Endless Summer, the 5th Annual Xmas Kasi Cultural Experience, and many more. These events will create employment and business opportunities for locals."
Daily News