It was a celebratory mood at King Shaka International Airport on Friday, 4 September 2015, when EThekwini Mayor Councillor James Nxumalo arrived back from Auckland, New Zealand where Durban was announced as the host City for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Although he had just landed after a 16-hour flight from New Zealand, Nxumalo and members of the Commonwealth Games delegation sang and danced with the more than 100 people that had gathered at the airport in Durban to welcome them.

“Viva 2022 games Viva.” “Viva Durban Viva” the jovial crowd-including nearby school pupils- chanted, before belting out the national traditional song “Shosholoza”.

As the fanfare continued, airport patrons also joined in on the festivities, congratulating the Mayor and the City’s delegates on doing a stellar job in securing the games. “Thank you all for your continued support,” he said.

“We are not doing this for ourselves, but we are doing it for you, the people of Durban. We’re doing this for KwaZulu-Natal, the country and the whole of Africa,” said Nxumalo, to loud applause.

Now that the City had secured the rights to host the prestigious games, Nxumalo said everyone needed to hit the ground running. The first task would be to set up a local organising committee, and a technical team that will work with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee.

“The work begins now. We must start preparing now so that come 2022 we would have long completed everything we need for the games,” he said.

Nxumalo said hosting the Commonwealth Games will help us in our legacy trajectory by addressing youth empowerment, the athletes village will be converted into Housing Units to benefit thousands of citizens without homes and further, the City has begun building multi-purpose facilities.

“We must use the opportunity of hosting these games to build firm foundations for development of sport in the continent,” added Nxumalo.

City Manager Sibusiso Sithole said: “We have experienced the World Cup and now that we are hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022, we need to look at the empowerment charter and ensure that the games are staged in such a way that they benefit young people economically, our citizens and the African continent.”

ENDS

Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Head, Tozi Mthethwa.

For more information members of the media can contact Gugu Sisilana on 031 311 4855 or email: gugu.mbonambi@durban.gov.za or Princess Nkabane on 031 311 4818 or princess.nkabane@durban.gov.za

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