eThekwini Municipality - HIGH LEVEL MEETING YIELDS POSITIVE RESULTS2016-03-08 Mayor, Cllr James Nxumalo, in his capacity as Chairperson of the African Forum on Urban Safety (AFUS), today, 07 March 2016, hosted a high level meeting with key stakeholders of the UN Habitat, Microsoft Corporation and the KZN Provincial Government.
The meeting was aimed at mapping out a way for the successful implementation of crime prevention and urban safety strategies. It was also to set the agenda for the functionality of AFUS in carrying out its mandate of ensuring safety and security in all cities within Africa. Discussions on various topics related to crime prevention and urban safety were held. Mayor, Cllr James Nxumalo, alluded to how crime poses a serious threat to the provision of services to members of the community. “Not only does crime have an impact on the economic development of the City, but also results in marginalised groups being prevented from enjoying services due to them.†He said that safety, crime prevention and security are identified as the cornerstones for growth and development of all cities. Deputy Mayor of Quito in Ecuador, Daniela Chacon Arias, said that it was important that cities learn from each other’s experiences because they all face similar challenges, in different degrees. She commended eThekwini Municipality for spearheading the Safer Cities Programme. Chacon Arias was part of the meeting to learn more about the strategies implemented by eThekwini Municipality in setting up the Safer Cities Programme. Dr Alioune Badiane, Director of the Programme Division in the UN Habitat, alluded to the fact that the African continent is now 54% urban. He listed the availability of energy as a prerequisite for safety and security in any particular City. “Security is too important to be left in the hands of police alone. There needs to be a collaborative effort between all relevant parties in order to ensure a safe and secure environment for all.†Resolutions taken at the meeting include; The initiation of an information collection exercise from local governments across Africa, using the Microsoft virtual facilities to translate and administer the questionnaire. To use the initiative by cities in West Africa to convene a sub-regional conference on city security in Dakar from 28 -30 April, to consolidate information from cities for the AFUS conference scheduled for 29 June â€" 01 July 2016 in Durban. To establish a City Legacy Project in Durban, The City Safety Lab. These resolutions were taken as a guiding tool of the functionality of AFUS towards meeting its mandate of coming up with strategies that will ensure safe and secure cities in Africa. Ends Issued by eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Head, Tozi Mthethwa. For more information contact Gugu Sisilana on 0313114855 or email:gugu.mbonambi@durban.gov.za or Princess Nkabane on 031 311 4855 or email: princess.nkabane@durban.gov.za. |
eThekwini Municipality - HIGH LEVEL MEETING YIELDS POSITIVE RESULTS
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