eThekwini Municipality - Executive Committee Decisions
2018-01-24
CITY TO FIND LASTING SOLUTIONS TO STOP ROCK THROWING INCIDENTS
EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede announced that City officials have met with provincial government and other law enforcement agencies to curb the acts of crime involving the throwing of stones and rocks from bridges across the City.
She was speaking at the first Executive Committee meeting for 2018 which was held today, 23 January.
Mayor Gumede said she was optimistic that by working together, government would find a short term and long term solution to the issue.
“We have had a number of incidents of stones and rocks being thrown off our bridges. We have noted that in other cities they have placed nets and billboards on their bridges in order to prevent such incidents as well as suicide attempts. I am confident that in our collective wisdom we will be able to find a solution,†she said.
“Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer, who chairs the Security and Emergency Services Committee, will provide a detailed report on this issue. It is important that we do something about it. She has been working tirelessly in her cluster to address this issue,†added Mayor Gumede.
Meanwhile, she reiterated that City officials would be doubling their efforts with regard to service delivery.
“We are looking forward to a successful year where we will increase the speed of service delivery. This year we must create more job opportunities while creating a conducive environment for investors and business. We must also retain skilled workers while at the same time attracting the best talent to our City. I believe this is possible if we all work together,†said Mayor Gumede.
“So let us double our efforts in service delivery to take care of our ratepayers and serve them well as our customers. Remember to give service with a smile.â€
STATUES OF STRUGGLE ICONS NELSON MANDELA AND OR TAMBO TO BE ERECTED IN THE CITY
Two historical statues, that of former President Nelson Mandela and African National Congress stalwart OR Tambo will be erected in the City following the tabling of a report at an Executive Committee meeting held today, 23 January.
The project will honour and pay tribute, as the City, to the fallen heroes and sons of the soil for the role they played in fighting the oppressive apartheid regime. Moreover, such projects would play a significant role in transforming the heritage landscape of the City and boost the local economy according to a report tabled at the Executive Committee meeting.
It further stated that Durban, as one of the largest cities in South Africa, does not have any memorial of significant stature honouring the contribution made both by OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela aside from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine and the Nelson Mandela statue at Ohlange in Durban.
The erection of these statues will honour the two role models who played an integral role in the struggle for liberation in South Africa and would be an indelible mark of their contribution that would stand tall for generations to come.
There are no financial implications at the moment as the tabled report sought only project authority. Upon receipt of project authority another report will be submitted to Council detailing the financial implications.
EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede said this year has been declared as the year of Nelson Mandela as the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the greatest leaders of this country and the world.
“We will pay tribute to the contribution that he made over the course of his 95 years – to the struggle for freedom and the cause of building humane social relations across the globe. We will have programmes and events to celebrate President Mandela as a nation,†she said.
The report, which was welcomed by the Executive Committee, gives authority to the Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit to erect the statues and to raise the funds internally and externally to finance the project.
Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer said they were all in agreement to have the statues of these heroes.
She said the cost implications and where the statues will be erected will be decided at a later stage.
“We are dealing with icons and at the moment it is an agreement in principle for the statues to be erected. Further discussions will take place with regard to the location,†she said.
STAND ALONE AGRO-ECOLOGY UNIT FOR THE CITY
An Agro-Ecology Unit will be established in the City following the tabling of a report at the Executive Committee meeting held today, 23 January.
The Unit will fall under the Community and Emergency Services Cluster.
The submission of the report included the recommended organogram for the Unit.
The report states that agriculture is occurring in an ad-hoc fashion in urban, suburban, former townships, informal settlements and rural areas around eThekwini Municipality. Therefore this Unit will coordinate and regulate these small scale initiatives, link small and medium semi-rural initiatives to the broader market and nurture them as suppliers of the Agri-Park.
The Agro-Ecology Unit will also drive agriculture support as a sustainable livelihoods strategy to ensure that there is total ownership and accountability for all projects from start to finish. The Unit will also ensure a far more effective and efficient coordination of service delivery and poverty alleviation.
The organogram for the Unit includes a Head to provide direction and strategy on the community gardens, farming and aqua-culture functions of the proposed Unit and a Deputy Head to concentrate on community gardens and farming services.
Under the Deputy Head there will be two senior managers who will be responsible for the regions and will oversee the implementation of community gardens and farming services in the North/Central, South/Central and Inner/Outer West Regions. There will also be managers in each region.
The report noted that the Agriculture Function does exist within the Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit with dedicated resources. This function will be transferred to the newly created Agro-Ecology Unit. It further states that there are unfunded and funded vacant posts as well as warm bodies that could be transferred to the newly created Unit.
The vacant and new positions will undergo the normal recruitment processes.
NEW EQUIPMENT FOR DURBAN SOLID WASTE TO EXPEDITE SERVICE DELIVERY
EThekwini officials are working hard to keep the City clean. These efforts will be boosted by the approval of reports requesting new equipment for the City’s Durban Solid Waste Unit at an Executive Committee meeting held today, 23 January which will assist in accelerating service delivery.
The new equipment requests were outlined in four Section 116 of the Municipal Finance Management Act reports.
The first report was to amend a contract for the supply and delivery of a landfill dozer for waste handling on landfill sites.
It states that the Cleansing and Solid Waste (CSW) Unit is responsible, for among other things, the collection and removal of waste within eThekwini. In order for the Unit to perform its duties it requires specialised vehicles which are suitable for operational requirements.
The report stated that last year the Unit acquired one landfill dozer however, CSW has received additional funding for the procurement of specialised machines which will assist with the fleet replacement programme and dealing with additional requirements.
The Unit requires two additional landfill dozers which will assist them meet its operational demands and to help accelerate service delivery.
The second report outlines the need for four 8x4 hook lifts while the third report outlines the procurement need of two additional compactors. The fourth report outlined the need for 20 additional refuse compaction trucks.
ENDS
Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Head of Communications, Tozi Mthethwa.