ETHEKWINI www..gov.za WEEKLY BULLETIN

By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable City 2 December 2019 [Issue 194] CITY PARTNERS WITH BRAND SA AND BUSINESS THEKWINI Municipality has forged a number of strategic partnerships in Eorder to grow the local economy and attract investment to the City. The City is set to establish a long-term partnership with Brand (SA) in order to further advance its vision of being a premium investment and tourism destination. The partnership was supported by the Economic Development and Planning Committee on 28 November. Committee members described the move as strategic for investment promotion as Brand SA is a highly ranked organisation globally, resourceful and has a wide range of expertise and experience. EThekwini Mayor Councillor launched the City Means Business Forum on 27 November. He Brand SA supports several is flanked from left by Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning Phillip Sithole, Chief initiatives aimed at creating a Executive Officer of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Palesa Phili, City Manager Sipho positive image of the country Nzuza and Gladwin Malishe Deputy Chairperson of the DCCI. and its cities. It builds relationships, showcases the table that are discouraging law enforcement. the forefront of issues being country’s innovation, highlights much-needed investment.” Another contributing factor to addressed. Mayor Kaunda its investment potential and The focus of the inaugural this deterioration is the steady invited business to work with engages with citizens on engagement was on the Inner- decline in property rates, the the City and the Chamber to significant topics. City Regeneration Programme, relocation of businesses and turn around the economic This comes as the City recently in particular focusing on the middle-income residents. potential of the inner-city. launched a business initiative Point precinct. The inner city In responding to this challenge, Speaking on the partnership which will provide a safe includes secondary central the Municipality developed with Brand SA, Deputy environment to share robust business districts such as an inner-city regeneration City Manager for Economic and innovative ideas. , plan which places a strong Development and Planning The City, in partnership and Verulam which are key emphasis on fundamental Phillip Sithole said the City is with the Durban Chamber economic assets as they are issues that includes cleaning mandated to promote economic of Commerce and Industry well located, offering unique and maintenance, focusing on development, job creation, launched the City Means opportunities, connectivity and removal of litter and cleaning and economic transformation Business Forum at the Greyville access to community services. of storm water systems, fixing within the region. “Therefore, Convention Centre on 27 Mayor Kaunda said the City streetlighs, closed-circuit this partnership will seek November. is unable to derive maximum television cameras and ablution to facilitate sustainable Speaking at the launch, economic benefits from these facilities. investment in the City and eThekwini Mayor Councillor areas because they are in a Bad buildings, homelessness promote tourism to be a Mxolisi Kaunda said: “If we state of decline due to the and attracting mixed-income lucrative contributor to the local want to grow our City together, lack of cooperation among and mixed-use housing economy for the benefit of all,” we must be honest with each stakeholders and inadequate developments are also on he said. other and put all issues on the

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DURBAN WINS PRESTIGIOUS EMPOWERING PEOPLE SUSTAINABILITY WITH DISABILITIES AWARD ETHEKWINI Municipality THE City will soon be has scooped another launching the People with international award, this time Disabilities (PWDs) Business winning the National German Forum revealed eThekwini Sustainability Award in the Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Municipal Partnerships North- Kaunda during a business South category. breakfast seminar for PWDs The City was awarded this held at the Durban Exhibition honour alongside its sister Centre on 28 November. city Bremen at a celebrity He said the seminar aimed to studded event in Dusseldorf ensure that the City builds an recently. The award represents inclusive society where every the culmination of a 10 year resident has equal rights and fruitful and dynamic climate access to opportunities. partnership between these two “We need to treat people with cities. The awards themselves disabilities with respect and have a proud history, having they must at all times feel part been first held in 2008 with EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda flanked by the Chairperson of society. On 3 December we of the Community Services Committee Councillor Ntokozo Sibiya, the purpose of encouraging will be commemorating the Simon Zwane and Speaker of eThekwini Municipality Weziwe Thusi and promoting the ideals of a International Day of People at a business breakfast for people with disabilities held at the Durban sustainable society. The award with Disabilities. This seminar Exhibition Centre. is given to cities, companies aimed to create awareness and and individuals who espouse promote the rights of people all people are empowered. age.” these ideals of sustainability with disabilities,” he said. “The government does not He said a task team dealing and work tirelessly to achieve During the question and have policies that excludes with transportation issues for them. answer session at the people with disabilities from PWDs will be established. EThekwini Mayor Councillor business breakfast, PWDs accessing jobs and business “We will launch the PWDs Mxolisi Kaunda said: “This raised challenges they face opportunities. In fact, we have Business Forum which will accolade further alludes on a daily basis including passed legislations and policies ensure that this designated to our drive to ensure that transportation, employment, that support and empower this group is able to access eThekwini is a sustainable economical, social and general group. The Employment Equity employment and business City for residents to live, work discrimination. Act is clear that an employer opportunities. About five and play. This award will Mayor Kaunda said the cannot discriminate against, percent of employment motivate us to intensify our City remains committed through employment policies opportunities and tenders will programmes geared towards to building a non-racial, or practices on the grounds be ringfenced for people with climate change.” non-sexist, democratic and of disability, race, gender and disabilities,” said the Mayor. prosperous society where INVEST DURBAN SCOOPS INTERNATIONAL AWARD INVEST Durban and Dube Officials from of smartphones in the Dube TradePort Special Economic Invest Durban TradePort Special Economic Zone have been named among and Dube Zone. international investment TradePort This first smartphone promotion agencies and special Special manufacturing plant in South economic zone authorities Economic Zone Africa will produce phones who recently won awards for at the awards with functionalities that ceremony in their excellence in promoting enable e-learning, with fast Switzerland. sustainable investment in data communication and special economic zones. interpretation qualities and They received the awards Nation’s offices in Geneva, high-value-added and export- include applications that on 11 November during Switzerland. oriented technology production. provide better access to health the eleventh session of the Invest Durban and Dube The award particularly services. United Nations Conference TradePort Special Economic recognises the facilitation of The project has created on Trade and Development Zone won for their role in an investment of $100 million 200 permanent jobs and will (UNCTAD) Investment, setting up partnerships and by Mara Phones, which is part generate an additional 600 Enterprise and Development positioning the region as of the Mara Group based in jobs in its second phase. Commission held at the United an attractive destination for Dubai, for the manufacturing

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DISABILITY DIALOGUE HOSTED IN CITY

“NOTHING about us, without department in prevention us” was the refrain from a of social ills and creating wide range of representatives awareness as well as care and from the disability sector support offered. who attended the Disability “It is important to talk to the Dialogue hosted at the Durban role of the disability sector in Exhibition Centre on 29 gender-based violence and November. The empowering femicide. As the disability session was hosted by sector it is important that you eThekwini Municipality in leave your mark on institutional partnership with the provincial structures at both a provincial Department of Transport and local level to be included and Community Safety. The in solutions pertaining to dialogue saw a wide range PWDs." of speakers as well as an MEC for Transport and Community Safety Bheki Ntuli interacted Mpume Shangase, from the interactive feedback session with representatives from the disability sector who participated in a City, said this engagement where people with disabilities Disability Dialogue hosted on 29 November in partnership with the follows a Disability Parliament (PWDs) raised issues affecting City. that was held in 2017. them. “This event was driven by MEC for Transport and There were presentations which takes into account the Department of Transport Community Safety Bheki Ntuli from the South African the specific needs of PWDs. and Community Safety with thanked everyone using the Police Service (SAPS), the There are eight pillars in the eThekwini Municipality platform to effectively express Department of Correctional action plan including buildings partnering with them to host themselves. Services and the National being accommodated to allow it. Following this dialogue, “Various departments are Prosecuting Authority. accessibility. Also there are there will be a special project doing very well to address Provincial Commissioner 69 members trained in sign for the next two years reviewing the needs of PWDs. We will Lieutenant General KE Jula language at our stations in the the safety of PWDs across the endeavour to address the spoke on KwaZulu-Natal province.” province. It aims to address challenges as well as meet policing of people with Preven Chetty from the issues such as a deaf person the requests that was brought disabilities. Department of Social going to the police station to to our attention during this “SAPS has a National Action Development spoke on the open a case, is there someone informative dialogue,” he said. Plan for policing of PWDs various initiatives of the who understand sign language to assist them?”

WOMEN IN AGROPROCESSING TO BE TRAINED AS EXPORTERS THE motion of eThekwini during the committee’s last intention of facilitating KZN. Municipality to partner with sitting of the year held at them with access to the The programme is set the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) the Inkosi Albert Luthuli export market within three to be located at business Agribusiness Development International Convention years of participating in the accommodation space Agency (ADA) for the Centre on 28 November. programme,” he said. available at the Clairwood establishment of the KZN The Municipality’s Agri- Jayiya, who is leading the Fresh Produce Bulk Market Women in Agroprocessing for business Deputy Head Vuyo programme, said ADA will be designated Agri-Park Incubator Export Programme (KWAEP) Jayiya said the core function key in making KWAEP possible where five business trading has been endorsed by the of the Unit is to strengthen because it is the Agriculture units will be made available. Economic Development and the capacity of agribusiness and Rural Development During the presentation, it was Planning Committee. entrepreneurs, institutions Department’s catalytic vehicle mentioned that the programme The proposed establishment and the entire sector to that facilitates the growth is partially modelled from an of KWAEP, which is in line perform optimally through of a strong, transformed, exporter development by the with plan two of the local enhancing knowledge and diversified, dynamic, Western Cape Department of government integrated professionalism. “With this competitive and sustainable Agriculture which received development plan that is particular programme, our agroprocessing industry. positive feedback from farmers. to develop a prosperous focus is to develop five Other proposed key potential The opportunity will be an and diverse economy, and previously disadvantaged role players include the open bidding process and will employment creation was women-owned businesses National Empowerment Fund be advertised. unanimously recommended in agroprocessing with the and Trade and Investment

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CITY HOSTS SUSTAINABLE CITY TO FUND BIO MEDICAL WASTE STUDY TOUR ACCELERATION PROJECTS ETHEKWINI Municipality has aligned with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for the Biotechnology Incubator start-up acceleration programme to equip scientists with leading technology, resources, expertise and mentorship to thrive in this new era. The Municipality’s Economic Development and Planning Committee has agreed to support the incubator with R4.5 million over the next three years ending in 2022. The Municipality’s decision to partner and fund the project is in order to foster transformation in this sector, to promote bio-medical research by black students and entrepreneurs as well as to use this platform to respond to the health challenges in rural and underprivileged communities. The money invested by the Municipality in the programme will be used to fund four bio medical EThekwini officials from the Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit with a delegation from Ghana who acceleration projects which will be were in the City recently to learn about eThekwini’s landfill sites. selected by open competition that will involve senior UKZN professors, THE Cleansing and Solid Waste Unit shaping the engineering design solutions eThekwini representatives and other (CSW) with support from C40 Cities and operational models to present their partners. Climate Leadership Group (C40) hosted proposed landfill site as best practice Those selected must have a business a delegation from Accra, Ghana from facilities for climate change resilience.” idea that is close to market with 20 to 22 November to help the visiting The visitors were also encouraged to participants’ assigned experienced delegation develop and manage a new consider a landfill as an asset for their mentors to assist them during the sanitary landfill in Accra. EThekwini is the city, acting as a carbon sink and being the process. lead city in the C40 Sustainable Waste cradle of biodiversity protection as it was Chairperson of the Economic Systems. explained how landfills can offer small- Development and Planning Committee Logan Moodley, Deputy Head for scale entrepreneurship programmes. Councillor Sipho Kaunda said they have Plant and Engineering from CSW said Delegates from Accra Municipality learnt from a similar project developed Durban has a long history of innovative also met key technical personnel from in 2004 in Barcelona which has proved approaches to landfill management where eThekwini to promote the sharing of very successful having generated over waste disposal operations are integrated information. The delegation also gained 200 companies and creating over 15 with landfill rehabilitation during the insight into Durban’s processes and 000 jobs while start-ups supported by operational life of landfill sites. procedures of the and the park employ 90 000 people in the Moodley said Accra is about to commence sites as well as transfer City of Barcelona. construction of a large sanitary landfill stations. Durban is well-known for He said the incubator will link with the study tour providing key insight establishing the first Landfill Conservancy academia, government and private into some of the characteristics that and landfill gas to electricity project in entities to perform earlier stage make Durban a success story in terms of Africa at the Mariannhill Landfill Site and research and innovation and sustainable landfill management. later the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site. “The incubate start-up companies in the Moodley said Accra officials learnt about study tour inspired us to explore innovative health, agricultural and industrial engineering concepts by adopting “closed- solutions to maximise efficiencies in biotechnology sectors. The overreaching loop” solutions, from hard engineering the development and operations of our goal is for the biotechnology in to green engineering. “We hope that planned landfill site,” said Victor Kotey, Durban to become the epicenter of through this exchange, Accra can use Deputy Head of Waste Management at biotechnology innovation in Africa. the takeaways from the study tour in re- Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

EDITORIAL TEAM ACTING EDITOR: Mandla Nsele, Acting Head of Communications If you would like to submit feedback or CONTENT EDITOR: Nondumiso Mathomane contribute to eThekwini Weekly Bulletin Email: [email protected] WRITERS: Nonduduzo Ngcongo, Charmel Payet, Jessie Singh, Siphelele Buthelezi and Khaya Sengani • PHOTOGRAPHERS: Pumla Khwela, Mpumelelo Makhaye and Busiswa Chiliza DESIGN & LAYOUT: Sandile Sokhela