Kaunda welcomes public for the season
ETHEKWINI Municipality went all out in their media launch at California Dreaming, North Beach, yesterday.
The festivities included appearances by football team Lamontville Golden Arrows, rugby team Cell C Sharks, as well as various influencers and celebrities.
“If you want to have a good time, come to Durban,” said Durban mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.
“We are here today to officially launch our festive season plan, which entails the issues of safety by all law enforcement agencies to provide and guarantee safety to all visitors and citizens. Hence you see the metro police displaying how ready they are to protect the lives of our people.”
He added: “We are officially opening our beaches today. The police will also be ensuring that our beaches are open. We’ll be giving reports and indications on the beaches because we always conduct assessments to check if it’s of a high quality. So today, we’re officially saying to our visitors that Durban is officially open for business.
“We’re also with the creative industry, including influencers and actors, as well as the local soccer team Lamontville Golden Arrows.
“Everyone is here to say ethekwini is ready to welcome visitors and we’re ready to give them all the packages in a tourist destination. Against all odds and with the devastation of floods, unrest and Covid-19, ethekwini is open for business and all are welcome.”
Durban will be hosting events that include rugby between the Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls, football between Lamontville Golden Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs, as well as music concerts.
Between November 10 and 25, a Talbot laboratories assessed umhlanga Bronze Beach and umhlanga Main Beach. Some of the beaches that have been opened include North Beach, umhlanga Main Beach, umhlanga Bronze Beach, Wedge Beach and Ansteys Beach.
In addition to the beaches, the following swimming pools are open: Rainham, Durban North, Pipeline Paddling, Tiger Rocks and Ansteys, among others.
Kaunda said: “Last week, I conducted an assessment of various wastewater treatment plants and sewer pump stations to check the progress on the repairs that the city is implementing on this infrastructure. Sewer pump stations such as Ohlange have been commissioned and contractors are on site to finalise the repair work.”
Kaunda said he expected more than 700 000 visitors, which he said will translate to more than R3.8 million towards Durban’s GDP and more than 7 700 job opportunities to be created during this period.
In terms of safety, Kaunda said there will be 48 childminders with more than 150 000 armbands used to identify and care for separated children. There will also be 160 lifeguards, 135 litter pickers, 67 beach buddies, 20 small plant operators and 85 pool attendants. Seven tents have been procured for separated children.
ethekwini said it went as far as securing Ellis Brown Primary School as an overnight facility for separated children, where they will receive care.
There’s also the recruitment of 200 extra police officers to ensure safety.
Brian Mpono, head of group corporate affairs at the Oceans Umhlanga R4.3-billion mixed-use development, said: “On behalf of Durban business, we are ready. This morning, we opened the beaches and on behalf of the hospitality industry, Durban is in the business of providing an experience.
“Tourism is what we do for a living, but this December, we are going to try to provide an experience as it’s the first December since lockdown restrictions have been removed. More than 2 000 employers have got jobs in our development. Everyone must come to Durban because Durban is South Africa’s playground.”
Mpono commended the city for its response to the flooding and said that this briefing should be a celebration of how far Durban has recovered to be in the position of having a strong festive season.