We have come to the end of August, Women’s Month and a lot of activities have taken place in our City and the whole country to commemorate and celebrate the role of women in shaping our society.

One of the events that I attended was the launch of the Adopt a River campaign led by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs in Umlazi, where local women came together and decided to clean up a river flowing through the area. They did this voluntarily, without expecting any payment form of payment until the Department decided to step in with the funding.

That’s the kind of community activism we require today as we seek to revive morality within our communities. These women have acted in true African family value system where an adult is a parent to all the children in a village. As the saying goes:“It takes a village to raise a child”. They did not just think of their immediate families, but their efforts will benefit the entire community of Umlazi and Durban as a whole. We know that a contaminated river will carry all the dirt into the sea, which is used by local, national and international visitors. If our sea waters are not clean that would have a negative impact on the tourism industry, which in turn could affect jobs. We need to protect our environment for the sake of future generations.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the companies and individuals who supported the Mayoral Golf Day that took place at Mount Edgecombe Golf Course recently. They contributed about R58 000 towards the Mayoral Golf Development Trust which seeks to introduce the game of golf to disadvantaged children. We need to encourage our children to participate in all forms of sport, not just soccer and netball.

I wish to congratulate all women; our mothers, grannies, sisters, wives, aunts and girls for the achievements and advances they’ve made over the years in our young democracy. The role played by women in our society is invaluable and thus the whole month of August is dedicated in their honour as recognition of their relentlessness in nation-building. Our democracy recognizes their existence and appreciates their contributions, not just to the struggle against oppression but their daily contribution to building our society today. 

As we celebrate Women’s Day we need to be careful not to undermine the contribution of the family in our society. The family is the real mother of society. Colonialism and the apartheid system have over the years diminished the role of this important institution, which provides the basis from where a child is born and raised under true African family values. No society can be developmental and innovative if the basic structure that builds a child is non-existent.

A mother is an integral part of the family structure, and so is the father, child and the extended family. My call during this important month where we celebrate the achievements of women is that we need to return to basics. As a young nation we need to restore what was destroyed by years of colonialism and oppression. We must resuscitate the family structure. In true African value systems everybody belonged to a family. This kind of approach also ensures that no child will fall into cracks and grow up without a family. This could play a big role in limiting the number of orphans and child headed households.

The role played by women in the struggle against apartheid and colonialism cannot be over emphasised. And even in our modern day society we need women to take the lead in dealing with some of the societal ills like women and child abuse, teenage pregnancy as well as alcohol and drugs abuse.

Now is the time for our country’s women to continue their rapid and welcome rise to the upper-echelons of modern day South Africa. Happy Women’s Day to our mothers, girls, sisters, aunts and grandmothers!

Wathint’ abafazi wathint’imbokodo
You strike a woman, you strike a rock!

 

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The past week has been very exciting with the 31st International Durban Film Festival back in our City again. Over the years the Festival has provided a platform to showcase the best productions from all over the world and has offered our upcoming producers and actors a platform to be recognised for their efforts.

We are glad that the festival is not just about the screening of over 200 films at venues across Durban and in surrounding communities, but also offers an extensive workshop and seminar programme, as well as training and industry events. International film directors who visited this province for a weeklong workshop in 2002 were highly impressed with the potential that KwaZulu-Natal offers for the film industry. They actually commented that KwaZulu-Natal offers the world in one. We have a mixture of European, African, Asian and American lifestyles in one place. That’s good ground for the film industry.

But the question is, have we been focused enough to take full advantage of these industry opportunities? This is a challenge to all stakeholders to regroup and set up good conditions for a vibrant film industry to develop in the province. It’s high time that we start seeing the low budget movies like the ones we always watch on the African Magic channel on DSTV, coming from our own townships to reflect the lives of our people. At the moment most of the productions we see, including some popular soapies, are not reflective of the African culture and the vibe we find in our townships.

Our approach going forward should not just be about events but should also focus on building the industry. We have so much youth unemployment and the film industry is one of the sectors that have the potential to offer more job opportunities for our young people. Let me also take this opportunity to welcome our visitors who are in the City for the Durban July horseracing. Enjoy our hospitality and do take time to visit some of our most exciting tourist destinations, including our rejuvenated beachfront and the iconic Moses Mabhida stadium.

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As we mark the end of the World Cup, I have mixed feelings about the event. On the one hand I’m happy the tournament has been a resounding success. On the other, I am sad it has come to an end. We have had a full month of excitement, not only on the field of play but off it too. We’ve seen 64 exciting games of football featuring the world’s best players, strutting their stuff right here on our home soil. We in Durban are happy to have successfully hosted seven of these matches.

The matches at the iconic Moses Mabhida stadium were watched by near capacity crowds, which confirm what is already a well known fact – Durban is the sports and events capital of Africa. Our Fan Fest on the beachfront and several fan parks around the city broke attendance records. Our people and our visitors enjoyed themselves together, without any discrimination. The spirit of unity brought about by this World Cup has been amazing. But it’s sad to see our visitors leave after making South Africa their home for more than a month.

Our streets and neighbourhoods are now quieter and the sound of the vuvuzela has died down. Given the feedback we’ve had from visitors, most will be coming back to visit our city. In fact, many visitors have told me that they came to South Africa, and Durban in particular, not knowing what to expect, especially given the kind of negative publicity they were fed by the international media.

Impressed

However, they’ve been so impressed by our city that they’ve promised to come back as tourists with their families. All this would not have been possible without the participation of our people. Our visitors were made to feel comfortable by the hospitality of Durbanites, who extended a hand of friendship to our guests. This will continue to put us in a better position to attract future events to our city. The Municipality has also learnt many lessons that will help us improve the way we work. Thank you to the people of Durban.

Thank you KwaZulu-Natal and the whole of South Africa. From here we can only move forward.

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We are now approaching the end of the FIFA World Cup tournament and Durban has been showered with praises for being one of the best host cities for the event. It is most heartening to get reports that our Fan Fest and fan parks have been the best attended in the world. This once again is proof that Durban people are the most hospitable and welcoming to our visitors.

Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of Durban and indeed the whole nation for continuing to support all World Cup matches despite the early exit by our own national team, Bafana Bafana.

It is my belief that in order for our nation to move forward we need to learn a number of lessons from the successful organising of the World Cup, both on and off the field of play. On the field, we need to learn how other countries have organised themselves. My main concern has always been the standard of football in KwaZulu-Natal in recent years. We really need to take stock of what led to the situation we are in today and find a way forward. Historians would tell you that this Province, and Durban in particular, is where organised football really developed. We have produced the best clubs and players, but over the years we have seen a decline in the standard of the game in the province. So when the curtain falls on the World Cup, KwaZulu-Natal need to take stock, using the lessons learnt from this tournament. I believe that a properly constituted Soccer Indaba is required so we can chart the way forward.

Off the playing field, the integration of efforts between the provincial government and our Municipality in planning and executing the event has also taught us what can be achieved with cooperation between different spheres of government. As government we need to take this spirit of cooperative governance forward and work together to improve service delivery. Even within our municipality we have adopted a more integrated approach towards the delivery of services.

Our time has come.

We are now within the last week of the countdown before the World Cup. This is a sporting event that has the ability to put a country on a higher pedestal. Right now, South Africa is on the front pages of many international newspapers. Hardly a news bulletin goes without mentioning South Africa and that is very important for us, especially as we are trying to spread our wings and open new trade partnerships with other countries. Most of the teams are already in the country. The atmosphere has changed and each Friday we see a sea of green-and- gold.

We can all feel that the whole nation is fully behind our national team. In the past few friendly games, our national team, Bafana Bafana, has gained more support and managed to draw more supporters because of their performance. The team is promising and the strikers have started banging in goals. In 1995, when the Amabhokobhoko won the Rugby World Cup, the then President, Nelson Mandela said he was very happy for the Springbok team. He went on to say that winning the rugby World Cup was the ultimate goal but the cherry on top was what that meant for the people of this country. It brought them together as a nation.

They were united and they all supported their national team. We are beginning to reap the fruit and have started enjoying some of the benefits of hosting the Fifa World Cup. We are beginning to see a united nation, a nation made up of South Africans who are now beginning to transcend colour. Sport seems to be a unifying force more powerful than politicians. As we reach this exciting period, let us take the necessary precautions, especially if we are taking our children to the stadiums and fan parks. Let us make sure that they are safe at all times and never out of our sight. Feel it. It is here!

The stage is set. All the preparations have been made. The stadiums are complete and the tickets have been sold. With less than 20 days to go until kick-off, there’s no turning back now. When we were granted the rights to host the World Cup, sceptics made all sorts of discouraging and discrediting statements. We were not bothered because we knew what we were capable of. Today, those sceptics are singing a different tune. The president of Fifa, Sepp Blatter, has given us his thumbs up and reaffirmed his confidence in a successful South African World Cup.

Last weekend we got a glimpse of the real thing – the Jules Rimet trophy for which all the teams will be competing. The atmosphere in the country proves beyond any reasonable doubt that South Africans are fully behind our boys, the Bafana Bafana team. If further proof were needed that the World Cup will be a resounding success, it would be the fact that some 90% of the tickets have already been sold. We are all aware that just hosting the tournament is not the ultimate prize. We want to see our boys rising to the occasion. All indications are that we shall have a team that will make the country proud. Their latest performance against Thailand was a clear indication of their commitment to raising the country’s flag high.

Enthusiasm

The fact that the tournament was sold out within 48 hours of tickets going on sale clearly demonstrates the enthusiasm with which our people have embraced our team. As we draw close to the opening match, let us all continue to support our team. We have already seen the commitment that our government has shown. We even saw President Jacob Zuma trying out the diski dance. Our towns and cities are a wave of green and yellow. Let us all be the twelfth player in the games featuring our team. They can only do better if they feel we are behind them. So let’s go out in our numbers. Feel it. It is here!

 

They say that money makes the world go round. I am not sure what that means, but I do know that the world we live in is a world of rands and cents. You may have the brightest idea, but if you do not have the means to  turn that idea into reality, you will never achieve anything. This rule applies to municipalities too. The problem with this commodity called money is that there is never enough.

There are so many things we would like to do for our communities, but a lack of funds is so often a stumbling block. The ANC is the leader in government and it has mandated us to fulfil some of its promises to the people. One of our greatest challenges is housing. There are still many people who live in dwellings that are not fit for human habitation. Compounding the situation is the fact that we are still trying to recover from the effects of the economic downturn. At the same time we’re preparing to host the World Cup, which we see as an investment with long-term returns.

Nevertheless, we have gone the extra mile, with the limited resources at our disposal, to put the needs of our people first. The Municipality has committed itself to building 16 000 housing units. New roads will be built and some old ones will be rehabilitated. In keeping with the national government’s commitment to poverty alleviation, our Municipality has agreed to offer some basic services free.

We will continue to provide the first 9kl of water free and there is no fixed charge for properties valued at less than R190 000. Poor residents who use less than 150kWh of electricity will get the first 65kWh free. The Municipality has thrown a rates lifeline to those who need it the most. No rates will be paid by those whose properties are valued at less than R120 000. The same relief is offered to pensioners whose properties are valued at R400 000 or less. We could do even more to help our poorest citizens if we received the cooperation of the communities.

As the ANC slogan goes: “Together we can do more.”

The old saying, “If you can’t beat them join them,” is certainly very true of Durban. The small town that grew to be a mega-city is fast becoming a preferred business, sporting and tourist destination. It comes as no surprise to us that the World Cup tickets for the Durban matches are already sold out. This is a clear indication that our people take this World Cup very seriously. Durban is the only major city in the country where people can watch winter sport wearing summer gear.

Our climate is not extreme. The difference in temperature between summer and winter is not vast. As we approach the World Cup, let us develop a positive attitude. Let us all prepare ourselves to be ambassadors of our country. We know that we shall be having international visitors. This time is slightly different because they will be here for a sporting event. This means that the mood will be a relaxed one. We should take that opportunity to market our country. This can be achieved by us changing the way we do things. Durban has an advantage over many cities. The clement weather makes it a preferred tourist destination.

Our surroundings and the world-class hotels and other accommodation outlets give visitors a sense of being home away from home. The stage is now set. The ball is in our court. We have to make the best of this World Cup. It is important for all of us to be always on the lookout for tourists. We must assist them where we can and show them how we treat visitors in Durban. We are all ambassadors of our country. As our country’s ambassadors we must be prepared to go that extra mile to make the stay of our visitors an experience that will remain indelible in their minds. Let us all go out there and prove that we can, that South Africa can and Africa can. Let us do it for the continent.

My recent  trip to Curitiba, Brazil enlightened me a great deal as I learnt innovative ideas that will assist in improving our city while attending the International Conference on Innovative Cities, the India Brazil South Africa (IBSA) Meeting and meeting with the City of Curitiba.

The 2nd International Meeting of Local Governments from IBSA outlined the need to build alliances, partnerships, networks, and institutionalised links for research and exposure visits amongst cities within the three countries. In short, IBSA LGF aims to encourage inter-city partnerships. I expressed at the conference my desires to see the National Confederation of Municipalities (NCM Brazil), the Indian Association of Local Authorities and South African Local Government Association (SALGA) work at creating favourable conditions for cooperation to start taking place at Municipal level and not just administered by non-governmental organisations.

Curitiba’s Head of International Relations, Ms Lara Rodrigues, conveyed that they were interested in pursuing a Sister City partnership in Africa since they did not have one yet; and their visit to Durban later this year would allow for an opportunity to explore that option. Furthermore, Ms Liana Vallicelli from the Institute for Research and Urban Planning delivered a presentation detailing the planning processes of public transportation and housing strategies.

Their Integrated Planning Model, which is internationally recognised, focuses on integrating the poor into middle-class communities to bring integrated and inclusive development. Moreover it is important for them when allocating residents to new areas to build the sustainable infrastructure such as roads, malls and schools that are fully functional before allowing residents to inhabit that new community.

EThekwini can learn a great deal and benefit immensely from a Sister City partnership with Curitiba; and we look forward to confirming an agreement of cooperation between both cities.

When South Africa was announced as the 2010 Fifa World Cup host country, many people, including some South Africans, were sceptical.

Their scepticism, I imagine, emanated from the fact that it was the first time an African country had been awarded the rights to host an event of such magnitude. Now the chickens have come home to roost and people are singing a different song. In fewer than two months we shall be hosting the biggest sporting event ever to take place on this continent. Our city is more than ready to welcome and host the world.

The stadium that will be used for the World Cup has been used several times to test its durability as well as its carrying capacity. The match on Monday between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates was the final dress rehearsal for both the stadium management and our law enforcement agents. The Municipality has introduced new ways of controlling traffic to and from the stadium. There is a convenient transport system that drops people off less than 500m from the stadium.

And the new train station is very convenient. I know most people are worried about crime. I can assure them that special attention will be paid to specific high-density, people-centric nodes, including the stadium itself, fan parks, hotels, base camps and official training venues. South African people have come of age and they know what they want. I was most encouraged at the weekend to hear an announcement over the stadium’s public address system that someone had picked up a lost wallet and asking for the owner to come forward and claim it.

This is the sort of public spirit that points to the fact that it is not only the government that wants to make this World Cup a success, but that ordinary citizens are prepared to play an enthusiastic role in ensuring a successful World Cup. Our hotels and bed and breakfast outlets are all systems go. Transport operators, including mini-bus taxis are organising themselves to transport people to these games.

Our fleet of people mover buses has been beefed up significantly and with expanded routes will soon travel to the Moses Mabhida Stadium, providing visitors and locals, including the disabled, with easy, cost-effective access to most of our beachfront and city centre attractions.

Yes, the city and its people have really outdone themselves in preparing eThekwini for the World Cup.

Ke nako! Feel it! It is here!

The National Department of International Relations and Co-operation is encouraging Durban to enter into a Sister City relationship with Curitiba in Brazil as part of the India Brazil South Africa Forum (IBSA). Therefore, on my upcoming trip to Curitiba to attend the International Conference of Innovative Cities 2010 (ICIC), I shall begin talks with Mr Carlos Richa, the Mayor of Curitiba, and Brazil’s International Relations Department to establish a partnership with his municipality.

Durban has a vibrant and active programme of projects with its international Sister Cities and with the IBSA now reaching the implementation stage we are very keen to explore the potential for Durban and Curitiba to enter into a partnership agreement.

Our City has learned a lot from Curitiba already and we have a great deal of respect for their work in their programmes that deal with green energy, pollution control, poverty alleviation and the programmes that deal with vulnerable people. As an example, the city of Curitiba initiated a recycling system to curb the shortages of landfill sites. Residents are expected to separate their waste into Organic Waste, Recyclable Waste and Toxic Waste all of which have their own collection cycles. This municipality has a recyclable factory where the waste is separated and sold and on a monthly basis raise between R270 000 and R310 000 from the sale of recyclables. The money is then used for social upliftment programmes. The recycling system has brought about the reduction in the amounts of pollutants that enter the environment, saved natural resources and increased community awareness of recycling. Durban can consequently learn from this global experience and as a result our City will investigate the potential of implementing recycling within our existing waste collection system (which will include cans and bottles and not only papers and cardboards) to reduce the negative environmental impacts.

The ICIC 2010 will also allow for the South-South Meeting of Local Governments where municipalities from Brazil, India and South Africa will continue the dialogue that commenced in New Delhi in 2008 as part of IBSA. The process of reaching a cooperative partnership with Chennai, India, is well underway and we hope it will be concluded later this year.

 

 

It’s clear from both President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address and Premier Zweli Mkhize’s State of the Province speech that our Government remains committed to improving the lives of the poor. This was also demonstrated in the national Budget and is sure to be underlined in the KwaZulu-Natal budget.

The Premier in his speech emphasised the importance of uprooting poverty. He went a step further too. Instead of a wish-list, he presented a series of concrete measures that will achieve this goal. He came out strongly on rural development and was vocal on the living conditions of the majority of our people.

He presented a strategy to deal with HIV/Aids. Particularly interesting was his suggestion that boys should be circumcised. He made it clear that this was not a cure-all, but should complement other HIV/Aids prevention measures. Also encouraging was the Premier’s focus on job creation, especially for young people.

Frank

He was frank about the fact that this cannot happen overnight, but the fact that the Government is doing something about unemployment is good news indeed. I would like to assure the Premier and the people of eThekwini that we share these ideals and will be doing our part, as the level of government closest to the people, to ensure that they become reality.

This year is already shaping up into one of those that passes by so quickly that before you realise it, it’s over. January is already behind us and the World Cup is just around the corner. We, as the public service, should be the trend-setters in service delivery. Most successful countries have well oiled public service machines. Civil servants can make or break a country’s international image. I have no doubt that we have an efficient and capable civil service. The big question is whether they stretch themselves and go that extra mile.

This question can best be answered by civil servants themselves. Let us brace ourselves for the challenging times that we are going to face. As the World Cup draws close, we should be prepared to go that extra mile in executing our duties.

Durban will be used as a base camp, which means there is a team that will be “adopted” by the city. We must all be prepared and willing to play our role as hosts in making the stay of that team and its supporters a memorable one. We should adopt a theme that says we are all ambassadors of our city.

While it’s true that our primary focus is to render a service to residents, any good civil servant will not be happy with just this. We need to take full advantage of the World Cup and promote our city and the whole country. Tourism is one of the major contributors to economic growth. If we treat these visitors well, they will always remember us as people who are warm and caring. Let us show them our South African ubuntu.

Momentous events happen sometimes without people realising they are witnessing history in the making. It is only later generations who sit back, ponder and then say, wow! Those were the days. I say this because this is what is happening now.

The year 2010 is unique in many ways and will go down in history as a turning point for South Africa and the African continent. The year’s most important event is the World Cup and it will be the first time an African country hosts an event of this magnitude, with 32 countries in South Africa competing for football’s most important trophy and the eyes of the world upon us. Beyond the sporting excitement it will bring, the World Cup will generate political as well as economic gains.

Those who are in the tourism industry have already started to benefit. Last year many people came to our shores for the final World Cup draw and the host city, Cape Town, reaped the rewards. On a political level, the World Cup provides an opportunity for us to strengthen partnerships and friendships with other African countries. With this in mind, individuals from other African countries are acting as our ambassadors for 2010. This year will also mark the 20th anniversary of the release from prison of former President Nelson Mandela.

It was in 1990 that that the key was turned letting him out of prison and setting him free. What does this mean to the man in the street? It means we should give all our support, body and soul, to making the World Cup a resounding success. Let us prove to the world that we can.