OUR GOLDEN BEACHES AND BEACHES NETTING TOURIST GOLD!

eThekwini's beaches are by far the most successful in the whole of Africa. Indeed, where else in the world can you find the major summer season allowing for millions of people to freely enjoy themselves in such safe and secure conditions. A report being tabled at Council provides statistics for our recent summer and as Durbanites we can be truly proud to see what outstanding work has been done by eThekwini departments who manage these assets.

At a marine safety level, while unfortunately three people drowned during the daytime last summer, the total number of rescues, first aid cases and hospital cases we had to deal with were reduced from the previous season. Total arrests and incidents on the beachfront were fewer than before. Probably less than one in twenty thousand persons using the beachfront drowned or had to be rescued/ assisted. We cleaned the beaches for 22 hours a day and picked up some 44000 bags of
litter from the foreshore and some 14000 from litter bins in the
foreshore. Durban Solid Waste collected over 160000 bags of litter from pavements, sidewalks, bins and street bins. We continually monitored water quality and maintained excellent water quality in spite of heavy bather loads,high temperatures and other difficulties.

We are exploring improvements and these will include visible policing throughout the year, clamping down on alcohol consumptions outside licensed premises, enforcing stricter control on illegal trading, improving education, signage and information, and increasing lifesaving protection.

At the same time, the 100 kilometres of beaches are national tourist assets. They form part of our action plan for key tourism nodes along eThekwini municipality's coastline with a view to achieving a minimum tourism growth rate, over the next decade, of at least 10%. In 2001 it is estimated that 400 000 foreign tourists visited Durban as well as 4.2 million domestic tourists and the figures are growing quite rapidly. These figures attest to the potential for Durban to attract an increasing share of both markets. In order for Durban to achieve higher levels of
economic growth, it will need to attract an increasing share of the higher value segment of the tourism market.

But we must make ourselves more geared to the needs of different tourist groups. The position in which the city finds itself is no different to other destinations like Miami and Blackpool. These resorts had a peak in the 1970s and have had to reinvent themselves as market requirements changed and products became obsolete.

We are certainly further along than municipalities far better resourced than we are as we are restructuring to be more customer- and less product-driven.

In reinventing itself, Durban has some key choices to make about which tourists to target and how to design and package products to attract these tourists.

I have no doubt that eThekwini will have a solid, ambitious growth plan in which city leadership and key stakeholders strongly believe.

SOME DECISIONS FROM EXCO: 8 APRIL 2003

EXCISE PORTION OF LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT IN UMDONI MUNICIPALITY: EXCO agreed to support aproposal to the Municipal Demarcation Board that a portion of land required for development in Umdoni municipality to the south of eThekwini should be excised.

AUDIT REPORTS FOR UMKOMAAS OPERATIONALENTITY: YEARS 2000, 2001 AND 2002: EXCO accepted the audit reports for Umkomaas entity noting with concern the way the finances had been managed at that entity. Now that all finances were integrated in the municipality, and once the new staffing structures were in place, these problems should be overcome.

RELOCATION OF MUSGRAVE CENTRE LIBRARY TO BUXTON CENTRE: EXCO noted the concerns raised by objectors around the decision to relocate the library from Musgrave to Buxton Centre. However, there will be significant savings to be made and the decision could not be further delayed as the owners of Musgrave have already let the space occupied by the existing library from July 2003.

AUDIT COMMITTEE CHARTER: EXCO adopted the charter of the Audit Committee.

LABOUR RELATIONS MATTERS: Various labour relations matters being negotiated at a national level were noted by EXCO including: disciplinary and grievance procedures, aspects of conditions of service, medical aid agreement. Negotiations are continuing on the wage agreement, categorization of municipalities and Organisational Rights Agreement. A successful SALGA Human Resources conference was also held.

PROPERTY RATES BILL, 2003: EXCO workshopped this important national legislation with DPLG and it was agreed that further workshops would be held.

BEACH EROSION ALONG NORTH BEACH ROAD, UMHLOTI: As a result of heavy seas, EXCO agreed that R1.3 million should be spent to fix damage done to the access road to beaches in Umhloti.

FAST TRACKING OF SERVICE DELIVERY: WASTE WATER PROJECTS: Over R16 million on the next capital budget was agreed to to cover the costs of major waste water projects.

ELECTRICITY ENERGY TARIFF REVISION: A new policy to address the implementation of Free Basic electricity of 50 units per month, via a 20 Amain switch to indigent persons was approved by EXCO.

CREDIT RATINGS: Once again, eThekwini has achieved the best credit ranking for a municipality in South Africa.

DID YOU KNOW?

Over the past few years, eThekwini municipality has
consistently had the highest capital budget of any municipality in
the country!