I am pleased with the engagement from various sectors as the tabled 2024/25 draft budget is out for public consultation. The draft budget was adopted by Council and is now open for public comment before its final adoption at the end of April. We started our consultation process by engaging with the disability sector recently at the Durban Exhibition Centre. The packed hall indicated the keen interest of people living with disabilities in how our budget is allocated and how it will address their needs. 

This reaffirms our belief that while general public consultation is essential, focusing on specific interest groups such as the business sector, ratepayers associations, traditional leaders, religious groups, and property owners associations, is crucial to shaping our budget effectively. I want to stress the importance of residents attending these public consultations. I urge the public to not be swayed by claims that this is an election ploy by the ANC-led Municipality, which may discourage attendance. It is a legal requirement to draft and table the budget for consultation, a process that would have occurred even outside of an election year. It is important that those who participate in these consultations have their voices heard, as decisions made will have lasting impacts beyond the elections.

While our current focus is on budget consultations, our commitment to delivering services to people and attracting
investments to the City remains. President Cyril Ramaphosa was recently in the City where he officially opened the
Newlyn PX Terminal in Bayhead and the Tetra Pak Manufacturing Plant in Pinetown. The R2.6 billion multi-modal rail terminal, located next to the port of Durban, is a significant development in logistics.

The R500 million Tetra Pak Group is a leading food processing and packaging company with a global presence that will
contribute to economic growth. The rail terminal is expected to alleviate traffic congestion around the port and generate employment opportunities. Additionally, SANRAL’s investment of over R5 billion in the EB Cloete Interchange upgrade is projected to create more than 400 jobs. EThekwini Municipality continues to solidify its position as Africa’s playground by securing rights to host major sporting events, benefiting the sports tourism and hospitality sector. As we prepare to host the 4th Durban International Marathon, which is a Paris Olympic qualifier, athletes from across the continent are anticipated to participate. I wish all participants the best as they gear up for this highly anticipated Paris Olympic qualifier taking place in our beautiful City.