Opening the Executive Committee Meeting today, 18 August 2020, eThekwini Mayor, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda reported that, the move to Alert Level 2 of the nationwide lockdown, eThekwini is back in business and that the City acknowledges the dire situation that the tourism industry has been placed in. “Over 30 thousand jobs have been affected and we have had to assess the state of readiness as the leisure sector has been re-opened. The Summer season will work to our advantage.”
The Mayor however urged residents to abide by the Covid-19 regulations which included wearing a mask, sanitizing of hands and maintaining a safe social distance.
Prior to the meeting, Cllr Kaunda also conducted a walkabout in the Umhlanga area. He said that he was impressed with the facilities and their adherence to the regulations, but alcohol consumption still remains a concern, “We noticed members of the public in queues at liquor outlets and advised them to behave in a responsible manner,” said the Mayor.
The following reports were tabled and noted at the Executive Committee Meeting to be tabled for approval at the next Full Council scheduled to take place on 27th August 2020.
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT FOR THE THIRD QUARTER ENDED 31 MARCH 2020 The purpose of the report was to inform the Executive Committee and Council about the significant findings of the Audit Committee for the third quarter ended 30 March 2020. Amongst the various findings in the report, it was highlighted that the Committee and EXCO have commended management for their commitment towards reducing issues raised by the Auditor General. It was agreed that there is room for improvement in relation to the Bad Buildings issue in the City.
Some of the issues that were reported on include probity audits, financial performance of entities, engineering projects and risk management. Irregular expenditure was one of the key issues raised and severe measures to curb irregular expenditure included new treasury regulations and an extensive contract review process.
WOMEN’S MONTH PROGRAMME The Gender Office under the Office of the Mayor together with other stakeholders have proposed a series of programmes focused on the challenges facing women and solutions thereof.
Various engagements with both women and girls are planned to be rolled out over the next few weeks in the forms of webinars, dialogues, lectures and self-defence classes.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING COMMITTEE REPORTS NOTED
3.1 Request for Approval - City Business Climate Alliance Programme:
The strategic objective of the application is in line with Plans 1 and 2 of the IDP in that it aims to develop and sustain the spatial natural and built environment, and the spatial development plan, as well as to stimulate key sectors that promote economic growth and create jobs through providing support for prioritised sectors. The report recommended that:
- Economic Development and Planning to facilitate the City’s participation in the City-Business Climate Alliance Programme, an international network of cities and businesses that endeavours to pursue systemic change through data-driven, collaborative action.
- The Deputy City Manager: Economic Development and Planning to enter a Memorandum of Understanding for a maximum of three years with the City-Business Climate Alliance Programme.
- The City Manager be authorised to sign the Memorandum of Understanding for the City-Business Climate Alliance Programme, on behalf of eThekwini Municipality to give effect thereto.
3.2. Request to enter into partnership with the fair food foundation (NPC) for the establishment of an agro-processing facility at the Clairwood fresh produce bulk market:
The programme seeks to facilitate local research, growing, processing and marketing of the edamame soya bean and other vegetable, for health and shared economic benefits within eThekwini and surrounding areas. Other key aims of the existing program is to establish Co-op collaborative pro poor partnerships in the agro-processing sector in order to identify opportunities to cultivate and process edamame and other high value crops to various products, to generate further sustainable job opportunities (processing facility, logistics and primary production/farm sectors), and further promote skills development in the agricultural sector.
3.3. Authority to outsource the management and maintenance of Virginia Airport to an external service provider: The Virginia Airport has been managed by an external service provider since 2002 through a management contract which expired on 29th February 2020. Currently, service providers are appointed on a six-month basis that will expire on 31st August 2020, thus authority is being sought to outsource the management and maintenance of the airport to an external service provider via a public tender process.
The new contract will be for a period of three years for both the management and the provision of air traffic services as this is necessitated by the specialized skills and experience required to manage and maintain a general aviation airport.
ENDS
Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Unit. For media enquiries contact the Municipality’s Spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela on 060 966 4220