eThekwini: Stakeholders in the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) have been working hard to rebuild eThekwini as well as reposition the city as an investment and tourism attraction. Since its establishment in April 2024, the Working Group has recorded significant developments in service delivery, business confidence, addressing infrastructure and socio-economic challenges.
According to South African Government News Agency, business confidence in the city increased from 38.42% in the first quarter of 2024 to 63.01% in the third quarter of the same year. To respond to the challenges of the municipality, President Cyril Ramaphosa established the eThekwini Presidential Working Group (PeWG) in April 2024. The Working Group was established to accelerate support from national and provincial government to rebuild the municipality. The Working Group operates across three spheres of government and includes representatives from the private sector and labour.
While recently on a visit around the coastal city to assess the progress of the work by the Working Group, acting Government Spokesperson and Director-General of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Nomonde Mnukwa, noted an improvement in cleanliness and the high visibility of law enforcement in the metro. With the recent opening of the Durban Beach Caf© by the eThekwini Municipality, Mnukwa visited the beachfront, which is a tourist attraction. ‘As government, we are working together with the private sector. We want to make sure that eThekwini is an area that attracts tourists, given that tourism is a major contributor to the economy and creates jobs for the locals,’ she said.
The redevelopment entails an estimated capital investment of R1 billion, including the refurbishment of the Elangeni and Maharani hotels, as well as the Garden Court South Beach and The Edward hotels which are also owned by Southern Sun. In addition, a fund of R5 million will be made available to restore and maintain the Sunken Gardens, a historically significant park owned by the municipality on the beachfront, in front of the hotels. ‘These interventions will ensure that eThekwini is a vibrant city,’ Mnukwa added.
The Metro Police is working with all law enforcement agencies, including the South African Police Service, Road Traffic Inspectorate, and private security companies, to maintain high visibility at all tourism sites and areas that have been identified as crime hotspots. The Metro Police procured an additional 146 vehicles last October to bolster the municipality’s crime fighting and prevention efforts. In addition, last December, 2 699 newly trained Constables graduated and were deployed to stations and units to bolster the South African Police Service (SAPS) crime combatting efforts. ‘The recent recruitment of new police officers and the work being done as part of Operation Shanela are contributing to efforts to keep citizens safe,’ Mnukwa mentioned.
During her visit to the city, Mnukwa visited the Durban Textile and Leather Incubator (DTLI), which was previously an unused building by the state. It has now been refurbished. ‘The city is reviving a number of dilapidated buildings to ensure that the inner city is fully functional, safe and vibrant,’ she said. DTLI Executive Director, Dr Poppet Pillay, highlighted the extensive renovation of the building and its strategic location in the city centre close to public transport, making it accessible to Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) from anywhere in the province.
The Incubator is the result of a partnership between the Small Enterprise Development Agency – Science and Technology Programme (SEDA STP) and eThekwini Municipality. It supports and grows SMMEs within the Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather Sector in eThekwini and surrounding areas by nurturing a business from idea generation to start-up companies through a comprehensive business support programme. ‘Besides the normal incubation programme, DTLI has partnered with the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Textile Science and Apparel Technology Dept to run a six-week Ideation Programme for their post-grad students,’ Pillay said.
The incubator has a cohort of 54 SMMEs and provides a range of services that includes technology transfer and access to specialized machines, access to markets, access to funding and financial management, compliance and legal, productivity and business processes.