ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN www.durban.gov.za By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable city “KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW” LAW ENFORCEMENT BLITZ ON SCRAP METAL DEALERS T O ENSURE that all businesses comply with the relevant trading, health and safety regulations, a multi-disciplinary task team conducted an enforcement blitz in the Phoenix Industrial area on, 29 September. The team consisted of representatives from various Municipal Units, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Telkom and Transnet. During the raid, the team focused on scrap metal dealers in the area, checking their stock and inspecting their premises for compliance purposes. One owner was issued with two fines for failing to comply with health and safety standards and for failing to properly keep records in respect of the scrap metal that is purchased from sellers. Sholona Mahabeer, from the eThekwini Health Unit explained the importance of the inspection. “We must monitor, inspect and enforce the law as unhealthy conditions pose a great health risk. If we find that owners are not complaint we will issue a warning, verbally and in writing, advise them of the hazards and thereafter conduct a follow-up visit. If the owner has not intervened accordingly, we can prosecute by issuing a fine,” she said. Colonel Thandazani Maphumulo from the SAPS said: “We must educate business owners about compliance as well as the consequences of purchasing stolen materials. We are working together with the eThekwini Municipality to ensure that these illegal activities are eradicated.” The City has appointed cable theft investigators that have been trained on what to look out for when inspecting scrap metal dealerships. Barbara Cloete, from the Electricity Unit inspected the many bags of scrap metal found during the blitz. “We are looking for suspicious materials that belong to eThekwini Municipality. There is a high rate of cable theft and we encourage business owners to approach the Municipality if they have any information that can lead to the arrest of the culprits,” she said. The negative impacts of cable theft include the hefty costs of replacement of infrastructure and hiring security, the shutdown of business operations, loss of 30 September 2016 [Issue 52] EThekwini Municipality officials, in conjunction with the South African Police Service and other stakeholders conducted a raid in the Phoenix Industrial area where scrap metal and business premises were inspected. Any suspicion of cable theft must be reported to the following numbers: • Electricity’s call centre 080 13 13 111,sms 083 700 0819 or email: [email protected]. gov.za • Cable Theft Hotline 031 311 9611 •SAPS 10111 • Metro Police Emergency Line 031 361 0000 BLOW THE WHISTLE income and loss of exports. Cable theft also results to power, communication lines and transport network outages and leads to negative investor perceptions.
Transcript
ETHEKWINIWEEKLY BULLETIN
www.durban.gov.za
By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable city
“KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW”
LAW ENFORCEMENT BLITZ ON SCRAP METAL DEALERS
TO ENSURE that all businesses comply with the relevant trading, health and safety
regulations, a multi-disciplinary task team conducted an enforcement blitz in the Phoenix Industrial area on, 29 September. The team consisted of
representatives from various Municipal Units, the South African Police Service (SAPS), Telkom and Transnet. During the raid, the team
focused on scrap metal dealers in the area, checking their stock and inspecting their premises for compliance purposes. One owner was issued with two fines for failing to comply with health and safety standards and for failing to properly keep records in respect of the scrap metal that is purchased from sellers.
Sholona Mahabeer, from the eThekwini Health Unit explained the importance of the inspection. “We must monitor, inspect and enforce the law as unhealthy conditions pose a great health risk. If we find that owners are not complaint we will issue a warning, verbally and in writing, advise them of the hazards and thereafter conduct a follow-up visit. If the owner has not intervened accordingly, we can prosecute by issuing a fine,” she said. Colonel Thandazani
Maphumulo from the SAPS said: “We must educate business owners about compliance as well as the consequences of purchasing stolen materials. We are working together with the eThekwini Municipality to ensure that these illegal activities are
eradicated.” The City has appointed cable
theft investigators that have been trained on what to look out for when inspecting scrap metal dealerships. Barbara Cloete, from the
Electricity Unit inspected the many bags of scrap metal found during the blitz. “We are looking for suspicious materials that belong to eThekwini Municipality. There is a high rate of cable theft and we encourage business owners to approach the Municipality if they have any information that can lead to the arrest of the culprits,” she said. The negative impacts of
cable theft include the hefty costs of replacement of infrastructure and hiring security, the shutdown of business operations, loss of
30 September 2016 [Issue 52]
EThekwini Municipality officials, in conjunction with the South African Police Service and other stakeholders conducted a raid in the Phoenix Industrial area where scrap metal and business premises were inspected.
Any suspicion of cable theft must be reported to the following numbers:• Electricity’s call centre
income and loss of exports. Cable theft also results to power, communication lines and transport network outages and leads to negative investor perceptions.
www.durban.gov.za
2 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 52
WARWICK PRECINCT PLAN SET TO REJUVENATE THE INNER CITY
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY FOR 2014 RELEASEDETHEKWINI Municipality’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory (GHGEI) which was compiled to help plan climate change mitigation strategies within the Municipality has been released for the 2014 calendar year. Compiling the GHGEI is an
important step in documenting eThekwini’s government and community emissions that are contributing to climate change.Linda Somazembe from the
City’s Energy Office said that the 2014 total emissions increase of 1.2 percent is due
to more data availability and more accurate data.“The use of renewable
energies is the answer to reducing carbon emissions and the City is embarking on various projects that will provide alternative energy sources for lighting, cooking and water heating to name a few,” said Somazembe. EThekwini Municipality has
initiated various programmes to assist citizens and businesses to reduce carbon emissions. One such example is the Durban Solar Map which is
facilitated by the City and provides assistance and vital information to residents when installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. For 2014 the total carbon
emissions recorded for the City was 29,092,003 tCO2e. This is an increase of 1.2 percent from 2013 which is equivalent to an additional 350, 445.3 tCO2e emitted. The municipal and community sectors present an increase of 135,745.8 tCO2e and 214,699.5 tCO2e respectively.The GHGEI is divided into two
sub-inventories, one for the broader eThekwini community and one for the municipality or local government emissions. The local government “sub-inventory” includes GHG emissions from activities under the control of the eThekwini Municipality entity, while the community inventory includes GHG emissions from various sectors within the boundary of the eThekwini Municipal Area.To view the 2014 inventory
THE PROPOSED Warwick Precinct Plan will transform the key City gateway into an efficiently functioning precinct geared towards accessibility and connectivity. It will allow for a seamless flow
of traffic, giving pedestrians ample pathway space while ensuring that traders also have ample space for their stalls. The vision for the precinct
is to create a mixed-use trade and transport hub that will be an attractive and thriving centre of diverse commercial, social and cultural exchange. This was revealed at a
consultation meeting held on, 28 September where the draft Warwick Precinct Plan was presented to interested stakeholders. The City is calling on the public to comment on the plan. The plan is one of eight that
form the Local Area Plan for the inner City which will guide development and improvement in the central business district, creating a more integrated and accessible environment while boosting business confidence. Almost 50 percent of the precinct land area is reserved for transport or infrastructure.
The Warwick precinct is seen as a strategic priority not only for the City, but for the National Treasury as well. It is the gateway to the inner City, and a major transport hub through which approximately 300 000 to 400 000 commuters pass daily. There are currently at least
2 500 street traders with an estimated R750 million to R 1 billion annual turnover. The proposed Warwick
Precinct Plan is a high level plan that provides a framework to make the City centre more pedestrian orientated,
integrated, accessible and efficient. The Integrated public transport plan will play a huge role in the integration of the City. The plan aims to ensure that the Warwick precinct becomes a safe, efficient and vibrant space that will unlock its full potential to serve the needs of the various communities that work, live, play and commute through the area. The proposed plan involves new and improved transport connections, rationalised public transport, pedestrian priority, public realm upgrades, mixed use development, and an improved trading environment. The City is committed to garnering as much comment about the plan and will consult with stakeholders at every planning and implementation phase. To register as a stakeholder or submit your input email [email protected]. Information is also available on the official eThekwini Municipality website: http://www.durban.gov.za/Resource_Centre/Current%20Projects%20and%20Programmes/Inner%20City%20LAP/Pages/default.aspx.
An areal view of the bustling Warwick Precinct. The City this week hosted a public consultation meeting to present the pro-posed Warwick Precinct Plan.
An artist impression of the King Dinuzulu Road station redevelopment.
www.durban.gov.za
ISSUE 51 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN 3
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH TO BE DISCUSSED DURING THE IMFO CONFERENCE IN DURBAN THE STATE of economic growth and doing business in South Africa are some of the critical issues the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers (IMFO) will delve into at their National Conference to be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre from 3 to 5 October.The theme of the conference
is “Sustaining Municipal viability amidst the economic distress.” IMFO is a professional body
comprising of Municipal finance officials from all over South Africa to guide each
other in providing effective financial accounting advice, setting and maintaining high financial standards and controls in public finance and governance. Some of the topics to be discussed include the revenue value chain, role of Councillors with respect to oversight, performance
management, budgeting, internal audit, supply chain management and the newly implemented Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts. Keynote speakers include Mayor Zandile Gumede, IMFO President Jane Masite, Deputy Minister in the Presidency in Performance, Monitoring and
Evaluation Obed Bapela as well as internationally renowned financial experts and captains of industry. City Manager Sibusiso Sithole will speak on the state of economic growth and the impact of job creation and a representative from the World Bank will touch on doing business in South Africa. Deputy City Manager for
Finance Krish Kumar said: “The 2016 IMFO Conference is a platform to learn and deliberate on the current economic climate and put forward implementable solutions.”
CITY DRIVES ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
ETHEKWINI Municipality continues to make great strides in empowering communities and driving the National Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) through the Vuk’uphile Learnership programme.Through the Vuk’uPhile
Learnership Programme, the City trains and equips prospective contractors with the required skills and technical expertise through small business contractor development. The programme
includes learning, practical training and mentorship, where small contractors are empowered and exit the programme as self-sustaining medium size contracting entities with the ability to compete in the open market.Since the intervention was
initiated in 2003, to-date 150 contractor and supervisors have benefitted from the learnership.Senior Manager in Rural
Economic Development Unit Sbusiso Chamane said the
City has been implementing the Expanded Public Works Programme through social, environmental, culture and infrastructure sectors that benefits unemployed people in our communities. “The programme targets are
set by the National Department of Public Works. Our current intake in the programme consists of a total of 50 contractors and supervisors who have received R14,6 million worth of projects to-date,” he said.
Chamane said labour is sourced from various communities, and the employees are registered as EPWP participants. “We have allocated Vuku’Phile
contractors to some Roads Maintenance projects in the Dassenhoek area, and they are in the process of acquiring bridging finance,” he said. Chamane said the learner
contractors are responding well to the additional works allocations, and are very excited to be part of this developmental programme.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa interact-ing with one of the Expanded Public Works Programme employees during his visit to Inanda, Durban in July to evaluate the progress and impact of the programme.
ETHEKWINI Municipality is set to participate in the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Summit in Bogota, Columbia from 12 to15 October and Habitat III from 17 to 20 October in Ecuador. The City is affiliated to UCLG
which is the association of cities and towns in the world for local government to have a voice at a global level. One of the key agenda items
at the UCLG Summit is the appointment of new office bearers and the vote of Mayor Zandile Gumede will be of great importance in this regard. Gumede said: “The City
always welcomes initiatives that contribute to social and economic growth which strengthens our bargaining power in the international
CITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE UCLG WORLD SUMMIT AND HABITAT III
matters. Gumede in her capacity as the
Chairperson and Secretariat of AFUS and Co-Chair of Global Network on Safer Cites will presenting some of its flagship programmes aimed at addressing issues threatening urban safety. EThekwini Municipality was elected to lead AFUS, as the structure for local government by local government based on its illustrative example on the implementation and mainstreaming of its Safer Cities programme. The City will also to lead focus discussions on safety and crime prevention and prepare recommendations that will be incorporated into the Habitat III resolutions.
Forum AFricAin pour lA sécurité urbAine
ETHEKWINI PRIORITISES TIMEOUS PROCESSING OF RATES CLEARANCE APPLICATIONS
ETHEKWINI Municipality moved to the new billing system known as the Revenue Management System (RMS) from 1 July 2016. The Municipality established
the RMS in order to provide debt management and effective customer relations through an integrated system. The system also improves the ability to manage information, business processes, financial controls and management reporting, said Deputy City Manager for Finance Krish Kumar.Kumar said it takes six to
eight weeks to register a transfer of an immovable property. This has not changed. However, due to the backlog accumulated during migration
arena.”The UCLG and Habitat III
will be held consecutively with the latter taking place from 17 to 20 October in Quito, Ecuador. Habitat III is focused on sustainable goals 2030 and it is important for Council in its five year term to incorporate Habitat III resolutions in its
activities. UCLG outcomes will inform negotiations at Habitat III therefore these two events are interrelated. EThekwini Municipality is set
to act as the Secretariat for the African Forum for Urban Safety (AFUS). Chairperson of the Human
Settlements and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Mondli Mthembu is also expected to participate in the summit in order to get a better understand of the concept of the urban agenda and related
to the new system, the transfer period has been extended.“We have continued accepting
clearance applications regardless of this and this has led to a backlog. Currently the Municipality has approximately 1785 applications that need to be processed and it is anticipated that the backlog will be cleared by the end of October 2016. This past weekend more than
500 applications and 100 certificates were issued,” said Kumar.He said the City’s Revenue
Clearance Section receives approximately 300 applications per day, adding that each and every application is different. There are various scenarios that can delay the application like:• If the sale price is too high
compared to market value such that the application has to be investigated.
• There are customers that improve their structures without proper approvals
• There are properties that have prepaid electricity and investigations have to be done on all of those properties.
• There are customers that
tamper with water and electricity meters and those fraudulent activities have to be investigated.
• Properties that have been handed over to the attorneys for legal action.
The above list is not exhaustive but all of the above scenarios will delay the processing of applications. Kumar said the Municipality is doing its best to ensure that applications are dealt with timeously. The normal applications
where there are no issues are issued within reasonable time of 10 days.Kumar said the City
encourages feedback from residents. “We are committed to providing efficient service delivery at all times,” he said.
