Business Forum steps in to ensure service delivery in Umbilo

WITH upcoming municipal by elections postponed by the IEC, Ward 32, which includes Umbilo, remains without a ward councillor.

This gap has left citizens of Umbilo having to rely on the efforts of voluntary business organisation, the Umbilo Business Forum (UBF) and its established relationship with responsive municipal departments, to ensure acceptable standards of basic services are delivered to the Umbilo community.

After a call was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa and National Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize earlier this week, the UBF saw fit to respond to the challenge of assisting the poor and vulnerable community of Dalton Hostel and Beer Hall located in Sydney Road to fight against the global pandemic Covid-19 (coronavirus).

Within 24 hours, the UBF through its resourced network was able to source hundreds of washable masks, A-grade latex gloves and bottled hand sanitisers.

Along with a live bi-lingual demonstration and Covid-19 information sharing session, these much-needed essentials were distributed accordingly to the large numbers of unemployed men and women of Dalton who live daily in conditions that make them the most exposed to this pandemic.

The UBF team consisted of Sikho Msomi (chairperson), Ian Campbell-Gillies (policy director), Kelvin Caldwell (deputy chairperson), Leonie Kriek (stakeholder relations), Dalton community leaders Steve Thusi and Zinhle Zulu.

With sleeves rolled up and sweltering under the midday Durban heat, the initiative was caught on camera by SABC news, and the UBF’s intervention was aired on national TV.

“The response from the Umbilo community at large as well as people across the country has been very supportive and encouraging. The UBF will continue monitoring the situation at Dalton and continue working with the community in fighting against the pandemic even beyond the national lockdown as pronounced by the South African presidency,” said Sikho Msomi.

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He said with the World Health Organisation having traced over 250 000 cases globally of which 10 per cent have been fatal it was only a matter of time until before the number of cases in South Africa reached the four digit mark.

“As the UBF we would like to acknowledge and appreciate the medical and healthcare practitioners who continue to put their lives at risk on the frontline in the battle against Covid-19. They are heroes. The mistake that shouldn’t be made is that of undermining the impact Covid-19 has on our economy and most of all the lives of the marginalised, especially the homeless and the poor communities of eThekwini. While still grappling with the ramifications of state capture and loadshedding, we’re now faced with this pandemic which has exposed the gaping cracks in our growth path as a developing city,” he said.

He said it was time that it was recognised that business is the only systematic asset that the city and country had to repair the cracks and respond to the pandemic and its related challenges.

“While recognising the unpredictable daily balance sheet reality facing most businesses, we appeal to all businesses to help the UBF take the lead during this testing time and support its work financially or in kind. All assistance to flatten the curve would be appreciated,” he said.

Contact Leonie Kriek of the UBF on leonie@umbilobusinessforum.co.za or 083 647 6331.

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