Economic concerns for Durban’s Commonwealth bid

WHILE city hall anticipates a successful Commonwealth Games bid for Durban, local civic organisation Save Our Berea and the Democratic Alliance have major concerns.

“No self-respecting politician or citizen can possibly support Durban’s bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games,” said Save Our Berea’s Kevin Dunkley, adding, “We simply cannot afford it. This is why Save Our Berea is totally opposed to it.”

Dunkley believes people are scared to speak out because those supporting it are quick to call loyalties into question; deeming you anti-Durban and even anti-South African. “Let me come clean on my own personal situation. I have a long history of involvement in sport. I was the manager of the first two athletic teams to represent South Africa when we were re-admitted to world athletics. I love sport, especially athletics. As with the Olympics, I can think of nothing better than having the Commonwealth Games on my doorstep. I would also love to buy a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta but I don’t, because I cannot afford it. This doesn’t make me anti-Ferrari.”

“The politicians driving this bid are ecstatic because we are the only bidder. Have they not wondered why? Edmonton, who hosted the Games in 1978, withdrew because they cannot afford it. A first world city without our social problems accepts it is too expensive yet we deem it feasible. Edmonton estimated a cost of CAD$ 1 billion of which the city would pay 20% with the remaining amount paid by Alberta Government. This is a figure of R9,72 billion,” he said.

“Our business sector loses billions due to power outages, we have a water crisis and our national airline is bankrupt, but far worse are our social problems. Let the mayor of eThekwini drive around our city and see how many desperate men wait on street corners, hoping for piece-work. People live in squalid shacks. Service delivery protests are at their highest in our history. Not a week goes by where streets are not closed by protesters. Hungry babies cry themselves to sleep. This is not a melodramatic view. These are facts and even then, most probably understated. Marie Antoinette, when told that the poor had no bread, reputedly said, “let them eat cake”. The French revolution followed. What will our politicians give to our unemployed, homeless and hungry?

Tickets to the Commonwealth Games? ”

Zwakele Mncwango, Democratic Alliance eThekwini caucus leader also had major concerns over Durban’s bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“If you look at the Commonwealth Games, you have to ask yourself, does it attract enough tourism? Tourism, like any other big event, will have an economic spin off at the time, but that spin off is just for that time. The question is, is Commonwealth a want or a need?”

Mncwango said the DA believed the bid was purely a want and certainly not a need at the moment. “If all was in order we would support the bid, unfortunately, with the current situation and backlog on service delivery in eThekwini, the Games feels like a want. At the moment, the City should be spending money on our needs as a city. We have a high water loss, the Head of Water said an impending water crisis presented many challenges they are facing as a department and about R300 million was needed to rescue them. The DA would support the City in saving the Water Department as water is a basic need,” said Mncwango.

He said he had asked the city manager at Exco before the bid was made if he knew how much the costs would be, but was told they did not know. “How can you bid for something when you don’t know the cost and how much infrastructure is needed?

You need to know cost first and communicate with country and people before you go to bid, so the community could have a buy in. There’s no rush to host the Games, it happens every four years. We have a power crisis in the country that should be prioritised.”