It’s all about safety, as city readies for holiday season
It is expected that approximately 1.3 million visitors will visit the City within the festive season period.
ADDITIONAL law enforcement officers will be deployed over the festive season as eThekwini Municipality readies itself to clamp down on lawlessness to ensure safe holidays for residents and visitors to the city.
Unveiling the City’s festive season management plan this week Mayor Zandile Gumede said Durban was ready to put its best foot forward to welcome holidaymakers this festive season. She said the city had put together a comprehensive integrated summer season plan and pulled out all the stops to ensure that visitors enjoy a memorable holiday.
“The safety of our patrons is a key priority so the Municipality and other stakeholders have put special measures in place to ensure that locals and visitors alike enjoy a safe and hassle free stay in our beautiful City,” said Gumede.
She said law enforcement officers would be out in full force, and Metro Police Officers, members of the South African Police Service, Beach Law Enforcement Officers and additional security personnel would conduct regular patrols around the City and at all beaches to ensure that law and order prevails. Extra security guards will be hired to complement law enforcement officers on the beachfront and will be deployed to key hotspots.
Metro Police will conduct several road safety checks to ensure that the use of unroadworthy vehicles, drunken driving and irresponsible conduct on the road is curbed. They will also keep a lookout for any general by-law and traffic contraventions as well as criminal activity. To control traffic on the beachfront, certain roads leading into the beachfront will be closed and some will be boom gate controlled. On peak days, the boom gates will be closed and only permit holders will be allowed access to the beachfront.
Sixty five lifeguards will be on duty to ensure the safety of swimmers from 6am to 7pm each day. Patrons are urged to swim between the beacons and listen to the lifeguards at all times.
To prepare for the high numbers of visitors to the beaches, wrist bands have been procured, which all children will have to wear when entering the beachfront area. These wristbands contain the details of their guardians in the event that a child is separated from their guardian. Twenty-eight child-minders have been employed to look after lost and separated children until such time that they are reunited with their parents or guardians.
Approximately 60 beach buddies will be situated at various beaches and will be on hand to offer any type of assistance to visitors. Additional seasonal lifeguards will be deployed at various beaches. All bathing beaches will be operational between 6am and 6pm on a daily basis. In addition, 47 pool buddies will be placed at pools throughout the eThekwini region.
The Durban Solid Waste Unit has appointed 85 additional staff litter pickers and has placed additional litter bins in key areas with high volumes of visitors such as the beachfront. Three shifts will ensure that the City’s beachfront remains spotlessly clean over a 24 hour period. Special teams are also in place to ensure that entertainment areas, such as Florida Road and Helen Joseph Roads are also kept free of litter. Staff will be out in these areas from 6am to 10pm.
This year, the City has embarked on an intensive marketing campaign to attract visitors from all over the world, and it is expected that approximately 1.3 million visitors will visit Durban over the festive season.
The socio-economic impact over the festive season is estimated at R2.2 billion in direct spend, making a Gross Domestic Product contribution of R3.8 billion into the City’s economy. The hospitality industry is looking forward to a thriving season with hotels anticipating an average of between 70 to 90 per cent room occupancy across all accommodation facilities. Overall, the economic activity over this festive season is expected to sustain about 8 700 jobs.
