City’s campaign to clean-up CBD yields positive results
The eThekwini Municipality is on a campaign to transform Durban's Central Business District (CBD) with the hopes of making it cleaner and attracting investments to the city of Durban.
THE eThekwini Municipality is making strides to enforce by-laws and transform the central business district. This is being achieved by increased police visibility in busy streets.
According to municipality spokesperson, Msawake Mayisela, “The initiative, which was started a few weeks ago, is part of the Inner-City Rejuvenation Programme which aims to attract investment back into the heart of Durban.” “The intensified integrated strategic programme will permanently focus on streets such as Dr Pixley ka Seme, Anton Lembede, Monty Naicker, Victoria, Yusuf Dadoo, and Mahatma Gandhi as well as the Warwick and Albert Park precinct. Business owners who fail to adhere to the City’s by-laws are warned to comply or face hefty fines,” said Mayisela.
EThekwini Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda said the campaign is not about violating the rights of traders, but ensuring that traders adhere to the City’s by-laws.
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“Our programme to clean the City is progressing as planned. However, it cannot succeed unless we work together. Therefore we are appealing to those trading illegally to apply for permits.
And those traders who have permits must ensure that they do not litter. Rubbish bins have been strategically placed in the CBD and it requires a collective responsibility to dispose of litter responsibly,” he said. Mayor Kaunda said they are engaging with the taxi industry to lend a helping hand to rid the city of litter. He is also pleased with the progress of the Bad Buildings Programme, with several buildings having undergone renovations.
“Change won’t happen overnight. We do however believe that progress will be made if we have the owners of these problem buildings on board with us,” said Mayor Kaunda.
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Another challenge the City is addressing is homelessness and drug addicts converging in the CBD.
“We are concerned about the increase of homeless people and drug addicts in the CBD. To feed their addiction, some resort to destroying infrastructure by stealing metal or steel which they sell to scrap metal dealers. The City has to continuously pay to fix infrastructure that is repeatedly vandalised. We are also planning to have a serious conversation with owners of these scrap metal establishments who are creating the market for what is being stolen.”
“The Safer Cities Unit is hard at work to assist homeless people and drug addicts to turn around their lives through intervention programmes,” he said.
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