Joint community campaign focuses on Dakota beach settlement

THE SOUTH Durban Basin (SDB) Area Based Management (ABM) of eThekwini Municipality in partnership with various roleplayers joined forces to host a campaign at the Dakota beach informal settlement at Isipingo Beach on Wednesday, 20 August.

The campaign comprised a full day of activities, among them a clean-up, drug awareness programme and a fun sport day, with input from the Department of Health, Durban Solid Waste (DSW), Parks and Recreation, Safer Cities and the SAPS.

The overall aim was to empower the local community to take ownership of the appearance of their area and to participate in making it a clean, green and safe area, for all to enjoy.
The clean-up campaign started in the morning, with local community volunteers and officials jointly cleaning up the settlement. The clean-up was followed by an educational programme by DSW, which emphasised the importance of the community being responsible for its own waste and for the appearance of the area that they live in.

“Dirt and untidy conditions lead to rodents and cockroaches which cause disease. Just because you live in an informal settlement doesn’t mean you must live in a filthy environment,” said Lulu Mametja of eThekwini Health.
A drug awareness programme followed, involving 15 youth ambassadors selected from the Dakota informal settlement to participate in a programme designed and co-ordinated by the Jullo Centre in Merebank. The ambassadors performed a sketch highlighting the effects of drug use, along with other performances. “We equipped the ambassadors with relevant tools to be able to impart their knowledge to other young people in the area. They will also run programmes in the community,” said Dr Lochan Naidoo of the Jullo Centre.

The day culminated in beach soccer and volleyball tournaments co-ordinated by eThekwini and provincial sports departments. Some 200 children participated in the fun-filled programme. The tournament served as a launch of an ongoing sports programme that is set to take place at the settlement. The aim of the sports programme was to keep the youth entertained with positive, healthy activities and to help steer them away from negative influences.

“I am pleased with this holistic programme at Dakota beach. It was the first time that my office engaged in co-ordinating so many different projects in one area at the same time. It is so important that a community be viewed and assisted from all perspectives and we will complete our intervention by assisting the community with the set-up of a food garden at the settlement in the near future,” said Eurakha Singh, SDB ABM manager.
Ward 90 PR councillor, Cllr Nokuthula Makhanya-Sibiya thanked the SDB and the relevant departments for taking the initiative in arranging a programme which arose as a result of issues from Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) war room meetings.

“It is heartening to see so many officials, non-profit organisations and community members working together to improve the lives of others.”