The Community and Emergency Services Committee held its monthly meeting on Thursday 2 October, where various reports were tabled by Units within this committee for consideration and reference to the Executive Committee (EXCO).
The following recommendations were made:
Exchange of Bird species between Umngeni Bird Park and Impex Wildlife
The Umngeni Bird Park will exchange birds with the Impex Wildlife. Since the Umngeni Bird Park was placed under the management of the Municipality in 2010, various offspring has been born from the Birds Collection. This has resulted in surplus bird stock. The exchange with Impex Wildlife will allow for a variety of birds and will enhance the collection. The birds to be exchanged include indigenous and exotic bird species, some of which are endangered. This will boost tourism in the City, as visitors will be able to view and enjoy a variety of bird species at the park.
Demolition of Umdloti Beach Lifeguard Tower
After an intensive investigation by various internal and external stakeholders, it is recommended the Umdloti Beach Lifeguard Tower be demolished due to its structural deterioration which poses a health and safety risk to employees and members of the community. It is estimated that this will cost R300 000.
Visit to Kenya and Ethopia
A working committee, consisting of representatives from the Mayor’s Office, Councillors and officials, will on 30 October 2014, travel to Nairobi, Kenya, where they will engage with members of the African Union, UN-Habitat as well as other related stakeholders within Africa. The aim of the visit is to discuss issues related to the African Forum for Urban Safety (AFUS), share best practise and strategise on how cities in Africa can be made safer and vital places of harmonious development.
The group will then move to Addis Abba, Ethopia on 01 November 2014. Mayor, Cllr James Nxumalo, will lead the delegation that will introduce and lobby support for the AFUS programme to other African countries.
Extension of MMC services in effort to curb sexually transmitted diseases
Currently Medical Male Circumcision (MMC) services are provided at two Municipal clinics, on an ongoing basis. These are Mzamo Clinic on Wednesdays and Pinetown Clinic on Fridays. To extend this service, the Municipality’s Health Unit will partner with New Start and Health Systems Trust to provide this service at additional health facilities.
Land for construction of temporary fire station
The Accessibility Mapping of Community and Social Services exercise, undertaken by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), indicates that the southern areas of the Municipal area are an emergency service delivery priority area, in terms of the need for additional fire stations. It is on this basis that the Fire and Emergency Services Department has identified land at Folweni B for the construction of a temporary fire station. The proposed site lies approximately 10km south of eThekwini and covers wards 67, 94, 95, 96 and 100 and includes settlements of Adams Mission, Dodaza, Emsahweni, KwaHlongwa, Mkazena, Emansomini, Golokodo-Ensimbini, Mpushini and Enkanyisweni-Shozi.
A park-home has been procured and will serve as a temporary facility, while preparations to construct a permanent structure are still underway.
Miss eThekwini Municipality on hold
Deputy City Manager, Dr Musa Gumede, clarified the confusion surrounding the hosting of Miss eThekwini and Miss eThekwini Municipality. This is after some Councillors had alleged that the beauty pageant organised by Parks, Recreation and Culture (PRC) Unit had already taken place. Dr Gumede said that the pageant that had taken place was different to the one that had been brought before the committee and was not in any way affiliated with the PRC Unit. The one proposed by PRC is Miss eThekwini Municipality and preparations for the pageant had been put on hold pending further discussion within the committee.
The meeting was joined by Councillors and officials from the City of Johannesburg and Emfuleni Local Municipality, who are in Durban on a two-day educational visit aimed at sharing service delivery best practices.
