Deputy Mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala has called on eThekwini citizens to encourage tolerance in order to prevent the escalation of xenophobic violence. Shabalala was speaking at the first meeting of the Executive Committee (EXCO) for 2015 at City Hall on Tuesday, 27/01/15. She said EXCO had noted the escalation of xenophobic attacks especially in Johannesburg.
“We have been informed that one incident has happened in eThekwini in the Inanda area where one foreign national was killed. We are hopeful that this is not going to escalate in our City because we cannot afford to have such incidents,” she said.
She added that eThekwini citizens had demonstrated in the past that they are able to coexist with foreign nationals.
“We would like to urge our citizens to be tolerant and not to engage in such acts. We condemn these attacks wherever they may be happening,” she said.
Meanwhile, the EXCO meeting started on a positive note with Deputy Mayor Shabalala calling on all EXCO members from different political parties to conduct the committee business in a constructive manner.
“We welcome criticism from the opposition because it keeps us on our toes. But as we start this year I want to appeal to members to be positive. Even when we differ we should do so in a constructive manner because this year is going to be hectic, especially because of the run up to Local Government Elections in 2016.”
Enterprise risk management report
The Enterprise Risk Management Committee presented its report on the Municipality’s strategic risks for the 2013-2014 period.
Committee Chairperson Phindile Shabalala said her committee, consisting of four members, was established to monitor and provide oversight on the Municipality’s risks and report to Council on the effectiveness of management responses.
She said from May 2013 the Municipality compiled strategic risk registers with action plans which are monitored and assessed regularly.
She added that the risk management process in the Municipality is integrated and reporting is effective.
City to establish Load Shedding Task Team
A multilateral forum will soon be set up to come up with strategies to mitigate the impact of electricity load shedding on the City’s operations and the local economy. The Forum, to be led by Mayor James Nxumalo and City Manager Sibusiso Sithole, will consist of all stakeholders affected by the rolling load shedding including business.
Load shedding has been identified as one of the risks in the business continuity of the City. A presentation on the proposed response interventions to load shedding tabled by Senior Manager: Business Continuity Management, Justice Nepfumbada, was accepted by EXCO.
Nepfumbada said load shedding is a reality that should be accepted after ESKOM announced that the power grid would remain constrained for an extended period. The Municipality is required to participate in load shedding at very short notice which makes communication to affected customers difficult and could be perceived as inefficient. Load shedding also has an impact on productivity and economic activity as well as on essential services such as Health, Water and Sanitation.
The proposed interventions include:
• The formation of the Municipal Ad-hoc Committee on load-shedding to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of the mitigation interventions. It will also provide support to the Mayor and EXCO on engagements around load shedding.
• Identification and thorough assessment of critical Municipal business processes or activities;
• Determining power requirements to facilitate service delivery and identify alternative power sources to be procured and installed.
• Procurement and installation of alternative power sources in full compliance with supply chain management processes and applicable legislation.
• The Mayor and City Manager to convene the Multilateral Continuity Forum in collaboration with affected stakeholders and drive the implementation of a Multilateral Continuity Planning.
• Intensification of communication both on load-shedding and the implications of the interventions implemented.
“The message that should cut across will be ‘We are in this together’. We need to communicate the reality that load shedding is not going to stop, but we are responding to ensure that we have continuity of business processes in the City,” said Nepfumbada.
The Ad-hoc committee will also consider the financial implications to Council required for the implementation of the proposed strategy.
Deputy Mayor Shabalala emphasised the need to intensify public education on the importance of preserving energy. Speaker Logie Naidoo added that people who can afford should be encouraged to invest in alternative energy sources like solar.
City to host 2016 International Aids Congress
EXCO welcomed the City’s successful bid to host the 21st International Aids Conference in July 2016 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. A report tabled to EXCO indicate that the biennial conference is the premier gathering of people working in the field of HIV, policy makers and people living with HIV. It brings together between 15 000 and 23 000 participants representing all stakeholders in the global response to HIV who meet to assess progress and identify future priorities. In addition over 1500 journalists are expected to cover the conference.
Deputy City Manager for Community and Emergency Services, Dr Musa Gumede, said the major financial implications for the City will include provision of office accommodation, discounted venue costs to be shared with the provincial government and the hosting of a Mayoral reception.
“We are grateful that our City was chosen to host the International Aids Congress in 2016 and we are confident that it will be very successful,” said Deputy Mayor Shabalala.
City to host African Beach Soccer Festival
EXCO approved the funding of R3million for the hosting of the Beach Soccer African Cup 2015, to be held at the Durban beachfront on 06-08 March 2015. The event takes place over three days and involves eight African Beach Soccer teams. It will also feature side events like a bikini fashion show, an international fan beach party and initiatives with the FIFA Beach Soccer Foundation like Keep the Beach Clean, skin-cancer awareness programmes and FIFA Beach Soccer coaching clinics for disabled and under privileged children. The event will be televised in over 180 countries to more than 250 million households.
Very accurate reports well done. Keep it up.