Arrangements to rebuild the oThongathi Water Treatment Plant that was submerged in water during the recent floods are at an advanced stage. This was revealed during a community engagement with oThongathi residents and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala and eThekwini Deputy Mayor Philani Mavundla on 7 May. The meeting was to discuss solutions to the ongoing interruption of water supply in the area. OThongathi is one of the areas in the municipality still without water after the recent flood damaged water infrastructure. It was among the hardest hit areas where major infrastructure was damaged. During the engagement, residents were assured that the area remains a priority in terms of water supply. Premier Zikalala and Councillor Mavundla conducted an oversight visit of affected areas in eThekwini which included the oThongathi Treatment Plant. They were happy that water services in most areas have been restored. In areas with an interrupted water supply, repairs were underway. Premier Zikalala said while progress to restore water in areas has been made, much more work needs to be done. ”Teams are relentlessly working to ensure water supply is restored. We appeal to communities to be patient and work with government while repairs are underway,” he said. The municipality is fast-tracking the reconstruction of the oThongathi Water Treatment Works to ensure it is completed as soon as possible. ”The Municipality has given the green light to start work at the plant which will take five months. While we are working on this, we have intensified the provision of additional water tankers, 42 static tanks, and a package plant,” said Councillor Mavundla. He appealed to the community to be understanding and not to burn tyres or block roads in protest. ”We understand their frustrations about water supply, but we are doing the best we can to provide water.” Councillor Mavundla will have regular meetings with the oThongathi community to provide feedback on progress made. 

____________________________________________________________________

THE municipality’s Health Care Services continue to provide support to displaced residents currently housed in various community halls across eThekwini. Municipal nurses are doing health screenings for various illnesses and distributing chronic medication. Head of the Health Unit Rose Van Heerden said they are working hard to ensure the wellbeing of residents while they are currently displaced. ”As Health Services, we acted quickly in response to the crisis by treating and taking care of the health and wellbeing of displaced residents. Many people lost their chronic medication during the floods, others became unwell in the aftermath, and we had to provide a service where they were placed,” said Van Heerden. The recent floods also resulted in an increased risk of a range of infections. Environmental Health Practitioners are working to prevent disease outbreaks at the community halls where displaced residents are housed. ”While providing shelter for displaced communities, the COVID-19 protocols were taken into consideration. This is imperative to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as other communicable diseases. It is the role of Environmental Health Practitioners to monitor shelters to ensure proper handling and storage of food and to ensure that adequate waste management services are provided. Poor waste management attracts flies and rodents which can spread diseases,” she said. The floods have also increased conditions of the infestation of insects (mosquitoes and flies) and rodents. In such a situation, the chance of disease transmission increases sharply. Environmental Health Practitioners have inspected shelters and provided necessary recommendations to the Health Unit’s Vector Control. Environmental health monitoring and mitigation is not limited to the shelters only. Their role is the prevention and control of communicable diseases and exposure to health hazards in the municipality. ”Damage to environmental health infrastructure and services like water supply and sewage systems, also increased the risk of water and food-borne diseases. Our teams prioritised water sampling to ensure the quality of water used by communities is safe for human consumption,” Van Heerden added. Communities were educated on hygiene measures to ensure they protect their health. Communities without water were also trained on water purification. 

___________________________________________________________________

DELIVERING on its theme of ”Rebuilding the local tourism sector”, the municipality promoted Durban to over 3 700 delegates attending the 2022 Africa Travel Indaba. The municipality highlighted the many attractions and tourism developments in the pipeline. The Indaba was held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre from 2 to 5 May. The City’s skyline is set to change with the construction of a multi-million-rand ferris wheel, the Durban Eye, to be built along the beachfront promenade. The expected launch date is February 2023, just in time for the Easter holidays. This development intrigued many Indaba delegates including international media. This will offer tourists a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the City. The 60-meter-high attraction will boast 30-36 eight-seater cabins. The full rotation of the wheel will take 20 minutes. Retail businesses will surround the structure. It will be situated at the southern end of the beachfront, bordering the harbour entrance channel. The site looks toward the Bluff headland and will welcome cargo and passenger cruise ships into the newly built passenger cruise terminal, the KwaZulu Cruise Terminal. There were 655 exhibitors, 126 African products were showcased, and 19 countries from the continent, including South Africa, were present. Other exciting developments in the pipeline for the municipality includes the opening of the 200-bedroom Radisson Blu Hotel at the Oceans project in uMhlanga ahead of the winter season in June this year. Furthermore, to ensure the sector’s sustainable recovery, eThekwini continues to work with the region’s route development committee to attract more international flights and to enhance intra-African trade. The plans include reactivating the Air Namibia flights and reigniting talks with Qatar and Emirates airlines to fly direct to Durban again. Royal Eswatini Air is due to start flying to King Shaka International Airport, Monday to Saturday starting from the first week of June. This follows the commencement of direct flights on the Air Link route from Harare to Durban operating three times a week as from March this year. EThekwini EXCO member, Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala said: ”Durban’s story is one of resilience against all odds. We hosted key target markets to explore the municipality’s newest tourism products offerings in various regions. Many were impressed and want to come back and fully discover eThekwini.” 

____________________________________________________________________