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Feature Page 5
TALKING TOURISM:IT’S INDABATIME AGAIN
Friday4 May 2007
Your FREE city paperwww.durban.gov.zaMETRO
e z a s e g a g a s i n i
MICHAELNAICKER TO REV DURBAN
ETHEKWINIWELCOMESIDI AMIN STARNews Page 3
SIYABONGA MAPHUMULO
THE approval of the muni-cipality’s R17.4-billion budgetthis week has set the ballrolling for the city to addressthe needs of its residents andthe business community.
The budget, comprisingR4.2-billion of capital, andR13.2-billion of operatingexpenditure, “seeks to strike abalance between the develop-ment challenges of the poorand the need to maintaininfrastructure,” said MayorObed Mlaba.
He said the need to fast-track 2010 preparations, thecontinued provision of basicservices and housing to poorcommunities, as well asrenewed crime-fighting initi-atives were some features ofthe 2007/2008 budget.
The mayor said tariff hikeswere inevitable if the city wasserious about service delivery.
He was referring to a 9.9%increase in rates, 7.5% elec-tricity increase and a 15%water increase in the2007/2008 financial year.
Furthermore, there wouldbe a 5% surcharge on elec-tricity and a 10% surcharge onrates for businesses.
Although the IFP and othersmaller parties at council hadinitially voiced concern on thetariff increases, they laterjoined the ruling ANC inapplauding the city forpreparing a balanced budget.
The DA, ACDP and MF,however, criticised the bud-get. They said the new tariffsundermined the ReserveBank’s imperative to keepinflation below the 6% mark.
In voting against the budgetDA caucus leader JohnSteenhuisen said: “The effects(of the tariff increases) willimpact on the inflation rate,and cause severe hardship toDurban residents in the lowerand middle income group.”
The ACDP and the MF saidthe tariff increases were abovethe Consumer Price Index,and that the water loss trendswere too high in the city.
ANC Cllr Visvin Reddyreplied, saying the council hadbudgeted R65-million toreplace ageing water infra-structure which resulted inwater loss.
The ANC said eThekwiniremained by far the cheapestmetro in South Africa.
Budgetto helpthe poor
1. IN FEBRUARY, the councilagreed on a process to reviewand finalise names for streetsand facilities in our city. Itrequired inviting commentsfrom the public, and therelevant council committeereviewing names receivedand making arecommendation to council.All political partiesrepresented in councilaccepted this process andthrough this, accepted therewould be renaming.
2. Adverts were placed innewspapers on 9 Marchcalling on the public to submitproposals. Posters were alsoplaced at Sizakala centres andlibraries. The public wasencouraged to e-mail, fax, postor hand-deliver proposals tothese centres.
The closing date for
submissions was 30 March.245 proposals were received.
3. I recommended to thecommittee that before theyconsider every proposalreceived, they publish theproposed names to ensurethe public would have anopportunity to air their viewson every name underconsideration, to allow forgreater participation.
4. More than 95% of theobjections received to datehave objected to theprinciple of renaming. Giventhat the councilunanimously accepted thatsome streets would berenamed, there is little pointin the public sending ingeneral complaints that theydon’t want streets renamed.
The council has acceptedsome streets will be renamed
and it is unlikely the councilwill rescind that decision, soI urge the public to providespecific comment insupport, or against, specificrenaming suggestions.
5. Some streets have morethan one proposed name orone name has beensuggested for more than onestreet or facility.
6. EThekwini has morethan 30 000 street names,with more than 4 000 in theformer Durban central area.Even if all the proposals wereto be accepted by thecommittee, this would meanless than 1% of the city’sstreet names would bechanged.
See www.durban.gov.za
MICHAEL SUTCLIFFECity Manager
Entertainment Page 6
SIYABONGA MAPHUMULO
MAYOR ObedMlaba hasdeclared thatthe process ofr e n a m i n g
Durban streets and buildingswould continue as prescribedby a nationally gazetted law.
His comments follow thisweek’s protest march in thecity centre and claims fromopposition parties that theANC was “attempting torewrite history in its favour”.
Mlaba said despite theuproar from some quarters,the renaming was longoverdue and would continue.
“The (renaming) processhas not even begun to extendto eThekwini areas such asUmkomaas in the south.”
Mlaba said: “We want . . . toacknowledge that not allthose who have responded tothis issue have done soemotively. Some people haveraised valid and consideredargument against some of theproposed names and thesewill be considered before finaldecisions are taken.”
City Manager Michael Sut-cliffe said the process torenaming streets had beenaccepted by all councillors andnow it was time for the publicto make “submissions whichwould allow the (Masakhane,Grants-in-Aid, Non Racism,Non Sexism and Non Discri-mination) committee todecide on which streets will berenamed and what namesthey would be given”.
Sutcliffe said those respon-sible for this week’s “thuggeryand criminal behaviour” dur-ing the march would be dealtwith. He said organisers of themarch by IFP, DA and ACDPsupporters – which turnedchaotic when marchers up-rooted litterbins and van-dalised informal trading stallsin the city centre – would “payfor wrecking the city”.
He said members of thepublic had been assaulted;road signs had been brokenand, in some instances, roadsblockaded. The MangosuthuHighway in Umlazi wasbarricaded with burning tyresand bins early on Tuesday.
Metro Police reporteddamage to shops in the citycentre. And a marcher hasbeen arrested for being inpossession of a .303 rifle.
Mlaba slammed the vio-
lence and criticised detrac-tors of the renaming processfor failing to put forwardproposals. “Those who arereacting as they did chose notto participate in the processof proposing names and weare taken aback they chooseinstead to take to the streetsbrandishing weapons.”
The DA said the process ofname changing was “flawed”and “the public was beingdenied the right to submitalternate names if they arenot happy with the proposednames”.
Submit your comments onthe renamings to: MunicipalManager, 41 Margaret MncadiAvenue, Durban 4001; e-mail:[email protected],fax: 031 311 4024 by no laterthan Friday, 11 May.
Submissions will be sent tothe Masakhane committee forfinal consideration.
Names will change . . .But what to, is up for debate, say Mlaba, Sutcliffe
ANGRY: Thousands of protesters showed theiropposition to proposals to rename eThekwini streetsduring a march in the city centre on Tuesday
Pictures: BONGA MSIMANG
Sutcliffe: the process so far