eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba doing inspection on the readiness of City police to ensure the safety of tourists during the festive season. Picture: Supplied
The eThekwini Municipality is gearing up for a bumper festive season with an estimated 1.3 million visitors expected in the City, contributing to a direct spend of R2.5 billion and a GDP contribution of R6.3 bn.
The municipality launched its festive season campaign on Wednesday and outlined a detailed security plan and various activities to entertain local and international visitors.
Occupancy rates for hospitality establishments are forecast to be 75% and 11 000 jobs will be created, reaffirming tourism’s vital role in driving economic recovery and growth.
Mayor Cyril Xaba said: “As part of our efforts to deliver a safe and memorable festive season, the Metro Police are working with all law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS, Road Traffic Inspectorate and private security companies, to maintain high visibility in all tourism sites and areas identified as crime hotspots. We are confident that this collaboration will improve the safety of our visitors and residents.”
In response to the challenge of homelessness, the mayor added, “We are making every effort to direct the people living on the streets to three shelters currently operating in the city: Block AK, Jewish Club and Strollers.
This is a crucial intervention, as some individuals, particularly those struggling with addiction, may resort to criminal activities.”
On traffic management, Xaba stated that to control traffic on the beach, certain roads leading to the beachfront will be access-controlled.
The park-and-ride facility will be available at no cost every 30 minutes throughout the festive season.
“During this period, road safety becomes one of the key components of ensuring we deliver a peaceful and joyful holiday season. Our law enforcement officers will clamp down on drinking and driving as well as reckless behaviour on our roads. Law enforcement operations, including multidisciplinary roadblocks, will be conducted throughout the City to combat all forms of criminality.”
He announced that 500 new Metro Police officers will be deployed during the holiday period to enhance visibility.
“We have also procured over 170 high-performance vehicles for the Metro Police to patrol our streets 24/7.
“Other specialised units will be on horseback and bicycles in various tourism sites, assisted by CCTV monitoring and surveillance,” said the mayor.
He added that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has also been brought on board to deal with crime perpetrated against tourists. This is an ongoing and integrated programme aligned with the smart city law enforcement programme.
Xaba also touched on the issue of the beaches, stating, “As we edge closer to the festive season, we continue to monitor and conduct weekly assessments of beach water quality to ensure that residents and visitors are kept abreast of the test results.
The latest beach water quality results indicate that 19 Durban beaches are open and safe for swimming. There are also over 30 swimming pools open in various parts of the City for the public to enjoy.”
The City has partnered with several event organisers to host 15 signature events from December 1 to January 4.
Winile Mntungwa, the Deputy Head for Durban Tourism, called on residents to be ambassadors for the city.
“Durban is ready; Durban is open for business. A lot of work has been done by the City on things to do in Durban. There have been roadshows locally and internationally, and the numbers are actually showing,” she said.
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