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Sunday, June 30, 2019

Ethekwini's 2019/20 Financial Year Budget Adopted



The call made by President Cyril Ramaphosa of Thuma Mina together with an emphasis to action local governments mandate, resonated throughout the final Budget speech 2019/20 delivered by Mayor Zandile Gumede. The Citys R50.6billion consolidated budget was presented at a sitting of full council, on, 29 May 2019 at City Hall.

A lot has been done and we are proud of the progress we have made. The most important thing is that we are transforming lives and impacting communities. Our democracy
is growing.

Gumede outlined the plans for the City going forward including the catalytic projects that will transform the Durbans landscape and promote future growth and development.
The catalytic projects planned for the City will have a huge economic and social impact. This will be measured in terms of the number of jobs created and how it supports mixed-use development by integrating commercial and housing needs, which will generate additional income through rates, said Mayor Gumede.
The budget is a direct response to the call from communities who participated in the two-month long draft budget consultation process.
They came out in their numbers during our budget hearings. We must not disappoint them by asking them to contribute and later ignore their requests. Our people are not asking for much, they want simple things like speed humps, fixing of potholes, streetlights, passages and cleaning of their areas.
If we want our people to trust us on bigger things, let us deliver on these small things. We want less workshops and talk shops but actual delivery. We have spoken and strategised for far too long, now its time for action. We have a lot of theories and documents on our table, but less action added Gumede.

The budget speech also highlighted the progress made through the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) framework through execution and monitoring of RET projects.
The Radical Agrarian Socio-Economic Transformation (RASET) programme was another success brought to light that is now integrated in the structure of the organisation, with the approval of the RASET Agribusiness Department organogram.
In terms of the Citys economic development, Gumede outlined the Shape Durban initiative which is the new inclusive economic growth plan that the municipality has developed. It is a five year partnership that aims to build a stronger and more inclusive economy through concrete interventions.
The municipality has also appointed Team Durban that will provide strategic foreign direct investment advice and support to the city and act as a sounding board for council leadership and the new Invest Durban Unit on business and investment promotion matters.
Further, the Municipality's Investment Promotion Strategy and Implementation Plan is an integrated approach that will allow for the majority of our local citizens to access public transport, goods and services in a cost-effective and efficient manner and to also to respond to growing the Citys rates base. This will enable the City to meet the local socio-economic obligations.

In her address Gumede welcomed the announcement made by newly appointed Premier, Sihle Zikalala on the continuation of the provision of houses and ensuring a sustainable livelihood to all.
Over the next few years, the Province has promised to deliver no less than 125 000 units. One of the major focus of the Premiers administration will be to develop and implement a clear plan to provide houses to all people who reside in transit camps.

BUDGET FOR 2019/20
The budget aims to facilitate and ensure the provision of infrastructure, services and support. The budget is expected to create an enabling environment for all residents to utilise their full potential and access opportunities. This is action budget, it an implementation season, an age of Thuma Mina! We want action that is our emphasis, said Gumede.
The budget supports the Citys commitment to broadening service delivery, attracting investors and expanding investment in infrastructure, within the current constrained economic environment we are currently experiencing.
The Municipality has identified priority areas to be addressed during the 2019/20 financial year to ensure immediate measures to reignite development and structural reforms over the medium term in line with the strategic vision outlined in the Integrated Development Plan (IDP).
The Capital expenditure is budgeted to rise to R 7.9 billion in 2019/20 and is allocated to meeting infrastructure and household services needs and backlogs over the medium term. About R 3.7 billion of this is directed to new housing developments and interim servicing of informal settlements.

SOCIAL PACKAGE
As a caring City, provision has been made for residents who are unable to pay for basic services. The Citys social package of R 3.9 billion for 2019/20 is partially funded by the Municipalitys equitable share allocation of R 3.2 billion from national government. The basic social package aims to help more vulnerable residents by supporting them with basic services and also by providing them with rates relief in the form of rebates or discounts. This is an affirmation of the Municipalitys commitment to push back the frontiers of poverty by providing support to residents who cannot afford to pay, because of adverse social and economic realities said Gumede.

The social package is outlines as follows:
Assessment Rates
Residential Properties valued up to R 230 000 will be exempt from paying rates. All other properties valued above R 230 000, the first R 120 000 no rates charged.
Pensioners, child-headed households, disability grantees and the medically boarded are exempt from paying rates, with the maximum rebate not exceeding R 4 373.
No rates levied on the first R 30 000 value of vacant land and Outside the Urban Development Line

Water
The first 6kl of water is free to households with property values under R 250 000.

Electricity
The first 50kwh of electricity is free to residents using less than 150kwh per month in Eskom reticulated areas.
The first 65kwh of electricity is free to residents using less than 150kwh per month in eThekwini reticulated areas

Refuse Removal
Residential property valued up to R 250 000 exempt from domestic refuse removal tariff. In addition, a free basic refuse removal service is also available to indigent consumer units living in rural, informal settlements and non-kerbside residents.

Sewerage/Sanitation
The first 6kl of effluent disposal is exempt for all properties with values under R 250 000. In addition, a free basic service is also available to indigent consumer units with VIPs, urine diversion toilets and in informal settlements serviced by means of a toilet/ablution block within 200m.

TARIFF INCREASES
As a caring city, every effort has been made to cushion the ratepayers and customers under the current state of the economy. The rates increase of 6.9% is about the lowest in the country, especially when compared to Johannesburg (11.7%) and Cape Town (averaging about 9% revaluing of properties)
The electricity tariff increases of 13.07% are an indicative increase due to the 15.69% increase expected from Eskom. However, should NERSA further review the Eskom increase, the City will also review the tariffs.
Water tariff increase of 15% for domestic consumers and 15.5% for business are based on the Umgeni Water Board increase of 9.6% and takes into account the additional capital expenditure on Water in terms of the rollout of the Western Aqueduct, huge urbanization increase trends, provision of ablution facilities, as well as free basic water. The sewer tariff has been contained to 9.9% despite similar challenges to water in terms of increased service delivery demands, capital expenditure, ablution blocks and additional servicing of pit latrines.
The 9.9% refuse tariff increase is due to additional areas being serviced, additional cleaning of the beachfront, CBD, and townships, and hence the increase above CPI could not be avoided.



JOB CREATION, SKILLS, POVERTY ALLEVIATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Through township renewal projects, the City has succeeded in bringing economic opportunities and job creation closer to the people.
The 2019/20 budget makes provision for the continuation of following projects:
- A capital budget provision of R9m, and an operating budget of R6.8m has been made for the Agri-park in the 2019/20 year. To create 19,925 jobs over 5 years.
- The Zibambele Programme (R 101 m) benefits over 6 500 of the Citys most destitute citizens
- Sihlanvimvelo stream cleaning (R 39.7m) over 500 jobs created.
- 1 500 caretakers employed at ablution facilities with a further 70 to be employed as further ablution facilities are completed
- 1 600 people employed by DSW utilizing the EPWP grant. Target to create 25 855 work opportunities.
- Use of 1 483 plumbing contractors on a rotational basis to undertake water related services
- 17 major contractors employing about 1 800 people for refuse removal services
- 140 community based contractors utilized in the roll out of rural water and sanitation projects
- A provision of R 87.7 m has been made to increase the number of soup kitchens from 74 currently to 92. The main aim is to have 1 soup kitchen per ward. About 450 beneficiaries are served in each soup kitchen site.
- 426 Agro Ecology community gardens. Total Agricultural Operational Budget of R 31.3m. Total Agricultural Capital Budget of R 19,8m
- Youth Development initiatives for the 2019/20 year amount to R 6.2 m trainee and graduate trainee bursary/loan student programs. In addition there is provision of R 19.5 m in respect of other youth development initiatives.
- 10 graduate engineers employed under the Water mentorship program

The following have been achieved through the eThekwini Municipal Academy (EMA) and has benefitted a number of young people:
- Work experience training to 1 118 students
- Apprenticeships 801
- Skills Programmes about 1 077 learners have benefited
- Learnerships about 371 learners
- Bursaries awarded to 120 students
- Financial relief to 138 students towards their university fees
- We have rolled out 31 Career Expos and 30 Life Orientation educators trained
- Our Career Expo and Youth Employability indaba attracts more exhibitors and visitors from schools, communities, corporate and government entities.
- Successful Girls Leadership Camp in Ntshongweni Dam last year.

CLIMATE CHANGE
In response to climate change and in light of the recent devastating floods the City will implement tangible initiatives to protect its citizens as well as its economic investments.
The Citys Disaster Management and Emergency Control operates on a 24/7 basis to provide services in terms of Disaster Management Operations, Emergency call taking,
Dispatching of all Emergency Services, CCTV monitoring and programs such as risk assessment and risk reduction interventions.

A provision of R10m has been made in the operating budget for additional staff and general expenses and a further provision has been made in the Operating budget for
R9,3m for additional Fire and Emergency staff.
Gumede concluded her address by reaffirming her commitment to work together with all stakeholders and make eThekwini the best city to live in.
The Municipality's budget for the 2019/20 financial year was approved by Council.

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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

All you need to know for DIFF 2019



The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) presented by the Centre for Creative Arts, Universitty of KwaZulu-Nata has launched its programme for its 40th
edition which takes place from 18 to 28 July 2019 at various venues around Durban, South Africa.

Knuckle City

The DIFF, together with the 10th Durban FilmMart (DFM), the industry development programme in partnership with the eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Film
Office, bring a combined 50 years of film to film-lovers and its hard-working creative industry.

The opening film of the festival is by acclaimed South African director Jahmil X. T. Qubeka’s. Knuckle City  is a riveting exploration of the psychology of a fighter from
the Mdantsane township of South Africa. Produced and edited by award-winning Layla Swart of Yellowbone Entertainment, together with Mzansi Magic.

“We are very excited to be opening our 40th edition with this gritty raw film by Jahmil” says Chipo Zhou, Festival Manager. “This is a film which we believe
will do very well as a cinema release, with boxing as the means to tell a the story, but its muti-layered narrative will resonate much deeper with audiences than what it appears at first. ”

In Qubeka’s words It is my intention to capture the essence of life in Mdantsane and the restless pursuit of being a champion within a society that often dictates you are a failure. I am determined with this film to give audiences a glimpse into a world rarely seen, and a deeper understanding of the multi-faceted individuals inhabiting our land.”

The Jury

 The DIFF programme includes 150 films from around the globe, comprising 74 feature films, 25 documentaries and 90 shorts; a community outreach programme, the Wavescapes Surf Film festival with 19 films focussed on surfing and water culture, the Isiphethu Hub a free industry programme for entry-level and emerging filmmakers, and the DFM for intermediate and professional filmmakers which includes the Talents Durban in partnership with the Berlin International Film Festival, a one-day Durban Does Docs documentary conference, a free Creative Corner which offers insights into costumes, make-up and set design, a finance forum for pre-selected film projects to pitch to potential investors and the like, and a full programme of master classes, workshops and seminars.



This year the inaugural Locations Africa Expo and Conference will happen as part of Durban FilmMart. It aims to highlight filming locations in Durban and Africa.

Kasala
Feature films that are in competition this year include a meta-cinema work by director South African directed Roger Young, Love Runs Out, Angus Gibson’s
Back of the Moon (South Africa) set in Sophiatown in 1958, Cronofobia (Switzerland) directed by Francesco Rizzi a psychological drama about suspended
identity; a Brazilian drama Divine Love (Divino Amor) directed by Gabriel Mascaro tells the story registry office clerk who uses her position at the births,
deaths and marriages department to try to dissuade couples from getting a divorce.

Everything must fall

Riccardo Salvetti’s Rwanda: The Untold Story, (Italy) offers a new take
on the Rwandan genocide, through the first person experience, using live dramatic performance, intertwined with filmic reality; Tchaiko Omawale’s Solace
(USA) is a moving and artful portrait of a smart, driven, and self- destructive teenage orphan struggling to find her place; Vai (New Zealand) by director
Marina Alofagia McCartney is a portmanteau feature film by 9 female Pacific filmmakers. Chinese auteur, Zhang Wei’s The Rib is about the strained
relationship between a young man wanting a sex change operation, and his Christian father; Nigerian film Mokalik directed by Kunle Afolayan follows an
11-year-old boy from the middle-class suburbs who spends the day as a lowly apprentice at a mechanic workshop in order to view life from the other side
of the tracks.

Free Our Bodies
Some of the documentaries in competition include South Africa director Nicole Schafer’s Buddha in Africa, which recently opened the Encounters Film
Festival, Anbessa (Italy/USA) directed by Mo Scarpelli, a coming-of-age story that captures a boy taking on modernization, Maya Newell’s, In My Blood it
Runs (Australia), about an Aboriginal boy whose traditional skills are of no value within the modern education system. Fatma Riahi’s A Haunted Past (Qatar) is a personal portrait of a broken Tunisian-Bosnian family as ex-prisoner and ex-jihadist. Hamada (Sweden) by director Eloy Domínguez Serén, is a humorous, bittersweet portrait of three uncompromising twentysomethings cut off from the world in a refugee camp; Edward Watts and Waad al-Kateab’s For Sama (UK/USA/Syria) takes an intimate look at one young woman's struggles with love, war and motherhood. Mother I am Suffocating. This Is My Last Film About You by Lesotho filmmaker Mosese Lemohang Jeremiah, is an extended, poetic letter to the protagonist’s mother and motherland. Sara de Gouveia, The Sounds of Masks (SA/Portugal) follows a compelling storyteller and legendary Mozambiquan masked dancer. My Friend, Fela (Brazil) directed by Joel Zito Araujo, explores the life of legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. A Girl in Return (Denmark) directed by Katrine W.Kjaer, an intimate tale about what happens when an adopted teenage girl decides to reclaim her lost identity.

Noah Wise

“We are pleased to announce that once again, the winner in the documentary competition will automatically qualify for consideration for nomination for
an Academy Award,” says Zhou.

Spokie Gaan Huis Toe

Venues this year include Suncoast Cine Centre, Musgrave Ster Kinekor, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, Denis Hurley Centre, EKhaya Multi-Arts Centre, Max’s
Lifestyle, Ohlange Museum, Tate’s Kasi Grill, Artizen Lounge, KZNSA, Bay of Plenty Lawns (Wavescapes Opening), Ushaka Marine World, Luthuli Museum, K-cap and
Garden Court.

Back of the Moon

The full programme will go online at the end of June 2019.

For more info go to ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/ or follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

To register for Durban FilmMart visit www.durbanfilmmart.co.za

#DIFF2019

Images courtesy DIFF. 



This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton

Friday, June 21, 2019

Emirates' First Class Suite Lands in Durban



Last week I was invited by Emirates to experience their new First-Class cabin in Durban. It was quite the experience. We were whisked around King Shaka International Airport to an Emirates plane that had the latest First-Class cabins. This is something that Durban travellers can now experience.



Emirates has introduced its First-Class cabin in Durban in conjunction with the airline’s seasonal frequency increase of four additional flights a week, bringing the airline’s award-winning, luxury travel experience to the coastal city.
During the seasonal increase from 14 June to 04 August 2019, travellers to and from Durban can enjoy the Emirates’ First Class cabins on the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER.

Staff from King Shaka International Airport and from Emirates welcome the flight | Image: Emirates


The aircraft will operate the additional flights in a three-class cabin configuration, offering eight seats in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class.

Fouad Caunhye, Regional Manager of Emirates Southern Africa, said, “As we approach 10 years of operations to Durban, introducing our award-winning First Class experience is a milestone in our history of operations to the city. Travellers will have an opportunity to experience the luxury product offering the Emirates is so well-known for, whether they are heading to Dubai or as they connecting to popular destinations across our network including India, UK and the Far East.
Over the years we have seen Durban grow into the thriving metropolis it’s become, from its busy port facilitating global trade, to developing a vibrant culture and distinctive landscape, the city has become a hub for both trade and tourism. The seasonal frequency increase is a result of the growing demand for travel in and out of Durban,” Mr Caunhye continued.



Emirates has also launched a new menu for Durban. Travellers can now enjoy Durban’s famous Bunny Chow on flights. I also had a sample of the Peri Peri chicken dish on offer and it is worth enjoying. I also like the fact that they have paired meals with local South African wines.

Here is what you can expect:

New menu for Durban
From June, Emirates has also launched a new menu on this route; the revamped menu will consist of some local specialities in all classes to showcase the diverse culture and strong Indian influence from the city of Durban. Some of the food on offer include: Peri Peri chicken with sweet potato carpaccio, Tandoori Prawns with spiced pineapple salad and curry mayonnaise, and Durban classic Lamb Bunny Chow with traditional garnishes just to mention a few. Additionally, Emirates’ long-standing relationship with wine producers from all over the globe has allowed the airline to have access to exclusive wines - adding to their impressive wine collection. Some of the South African wineries served onboard include Ken Forrester, Porseleinberg, Klein Constantia, Waterkloof and Boekenhoutskloof.

Your own bed | Image: Fred Felton 


Emirates First Class is exactly that. First Class luxury. From comfortable suites to your own bed when you sleep. That’s right you read that correctly. Your own bed when you have to sleep. Between all the in-flight entertainment, mini-bar and so much more you might not have time to sleep.

Here are some of the features in First Class:




Emirates First Class
The Emirates Boeing 777-300ER offers First Class passengers a private suite with seats that recline to a full-flat bed and a personal electrically-controlled mini-bar. Features also include touch screen Wireless Integrated Passenger Seat Controllers for Emirates’ in-flight entertainment (ice) and seat functions, as well as a 32” HD LCD screen. With electrically-operated privacy dividers, First Class suites offer passengers maximum exclusivity – even from an adjoining suite.
Passengers flying in First Class can indulge in luxuries like Voya skincare products, exclusive to Emirates, as well as the world’s first moisturising sleepwear. The new pyjamas for First Class travellers use Hydra Active Microcapsule Technology to keep skin soft while flying. Passengers on long-haul flights also receive amenity kit bags designed exclusively by Bulgari.

All flights have on board Wi-Fi as well.

USB input for all the tech lovers | Image: Fred Felton


Passengers in every cabin class can access more than 4 000 channels of visual and audio entertainment on the airline’s award-winning ice system that features the latest movies, music, audiobooks and games. There are also family-friendly products and services for children on board, including complimentary toys, kids’ meals and movies, priority boarding for families and the use of free strollers at Dubai International Airport (DXB). Travellers can also enjoy a variety of proudly South African wines and other South African foods such as tasty ostrich meat, Rooibos tea and local cheeses on board Emirates flights.

First Class Features | Image: Fred Felton



Travellers from Durban here is a special offer just for you courtesy of Emirates:

Durban First Class offer
Travellers out of Durban can now enjoy the award-winning Emirates First Class experience at Business Class fares for the duration of the four additional weekly flights between 14 June and 04 August 2019. Passengers can experience true luxury in their private suite on board TripAdvisor’s Best First Class experience in the world.

In South Africa, two of the four daily Emirates flights to Johannesburg are served by the iconic Airbus A380 to cater to the growing demand for the airline’s successful, customer-orientated experience. Emirates also operates two daily flights to Cape Town and a daily flight to Durban using Boeing 777s.

To book, or for more information and terms and conditions, please visit https://www.emirates.com/za/english/ or visit the local Emirates office or your travel agent.


This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton