EThekwini Women Doing Wonderful Things

 

The month of August is Women’s Month. This is the month when we pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of the Pass Laws to women and demanding equal rights for all citizens.

‘’We would like to pay tribute to these remarkable women of our country who fought during the liberation struggle and those who continue to contribute to the development of our country today,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

This month we celebrate some of the amazing women around Durban and all they do for the City of Durban.

Tarryn Bristow. | Image: eThekwini Municipality

Tarryn Bristow is a Bird Curator from Mitchell Park Zoo, and Umgeni River Bird Park. She is lending a hand in her way to help the community out.  

‘’Our Bird Park and our Zoo play a major role in attracting tourists to Durban,’’ said Tarryn Bristow, Bird Curator, Mitchell Park Zoo and Umgeni River Bird Park.

She is helping to rebuild Durban’s tourism industry through her efforts.

Find out more about what she is doing to help the industry in this video on our YouTube Channel Umhlanga Life TV:

The Umgeni River Bird Park was designed and built by Dr Alan Abrey. It’s situated in an old quarry site which used to contain water. Dr Alan Abrey used to visit the site when he was a young boy. In later years when he was looking for a site for a bird park he remembered the location and found it to be the ideal location.

The Umgeni River Bird Park was opened in April 1984 by the then Mayor of Durban, Councillor Sybil Hotz.

The Bird Park is located on 3.5 hectares of tropical landscaping and has a vast collection of more than 800 birds from 200 species. Some species are the only representatives of their kind in Africa and others are sometimes kept as pets.

They have some great membership packages available at the ticket office.

Address: 490 Riverside Road, Durban North on the banks of the Umgeni River.

Contact number:  031 322 5750

For more info email: grant.aggett-cox@durban.gov.za

Website: www.umgeniriverbirdpark.co.za

Covid-19 regulations are in effect when visiting the Umgeni River Bird Park.

 

Mitchell Park Zoo was named after Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell. This park was established in the early part of the last century. It was originally established as an ostrich farm. It was then changed into a zoo.

At that time they had a variety of animals, the most famous being Nellie, an Indian elephant. The park also consists of some beautifully landscaped gardens.

Today the park has many small animals including crocodiles, bucks, raccoons, cranes, monkeys, and tortoises. There is also a walk-through aviary that allows you to see the many bird species up close.

One of the many feathered beauties you might spot at Mitchell Park Zoo. | Image: Fred Felton

There is a sand-filled playground where children can play on swings, jungle gyms, slides, and other rides. The park even has paraplegic facilities, which also means that everyone can enjoy the facilities.

‘’They have a lovely outdoor park for children and the zoo is also nice,’’ said local Durban resident Cindy Polydorou.

Mitchell Park’s workers also assist in teaching children all about the animals and plant species.

Concessions for school groups and pensioners are also available.

Address: 10 Ferndale Road, Morningside, Durban

Contact details: 031 303 2275

Covid-19 regulations are in place when visiting the park.

Support Durban Tourism by visiting attractions like this and telling your friends and family about attractions such as these.

It is for this reason that eThekwini Municipality is hosting Community Tourism Organisation (CTO) Roadshows to reignite the tourism industry.

‘’It is vital for the economy to attract more tourists to the City,’’ said Durban Tourism Senior Manager, Sibusiso Mngoma at a recent Durban Tourism Stakeholders Workshop.

 The eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda is also encouraging women to get vaccinated.

‘’We urge women to vaccinate and be at the forefront of leading the campaign in their families and the community. Women have always championed the cause of building strong family structures and we commend you for fulfilling the role in our society. We once again appeal to you to rise to the occasion as we strive to save lives and build a healthy nation,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

 

Celebrating the inroads made by eThekwini women

 

Celebrating the inroads made by eThekwini women

 THE month of August is celebrated nationwide as Women's Month. It is born out of the historical and monumental events of 1956 when over 20 000 women marched against unjust pass laws. This year's commemoration of the fateful day come at a time when eThekwini is reeling from the aftermath of the recent civil unrest. 

As efforts to rebuild communities, families, businesses, and the City get underway, it is evident that the women of 1956 have multiplied. EThekwini women from all walks of life have shown similar resolve to those of yesteryear, to get eThekwini back on track. They have initiated or joined initiatives to clean-up, feed the hungry and continue to play a pivotal role in rebuilding the City.

GRANT-IN-AID

Women in eThekwini have been in the forefront of building communities for a long time. When the Municipality launched Grant-In-Aid (GIA) in 2002-an initiative that provides support to organisations that improve the standard of living and quality of life in local communities-women dominated the number of community building initiatives that applied for funding.

In the past financial year (2019/2020), the Municipality, through its GIA programme funded non-profit organisations (NPOs) to the tune of R5.6 million. Interestingly, out of the 111 wards up for consideration, 60 of the beneficiaries were organisations run by women. 

The sectors that are supported are: early childhood development, social welfare, economic development, skills development, sports, arts and culture as well as faith-based organisations.  

Measures put in place for organisations to qualify ensure accountability, fairness and that communities really benefit.

Applications are advertised in newspapers, radio stations and social media platforms in March. The partnership between eThekwini and NPOs is crucial as these organisations are considered the ears and eyes of the Municipality.

AGRI-BUSINESS 

The difficulties presented to communities by the  Covid-19 pandemic and the unrest have given some women an opportunity to start businesses to fill in gaps presented by the lockdown and closure of most shops. We have witnessed emerging farmers, some supported by the Municipality through its Agri-business Unit, step up in the quest for food security.

The Municipality’s Agri-business initiative seeks to grow the economy by improving the productivity of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the agriculture business value chain. It has over seven percent of female farmers registered with it. The sector plays a huge part in food security, especially in the aftermath of the July unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, Council approved and adopted the eThekwini Agribusiness Master Plan which proposed five key commodities which the Municipality will focus on for the next 10 years. These are vegetables, sheep, broilers, cannabis and piggery.

The agri-business sector provides key services to emerging farmers such as business advice, advice on mentorship and extension, technical advice on business planning and financial management, support for access to markets and incubation. These services ensure the development and sustainability of farmers operating in the agricultural value chain, especially with the five commodities mentioned above. 

Soup kitchens are another intervention by the Municipality to fight poverty and create jobs. Once again, women of eThekwini have raised their hands to offer their services. Out of the 81 operating soup kitchens, about 75 of them are supervised and run by women. Besides the co-ordinators, there is also employment for 715 women who cook, serve meals and drive to deliver the food to feed people who are poverty-stricken. This is another level of women nurturing and building their communities. Soup kitchens are operated daily. There are many other Municipal interventions to uplift and empower women to have a stake in the in the economy. 

EMPOWERING WOMEN

As per the amended Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) of 2017, women have been classified as one component of the targeted groups in terms of the Contract Participation Goals (CPG) implementation on projects. This means that any tender worth more than R30 million, 30 percent of it will be subcontracted to targeted groups which includes women. Municipal line depatments are also encouraged to set aside a budget for contracts which will be advertised specifically to target group-owned entities, through the Municipality's Supply Chain Management. Targeted groups are entities which are 51% or more black owned and its ownership is composed of women, youth, military veterans and people living with disabilities. In the last financial year, the Municipality awarded work to the tune of over R1.1m to these groups. 

Internally eThekwini Municipality has also risen to the challenge of ensuring that women are in the forefront of empowerment and leadership through its many endeavours and programmes. These interventions include, amongst others, the Employment Equity Policy.

The Municipality started to prioritise gender equity soon after the promulgation of the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998. The Municipality has many success stories to tell about women empowerment. There has been an increase of female representation in clusters that were previously dominated by men. 

It is projected that by 30 June 2022, there will be a 45.43% female representation at the top three management levels and a total female representation of all occupational levels of 43.12%.

It is through such endeavours that the Municipality earned the Standard Bank Top Women Award in 2020 and more recently the Top Empowerment Award at the prestigious Oliver Top Empowerment Awards. This award recognised the Municipality for its unfailing vision and innovative leadership which positively impacted women in the country especially during the pandemic. 

Women's Month Spotlight on Umhlanga Councillor Nicole Bollman

The month of August is Women’s Month and this month we focus on Councillor for Umhlanga, Councillor Nicole Bollman. Learn more about this focus-driven lady in our spotlight interview with her and how she is helping out those in her community.

Councillor Nicole Bollman. | Image: Supplied

As a single mom she works as property practitioner and a Ward Councillor. ‘’It’s imperative that I plan my day, getting the most important work done first,’’ said Councillor Nicole Bollman. No two days are the same for her as critical matters can crop up at any given time and she has to get through great deals of admin work daily.

Her objective since becoming the Ward 35 Councillor in August 2019 is to foster, nurture and maintain a healthy working relationship with the city officials that work within the region. ‘’The eThekwini Municipality has ensured a relatively great turnaround time in respect of resolution,’ ‘ shared Councillor Nicole Bollman.

She is typically a ‘hands on’ type of person and likes to drive outstanding matters but she also takes an interest whilst the teams are on the ground. She likes to understand the processes, learning about systems whether it be water or electricity and then effectively communicating this to the residents within her Ward. ‘’I do believe that communication is king and so by educating our residents I empower them in also understanding processes, working in an inclusive symbiotic environment,’’ noted Councillor Nicole Bollman.

Her advice to young women wanting to make a success of their lives is to be confident and believe that you will be successful. ‘’Be open to other people’s opinions and listen with an open mind,’’ shared Councillor Nicole Bollman. She also advises young ladies to be respectful of yourself and everyone else around you. Life is a series of lessons, good or bad. ‘’Not everything ‘bad’ that happens to you is the end of the world,’’ continued Councillor Nicole Bollman.

Did you know that a Councillor is someone elected to represent their local community in the running of their local council and they have an important role in many of the major decisions that affect the lives of people in their community?

Recently the communities of Durban, Umhlanga and eThekwini Municipality all helped to clean up the community after the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal. 

‘’We saw members of our communities band together and get involved in cleaning up our neighbouring suburbs, such as Cornubia, Springfield Park and Queen Nandi together with the various municipal departments such as DSW,’’ said Councillor Nicole Bollman.

This was echoed by Durban North resident Gordon Reid, ‘’We weren’t left feeling alone and helpless, the community came out in droves and it showed how powerful we still are when we unite against a common cause,’’ said Gordon Reid.

‘’It’s reassuring to note the many business engagements, including business formations, after the unrest, they have given much help to work with the eThekwini Municipality in a bid to rebuild,’’ noted eThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda.

There is much she loves about Umhlanga including the warm Indian Ocean, the vibey Umhlanga Village with countless restaurants and the landmark Oyster Box Hotel, the sanctuary of the Hawaan Forest, to the play, work live node of the Umhlanga Ridge area with the ever popular Gateway Theatre of Shopping not to mention summer all year round.

The tourism sector has been hard hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has severely impacted hotels and B&B’s but restaurants too. ‘’It’s imperative that we, the greater North Durban community, continue to support these establishments as often as we can,’’ shared Councillor Nicole Bollman. She advised people to take advantage of specials on offer for local staycations and use social media to promote these destinations. ‘’Umhlanga is the place to go,’’ said Councillor Nicole Bollman.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the riots in KZN eThekwini Municipality will be giving bed and breakfasts an extension of rates rebates for a further 3 months. This begins on 1 July 2021 with an additional 29% rebate over & above the current 35%.

There are concerns from some people about whether or not to get vaccinated. ‘’I would recommend that people educate themselves,’’ advised Councillor Nicole Bollman. 

In her spare time she is an avid equestrienne and so enjoys spending time with her horse when she can.

‘’Women’s Month is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on not only my own challenges and successes but those of various women who make up our community – a celebration of contributions we, as women, make day to day, whether as single moms or as accomplished business people/leaders,’’ said Councillor Nicole Bollman.