City's festive season safety plans announced

 

City’s festive season safety plans announced

Gugu Mdlalose

Durban is open for business and remains Africa’s playground reiterated eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba when he launched the City’s festive season management plan recently at uShaka Marine World.

Launching this year's festive season management plan, eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba said the Metro Police is working with various law enforcement agencies to maintain high visibility at all tourism sites and areas that have been identified as crime hotspots.  Picture: THULI DLAMINI

While holidaymakers have already started to arrive in eThekwini, the City has curated an exceptional line-up of events and experiences that perfectly blend its pristine beaches, lively nightlife, and rich cultural heritage.

As part of delivering a safe and memorable festive season, Mayor Xaba said the Metro Police is working with law enforcement agencies including the South African Police Service, the Road Traffic Inspectorate, and private security companies to maintain high visibility at all tourism sites and areas that have been identified as crime hotspots. This is a strategic collaboration between the City and private tourism stakeholders with the unwavering support of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG).

Mayor Cyril Xaba said road safety is a key component of ensuring a peaceful and joyful holiday season.

“Our law enforcement officers will clamp down on drinking and driving as well as reckless behaviour on roads. Law enforcement operations, including multidisciplinary roadblocks, will be conducted throughout the City to combat all forms of criminality. 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,” he said.

As part of heightened security, an additional 500 new Metro Police officers fresh from training will be deployed to increase police visibility both on the road and in communities. This comes as the City recently procured over 170 high performance vehicles for the Metro Police to patrol.

Mayor Xaba said other specialised units will be on horsebacks and bicycles at various tourism sites, assisted by CCTV camera monitoring and surveillance.

In terms of beach safety, for the easy identification of children, the City has procured 200 000 armbands with seven tents erected along the beachfront to accommodate children who get separated from their parents. A overnight facility for separated children has also been secured.

“In addition, the City is finalising the recruitment of 540 seasonal workers who will be deployed to various tourist destinations. These include 135 litter pickers and 104 beach guides who will be stationed across the various City beaches to help visitors. An additional 105 pool attendants will be deployed in various swimming pools to ensure the safety of bathers,” Mayor Xaba added.

He said the City will continue to monitor and conduct weekly assessment of beach water quality, highlighting that there are also over 40 swimming pools open in various parts of the City for the public to enjoy.

“We are confident of bumper festive season this December and visitors must be assured that apart from beaches, there are many other attractions and hidden germs throughout the City,” Mayor Xaba concluded.

Beach water quality status can be viewed on www.durban.gov.za/BeachStatus

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Spaza shop registration blitz amid ongoing citywide tuckshop inspections

Zimbili Mazibuko

To ensure full compliance with national regulations, eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba is spearheading on-site tuck-shop registrations blitz across the City. As the national campaign to ensure tuck-shop compliance gains momentum, the City is urging tuck-shop owners to register their businesses ahead of the 13 December deadline set by national government. The City has been inundated with enquiries from tuck-shop owners eager to comply with the registration requirements. To address these concerns, workshops led by the City’s Business Licensing Unit have already visited UuMazi and KwaMashu, with a planned visit to Magaba Community Hall in Hammarsdale scheduled for 12 December.

The City's health teams during a spaza shop inspection as part of ongoing efforts to ensure compliance.  Picture: NANDI NGIDI

The registration blitz are taking place parallel to the ongoing inspections by the City’s Health Unit’s teams as they are actively conducting workshops to educate business owners on the legal requirements for food premises, including spaza shops. A recent joint workshop, led by the Health Unit and Business Support Unit in the Nazareth area, attracted over 100 business owners and landlords. The session, which focused on the legal requirements for food premises, was lauded as highly informative by attendees. Most spaza shops were found selling expired food items, illegal cigarettes, illegal pesticides, counterfeit foods and had a lack of proper food storage and hand and dishwashing facilities. At some spaza shops, owners were found to be sleeping inside their business premises.

Acting Head of Health Dr. Phelelani Sosibo, highlighted the extensive efforts of the teams visiting various subdistricts to provide crucial compliance information to spaza shop owners and tenants. “Our Environmental Health Practitioners are diligently conducting law enforcement inspections of tuck-shops in both townships and suburbs. They are also verifying food item labels to ensure supplier details are visible and expiry dates are current, confirming the food is safe for consumption. Some tuck-shops have been fined for operating without business licenses and for not having fire extinguishers,” said Sosibo.

Sosibo said it is important that the public know their rights and take precautions to ensure their safety when purchasing food products. The teams are also visiting schools to educate school children and vendors on food safety requirements. Recent visits to Wyebank Primary School and Ekujabuleni Primary in KwaDabeka township included surveys with school vendors to assess their knowledge of food labeling and to gather information about their product suppliers.

The City’s proactive measures are not only aimed at ensuring compliance but also at enhancing food safety standards across eThekwini. As the 13 December deadline approaches, tuck-shop owners are encouraged to register to avoid penalties and contribute to a safer food environment for all residents.

The public is requested to familiarise themselves with the following regulations:

Best Before: Applies to foods that do not require refrigeration (canned goods, rice, pasta, cereal, biscuits)

Sell By: Applies to the date by which it should leave the store, but will still be safe for a reasonable period after.

Use By: Generally, applies to meat, dairy or any other product that requires refrigeration.

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