Durban - eThekwini Mayor Cllr Mxolisi Kaunda warmly welcomes all visitors to the city and appeals to the city’s residents to continue to be hospitable towards tourists.
He would also like to inform the public that the promenade is opened for jogging, cycling and walking. However, Kaunda urges everyone to unceasingly adhere to lockdown regulations that seek to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as the country has entered the second wave of the pandemic.
According to Kaunda, in response to the president’s address, the municipality has made significant operational changes to this year’s festive season plan and operations.
The amendments are as follows:
- A curfew, which entails that every person is confined to his/her residence daily from 11pm to 4am;
- To follow mandatory protocols including the wearing of a mask when in any public space or property, including on public transport;
- No consumption of liquor in public places (including beaches and parks), except in licensed on-site consumption premises;
- The closure of beaches in eThekwini will be enforced on December 16, 25, 26 and 31, 2020 and 1,2,3 January, 2021. Residents can still enjoy other activities along the beach such as jogging on the sand, walking, running, yoga and other healthy lifestyle exercises. The Park and Ride facility which operates on the central Durban beachfront will be closed on these days as well;
- On all other days, all beaches are open between 9am and 6pm. Lifeguards are on-site to monitor and ensure there are no drownings on the beaches. The Park and Ride facility will adhere to these times;
- The curfew will be strictly enforced, and no persons are allowed to sleep overnight in public spaces; buses, taxis and cars;
- Any loud music, whether live or otherwise will be prohibited.
The non-compliance with the prohibitions, conditions, days of the opening of beaches and wearing of face masks and social distancing measures, will result in the closure of those non-complying beaches throughout the festive season. Law enforcement are doing regular patrols to ensure that safety precautions are observed' said Kaunda.
The mayor is also imploring hotels, restaurants and eateries in the townships to guard against prioritising maximising profits at the expense of their patrons and the public in general.
Metro police and other law enforcement agencies are all out to ensure that regulations are adhered to in public transport as well, more especially minibus taxis that ferry the majority of residents.
Post-funeral gatherings are prohibited, and only a maximum of 100 people is allowed for any indoor gathering, while not more than 250 people are allowed to gather outdoors.
Meanwhile Durban's festive seasons plan is progressing well. The City of Durban expects to welcome 540 000 visitors during the festive season, from December 1, 2020 to January, 31, 2021, representing a R3 billion injection into the city’s gross domestic product. However, the anticipated visitor figure is 25 percent lower than 2019’s figures due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.
Kaunda revealed this as the festive season activation programme is currently underway in various township areas in the city.
The programme has brought the spirit of Christmas to the township, with performances of well-loved carols by the full KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thandeka Ndlovu and a host of other performers.
During the third week in December, Mayor Kaunda also hosted a festive luncheon for some of the city’s underprivileged children, treating them to exciting activities at uShaka Marine World. He will then proceed to visit tourism precincts such as Umhlanga, Florida Road, Umlazi and Chesterville to engage with product owners and patrons ahead of the peak of the festive season.
Getting Durbanites and visitors out to hidden gems, outdoor venues and a variety of entertainment nodes this holiday is important for minimising the gathering of people in crowded spaces. Kaunda has been encouraging safe and responsible holiday behaviour and adherence to the basic Covid-19 preventative measures.
“During December, we want to ensure that visitors to our city are able to take in the full, safe and authentic Durban holiday experience, that includes as many of our entertainment and leisure nodes as possible. We want to enhance the overall visitor experience. And that is among the reasons that we are present in Umlazi today – it is about bringing tourism to the people and spreading the city’s festive season message as widely as possible at this time,” said Mayor Kaunda during his announcement.
Following recent announcements by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Covid-19 safety restrictions for the festive season, Kaunda said eThekwini Municipality fully supports these measures: “Even though we understand and appreciate that this will be a disappointment to those who enjoy visiting our city at this time, we will comply with any directive to balance the needs of the tourism sector with the safety of visitors and Durban residents.”
He also unpacked progress on implementation of the city’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan in which re-starting the tourism sector is represented as pillar three.
He further stated that eThekwini Municipality is co-ordinating with the Departments of Health, Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, to ensure the safety of visitors and residents over the holiday. Durban Tourism will be rolling out Tourism Safe Travel Awareness Educational Activations in various townships from December 20 onwards.
The mayor appealed to young people and others to limit or avoid social gatherings and parties, which are the largest source of outbreaks. He urged the community to drink responsibly, observe social distancing, not to gather in large groups and to keep celebrations as small as possible.
“Avoid crowded venues and those that are not adequately ventilated. Better yet, get outside and enjoy our beautiful Durban weather. Sanitise your hands and wear your masks properly over the nose and mouth, not the chin,” he said.